More Democrats Say China Greater Economic Power than U.S.

October 23rd, 2025 11:00 AM

Democrat Americans are more likely to view China as having greater economic power in the world than the U.S. has, results of a survey by The Economist/YouGov show.

“Which country has greater economic power in the world?” the survey, conducted October 17-20, asked a national sample of U.S. adult citizens.

Of all those polled, more U.S. citizens chose America over China:

  • United States: 35%
  • China: 29%
  • About the Same: 23%
  • Not Sure: 13%

Democrats, however, were more likely to view China as a greater economic power, by nearly two-to-one:

  • China: 41%
  • United States: 23%
  • About the Same: 23%
  • Not Sure: 13%

Republicans, on the other hand, were almost four times more likely to consider the U.S., rather than China, to have more economic power worldwide (58%-16%).

Likewise, Republicans were far more likely than Democrats, or the country as a whole, to support the Trump Administration imposing a 100% tariff on goods imported from China. Here, 58% of Republicans said they would support a 100% tariff on Chinese goods, compared to just 5% of Democrats.

In all, 56% of U.S. citizens said they oppose the imposition of a 100% tariff, while 29% support it. Another 15% said they weren’t sure what their opinion was.