NEW POLL: G20 Countries Agree on the Importance of Humanitarian and International Development Issues and Preventing War and Conflict

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  Those surveyed in G20 countries also agree that their country should cooperate on global challenges even if it requires compromising on some national interests, according to a new Rockefeller Foundation and Focaldata study

  
  

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  Strong pluralities of G20 respondents believe international organizations should take the lead on development and humanitarian-focused issues

  
  

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  19,192 adults polled in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK, and US
  

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ahead of the 2025 G20 Summit taking place this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa, The Rockefeller Foundation released the results of its latest study, A Mandate for International Cooperation: G20 Popular Opinion on Global Action. Key findings include 63% of survey respondents across all G20 countries (excluding Russia) say that at least one humanitarian or international development-focused issue is a top priority for them personally. Additionally, 41% selected preventing wars and conflicts as one of their top three priorities.

“These findings make clear that people want to see their governments work together to solve problems and protect the vulnerable,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “At a moment of great challenge and great possibility, we have an opportunity to reimagine how nations cooperate and to build a stronger shared future together.”

In addition, 60% of the adults polled across G20 members (except Russia) agree that their country should cooperate on global challenges even if it means compromising on some national interests. Around half of respondents decisively said that they believe international cooperation is in the personal interest of their families, including more than six in ten in China, India, and Saudi Arabia, and more than half in Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States. Only a small minority (23%) of respondents believed international cooperation was not in their interest, with the balance saying they weren’t sure.

G20 Mandate for International Cooperation

The G20 includes the world’s largest economies, home to most of the world’s population and responsible for the majority of global emissions and economic output. This group has the opportunity to shape outcomes on health, climate, food security, global economic stability, and development that will reach far beyond its members. 

In order to understand what drives their views of global cooperation, The Rockefeller Foundation, through its affiliated public charity, RF Catalytic Capital, commissioned UK-based Focaldata to survey 19,192 adults across 18 of the G20 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. Key findings include, but are not limited to:

• G20 respondents prioritize global issues that benefit humanity – not just ones that affect their own countries. Preventing wars and conflicts is the dominant global issue across almost all countries surveyed, alongside humanitarian-focused issues like access to food and clean water, global poverty, humanitarian aid, and preventing childhood death and disease. For the United States, almost twice as many respondents prioritize addressing access to food and clean water as managing migration.
• Strong pluralities of G20 respondents believe international organizations should take the lead on development and humanitarian-focused issues. They want national governments to focus on protecting freedom of expression, religion and belief, and managing migration.
• Two-thirds of G20 respondents have confidence in international actors to solve global challenges. A clear majority are confident that international organizations and international NGOs can solve global challenges.
• G20 countries cluster into different groups based on three key worldviews that drive support for international cooperation – producing real results, having a personal stake in global issues, and their country having influence in international affairs. These differing clusters highlight the range of starting points across the G20.

The surveys were carried out from October 31 to November 7, 2025, and while the African Union, European Union, and Russia are part of G20, they are not covered as individual entities in this survey. Respondents are representative based on age, gender, region, ethnicity, education, and past vote in each country (with past vote and ethnicity used only where such measures are collected and standard practice).

The results of A Mandate for International Cooperation: G20 Popular Opinion on Global Action build upon the findings from The Rockefeller Foundation’s recent poll of 34 countries released during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly, when it announced the launch of a new US$50 million Build the Shared Future initiative. Through this initiative, the 112-year-old philanthropic organization aims to develop solutions that more effectively respond to crises and promote a healthier, more prosperous, and secure future for all by breaking down silos in global development and humanitarian sectors and identifying and testing new solutions.

About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity in food, health, energy, and finance, including through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.

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SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation