The Pew Research Center’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey, a comprehensive study delving into the perspectives of individuals across numerous nations, employed a sophisticated and multi-faceted methodological approach to ensure the reliability and validity of its findings. The survey, conducted from March 23 to March 29, 2026, involved a diverse range of data collection techniques, including telephone interviews, face-to-face interactions, and online surveys, executed by reputable research organizations such as Gallup, Langer Research Associates, and the Social Research Centre. The findings presented are based on national samples, unless explicitly stated otherwise, reflecting a commitment to broad representation and national accuracy. For an in-depth understanding of the international survey methodology and the specific sample designs implemented in each country, interested parties are directed to Pew Research Center’s detailed resources on international methodology.
A crucial aspect of the survey’s analytical framework involves the categorization of respondents based on demographic and ideological variables. For instance, analyses of attitudes are often segmented by respondents’ self-identified political ideology, classifying individuals into distinct groups: left, center, and right. This approach allows for a nuanced examination of how differing ideological stances shape public opinion on a wide array of global issues. Furthermore, the survey utilizes classifications of countries as either high-income or middle-income, a distinction grounded in the World Bank’s established criteria that are primarily based on per capita gross national income. This classification system has been consistently applied in prior Pew Research Center analyses, including influential studies on global views of China’s economic impact, national satisfaction with democratic governance, perceptions of globalization, and differing perspectives on what constitutes national identity.
The American Trends Panel: A Cornerstone of U.S. Opinion Research
Within the United States, the survey’s findings are significantly informed by data collected through Wave 190 of the American Trends Panel (ATP). This nationally representative panel, comprised of randomly selected U.S. adults, serves as a vital instrument for understanding American public opinion. The data collection for this specific wave occurred between March 23 and March 29, 2026, with a robust response rate of 87% among the 4,046 sampled panelists, of whom 3,507 ultimately responded. The cumulative response rate, which accounts for nonresponse during the initial recruitment surveys and subsequent panel attrition, stands at 3%. The break-off rate among panelists who initiated the survey and completed at least one item was a minimal 1%. For the full sample of 3,507 respondents, the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points, underscoring the precision of the collected data.
To ensure more accurate estimates for the opinions and experiences of smaller demographic subgroups, the ATP incorporates an oversample of Muslim, Jewish, and non-Hispanic Asian adults. These oversampled groups are then meticulously weighted to accurately reflect their proportional representation within the broader U.S. population. The survey was administered by SSRS on behalf of Pew Research Center, utilizing both online (3,377 respondents) and live telephone (130 respondents) interviewing methods. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish to maximize accessibility and inclusivity. Further details regarding the ATP’s operational framework can be found in the dedicated section, "About the American Trends Panel."
Panel Recruitment and Evolution
Since 2018, the ATP has primarily employed address-based sampling (ABS) for its recruitment processes. This methodology involves mailing study cover letters and a pre-incentive to a stratified, random sample of households drawn from the U.S. Postal Service’s Computerized Delivery Sequence File, which is estimated to cover between 90% and 98% of the U.S. population. Within each selected household, the adult with the next upcoming birthday is invited to participate. While specific details of the ABS recruitment protocol have evolved over time, they are available upon request. Prior to 2018, the ATP relied on landline and cellphone random-digit-dial surveys for recruitment, conducted in both English and Spanish.
The ATP has consistently recruited a national sample of U.S. adults on an approximately annual basis since 2014. In certain years, enhanced recruitment efforts, referred to as oversamples, have been undertaken to improve data accuracy for specific underrepresented groups. For example, Hispanic adults, Black adults, and Asian adults were specifically oversampled in 2019, 2022, and 2023, respectively, demonstrating a proactive approach to demographic inclusivity.
Sample Design and Questionnaire Integrity
The target population for the Spring 2026 survey encompasses noninstitutionalized individuals aged 18 and older residing in the United States. The sample design for this wave featured a stratified random sample drawn from the ATP, with Muslim, Jewish, and non-Hispanic Asian adults selected with certainty to ensure adequate representation. The remaining panelists were sampled to maintain proportionality with their respective shares of the U.S. adult population to the greatest extent feasible. Respondent weights are subsequently adjusted to account for any differential probabilities of selection, a process detailed further in the Weighting section.
The development and testing of the survey questionnaire were a collaborative effort between Pew Research Center and SSRS. The online survey platform underwent rigorous testing on both personal computer and mobile devices by both the SSRS project team and Pew Research Center researchers. The SSRS team also populated test data that was analyzed using SPSS to verify the accuracy of the survey logic and randomizations prior to the official launch.
Incentives and Data Collection Protocol
To encourage participation, all respondents were offered a post-paid incentive. Participants could opt to receive their incentive as a check or as a gift code for major online retailers such as Amazon.com, Target.com, or Walmart.com. The value of these incentives ranged from $5 to $20, with higher amounts designated for individuals belonging to populations traditionally harder to reach via surveys. This differential incentive strategy is designed to enhance panel survey participation among groups that historically exhibit lower survey response rates.
The primary data collection field period for this survey spanned from March 23 to March 29, 2026. Data was gathered through self-administered web surveys and live telephone interviews. For online panelists, postcard notifications were mailed on March 23, followed by survey invitations sent in two phases: a soft launch involving 60 panelists on March 23, and a full launch for all remaining English- and Spanish-speaking online panelists on March 24. Panelists who opted for online participation received an email invitation and up to two email reminders if they did not initially respond. For those who consented to SMS messages, an SMS invitation with a survey link was sent, accompanied by up to two SMS reminders.
For panelists opting for telephone surveys, prenotification postcards were dispatched on March 20. A soft launch on March 23 involved initial dialing until three interviews were successfully completed. Subsequently, all remaining sampled English- and Spanish-speaking phone panelists’ numbers were dialed throughout the remainder of the field period. Interviewers from SSRS made up to six calls to each panelist to conduct the telephone surveys.
Ensuring Data Quality and Addressing Potential Biases
Pew Research Center researchers implemented stringent data quality checks to identify any respondents exhibiting patterns of satisficing, a phenomenon where respondents provide superficial answers rather than engaging thoughtfully with the survey. This included scrutinizing response rates for unanswered questions and instances where respondents consistently selected the first or last option presented. As a consequence of these checks, five ATP respondents were excluded from the final survey dataset before weighting and analysis.
Weighting: A Critical Step for Representative Data
The weighting process for ATP data is comprehensive, accounting for multiple stages of sampling and nonresponse that occur throughout the panel survey lifecycle. Initially, each panelist is assigned a base weight reflecting their probability of recruitment into the panel. These base weights are subsequently calibrated to align with population benchmarks detailed in accompanying tables, thereby correcting for nonresponse during recruitment surveys and panel attrition. If a subsample of panelists was invited for a particular wave, the weight is adjusted to reflect any differential selection probabilities.
Among panelists who successfully completed the survey, the weights are further calibrated to match population benchmarks. To mitigate the loss of precision that can arise from variations in weights, these are trimmed at the 1st and 99th percentiles. Sampling errors and statistical significance tests explicitly take into account the impact of this weighting procedure. The accompanying tables provide unweighted sample sizes and the expected margin of error at a 95% confidence level for various groups within the survey. Sample sizes and sampling errors for other demographic subgroups are available upon request. It is important to note that beyond sampling error, potential biases can be introduced by question wording and practical challenges inherent in survey administration.
Dispositions and Response Rates: A Detailed Breakdown
The final dispositions of the sampled panelists and the overall response rates are meticulously documented. The figures presented in the tables offer a granular view of how the initial sample was processed, including the number of completed interviews, refusals, and non-contacts. The cumulative response rate, a critical metric for evaluating the overall success of data collection efforts, is also provided, offering insight into the proportion of the initially targeted sample that ultimately contributed to the survey findings. This detailed accounting is essential for transparency and for researchers to fully assess the representativeness and potential limitations of the data.
