At its darkest hour, is internationalism back?

Written by Anna Hope and Hassan Damluji

For several years, public support for international cooperation has been in decline. In 2026, that changed.

Each year, we commission Ipsos to survey over 22,000 people across 31 countries on level of agreement with three statements that together measure the strength of public global solidarity: 1) I feel more a citizen of the world than a citizen of my own country 2) I want my taxes to go towards global problems, and 3) International institutions should be able to enforce solutions on issues like the environment. In 2026, agreement rose with all three across every generation, every income group and every level of education, and in nearly all countries.

The public has moved from net disagreement to net agreement on two of the three statements, and on the third, we have a much stronger majority than previously. Four in ten people now identify more as a citizen of the world than of their own country and the same proportion say they want their taxes to go towards global problems. Nearly two thirds agree that international institutions should have enforcement powers on issues like the environment, up from just over half. Only one in ten disagree.

But why are so many people turning towards internationalism at a such a difficult time for international cooperation? The most likely explanation is that it is precisely the threats to the international system that are making people everywhere value it more. The public mood is moving and the question is whether internationalists can seize the opportunity.