Pope Leo XIV tops a new Gallup poll on world leaders, appealing to US residents broadly in a politically divided—and divisive—nation.
The poll, conducted by telephone 7-21 July with 1,002 adults throughout the country, found that 57 per cent of respondents viewed Pope Leo favorably, with 11 per cent disapproving of him and 31 per cent having no opinion.
Of that last group, 18 per cent said they were not familiar enough with the pope to weigh in, while the remaining 13 per cent had not heard of him.
In addition, said Gallup, Pope Leo is viewed more favorably across party lines, “unlike the political figures measured in the latest poll.”
At the same time, Gallup noted that, “consistent with the ideological differences in his ratings, he is liked better by Democrats than Republicans.”
The Gallup poll was the first time it rated the US-born pope since his 8 May election. Pope Leo marks his first 100 days in the papacy 16 August.
Respondents gave Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a 52 per cent approval rating, with 34 per cent disapproving and 14 per cent indicating no opinion. Behind him was Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who was viewed positively by 49 per cent and negatively by 38 per cent, with 14 per cent having no opinion.
Most Americans surveyed (57 per cent) disapproved of US President Donald Trump, with 41 per cent approving and just 2 per cent having no opinion. Vice President JD Vance scored a 49 per cent disapproval rating, with 38 per cent viewing him favorably and 13 per cent having no opinion.
Pope Leo also led the rankings according to net favorability—which represents the difference between positive and negative percentage points—at 46 per cent.
Gallup noted that “net favorability is most effective for these comparisons because it accounts for large differences in Americans’ familiarity with the various figures.”
Except for Pope Leo, Zelenskyy and Sanders, all of the remaining leaders on the Gallup list had negative net favorability, with French President Emmanuel Macron at -1 per cent and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk at -28 per cent.
Trump (-16 per cent), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (-16 per cent), former President Joe Biden (-11 per cent) and current Vice President JD Vance (-11 per cent) fell between Macron and Musk in the net negative rankings.
Gallup also compared Pope Leo’s rating with those of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI. It noted the new pope’s numbers “closely match” those of his predecessors in the early days of their respective pontificates. In 2013, Gallup found that 58 per cent approved and 10 per cent disapproved of Pope Francis, while in 2005 Pope Benedict was viewed favorably by 55 per cent and unfavorably by 12 per cent.
The polling firm clarified that it did not measure US public opinion of Pope St John Paul II as favorable or unfavorable until 1993, well after his 1978 election. However, the late pope enjoyed wide popularity among US residents, with anywhere from 61 per cent to 86 per cent approving in a given poll over the years.
Among US Catholics, Pope Leo (76 per cent), Pope Francis (80 per cent) and Pope Benedict (67 per cent) “earned higher-than-average support in their initial ratings,” said Gallup.
The firm also noted that Pope Leo differs from predecessors in that his approval rating is “higher among liberals than conservatives (65 per cent vs. 46 per cent).”
In contrast, conservatives were more likely to view Pope Benedict and Pope Francis favorably during the early days of their pontificates.
Pope Benedict maintained that conservative approval edge through Gallup’s 2010 data, taken three years ahead of his 2013 resignation. Pope Francis’ ranking among conservatives declined, with his December 2023 Gallup numbers showing a 70 per cent approval among liberals and 42 per cent among conservatives.
