What percent of the world do you think currently knows who the POTUS is?

[TheReckoning]

This is a question I’ve been thinking about. What percent of the world’s population knows Joe Biden is the president of the United States?

[CumbrianLefty]

I would say it is pretty high.

[Lord Halifax]

Around a third, higher in Western countries. More people would probably recognize a photo of him than know his name.

[CumbrianLefty]

A third is definitely too low I would say.

[Lord Halifax]

A third is definitely too low I would say.

Why would your average African, Indian or Indonesian know the name of the American president? Most people don't follow the news, and even if they do Biden is a bit of a non-entity. Obama was a superstar and Trump was a global villain and a figure of ridicule, but Biden is a smiling old white man = generic American leader. Even if they'd seen him on tv would they know his name?

[LabourJersey]

A majority of people who are literate and follow the news would know who Joe Biden is.

But I have zero clue what percentage of the world population is both literate and follows the news. I'm guessing it's a minority but I don't know how small it is.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Virtually all literate adults and some portion of the younger population should know who POTUS is.  According to Statista, 14% of the world's adults are illiterate and 26% of the world's population is under 15 years old.  Considering those two stats, the 60%-80% range seems most likely.

[Kamala's side hoe]

A majority of people who are literate and follow the news would know who Joe Biden is.

But I have zero clue what percentage of the world population is both literate and follows the [international] news. I'm guessing it's a minority but I don't know how small it is.

This is why I voted Under 20%.

[CumbrianLefty]

I think some may be a bit behind the times regarding "poorer countries" - even most people in Africa will have fairly easy access to TV and radio these days.

[LabourJersey]

I think some may be a bit behind the times regarding "poorer countries" - even most people in Africa will have fairly easy access to TV and radio these days.

Completely fair, but I'd imagine that people everywhere are more focused on domestic media and domestic news than international news.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'd say it is definitely higher than 50%.


I tried to google some stats right now and it seems that there at least twenty African countries with an Internet access rate of around 50% or more (Nigeria for instance), mostly via the use of mobile phones
(https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124283/internet-penetration-in-africa-by-country/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Africa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_technology_in_Africa).

And here's an article from the website of the Kenya Standard on Biden's post-Roe executive orders:
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/america/article/2001450029/biden-weighs-authority-to-declare-abortion-related-public-health-emergency

Internet usage rate in Kenya is given as 42% on one of the sites mentioned in the beginning, although that of course doesn't tell us anything how many of these people care about the news or whether they're just hanging around on TikTok all the time, although I would assume that Biden inevitably appears on TikTok too once in a while.

Nigeria and Kenya are among those African countries where the literacy rate definitely exceeds 50% too though.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if at least 5-15%  of the world's population still thinks that Trump or Obama are the current president

[Bootes Void]

Probably has to be close to ~80% of adults minimum worldwide. Even if you were a total nutcase who lived under the rock and knew nothing about the world, you would know who the POTUS just by having  a little bit of exposure to the media

[CumbrianLefty]

There was a time when Bobby Charlton was a yardstick for this sort of thing.

[MABA 2020]

Three quarters feels about right to me, for better or worst America is the most important/influential country in the world so it's only probably the most isolated corners of the world who don't know Biden and I'm sure the numbers are even higher for the more memorable presidents like Obama or Trump.

[_.]

Selected 40% to 60% globally

In Pakistan where I'm at right now it's probably 30% - 50%. There's probably more knowledge as to what the Indian PM's name is. Biden isn't a very memorable person

I think some may be a bit behind the times regarding "poorer countries" - even most people in Africa will have fairly easy access to TV and radio these days.

In the Congo, 38% of households have a radio and 19% have a television.

In Chad, these numbers are 32% and 5%.

Kenya is one of the wealthiest and most developed African nations and the numbers there are 72% and 49%. And smaller numbers listen to radio or watch television at least once a week, 66% and 33% respectively.

Mobile line numbers are much higher but it's far easier to get a cell line than it is to get internet (I have it for maybe 2 hours a day and my neighbors are still asking for the password to our wi-fi), and even when internet access is available, it could be restricted to be for only for one or a few apps and websites, like Whatsapp, Facebook etc.

To top it off, it's probably pretty likely that a good percentage of these don't use the radio or television very frequently, at least from my experience.

[CumbrianLefty]

Selected 40% to 60% globally

In Pakistan where I'm at right now it's probably 30% - 50%. There's probably more knowledge as to what the Indian PM's name is. Biden isn't a very memorable person

I think some may be a bit behind the times regarding "poorer countries" - even most people in Africa will have fairly easy access to TV and radio these days.

In the Congo, 38% of households have a radio and 19% have a television.

In Chad, these numbers are 32% and 5%.

Kenya is one of the wealthiest and most developed African nations and the numbers there are 72% and 49%. And smaller numbers listen to radio or watch television at least once a week, 66% and 33% respectively.

Which is why I deliberately used the phrase "access to" - quite a few will still use them communally as was the case for many in the West back during the "good old days"

[BlueSwan]

Here in Denmark it is likely close to 100%. Infact, I don’t really think the number dips below 95% in any western country. Outside of the western world the number is obviously lower, but I think you would struggle to find countries where the number is much lower than 70%, so I would guess that 80%+ for the entire world is correct, but yes, the number would have been even higher under Trump or Obama.

[TDAS04]

Voted 60-80%.