LONDON, Sept 9: Most people around the world would prefer Democrat Barack Obama to win the US presidential election over his Republican rival John McCain, a new poll spanning 22 countries showed on Tuesday.

The BBC World Service survey found the most common view in all nations polled was that Obama — who staged a euphoric European and Middle Eastern tour in July that included a speech to 200,000 fans in Berlin — should win in November.

An average of 46 per cent of those questioned thought US relations with the rest of the world would improve if Obama took office, compared to just 20 per cent for McCain, the survey of 22,500 people found.

Global approval ratings for the United States are currently low — a BBC World Service poll earlier this year found 49 per cent of people surveyed had a negative view of US influence, compared to 32 who viewed it positively.

Those most optimistic about an Obama presidency’s impact on US external relations were people in America’s Nato allies -- Canada, France, Germany, Britain and Italy -- as well as Australia, Nigeria and Kenya.

Forty-six per cent said having a black US president would “fundamentally change” their perception of the United States, and 27 per cent said it would not.

“Large numbers of people around the world clearly like what Barack Obama represents,” said Doug Miller, chairman of GlobeScan which conducted the poll.

“Given how negative America’s international image is at present, it is quite striking that only one in five think a McCain presidency would improve on the Bush administration’s relations with the world.” However, there is nothing to suggest Obama’s popularity abroad will bring success at home -- he is neck and neck with McCain in US opinion polls.

In Tuesday’s poll, the margin in favour of Obama ranged from just nine per cent in India to 82 per cent in Kenya, where the Democrat has family. On average, 49 per cent preferred Obama to 12 per cent in favour of McCain.

Nearly four in 10 people did not take a position, with this attitude most common in Russia, Singapore, Turkey, India and Egypt.

An average of 46 per cent thought US relations with the rest of the world would improve under Obama, 22 per cent thought they would stay the same and seven per cent thought they would get worse.

Only 20 per cent thought relations would improve under McCain, although this figure was around 30 per cent in China, India and Nigeria. An average 37 per cent expected no change and 16 per cent thought relations would get worse.

A separate poll in the United States mirrored these conclusions, with 46 per cent expecting better relations under Obama and 30 per cent under McCain.

There was less optimism, however, in three Muslim countries involved in the poll.

The most common view in Turkey — held by 28 per cent of people — was that relations under Obama would get worse, while in Egypt and Lebanon the largest groups (34 and 42 per cent respectively) believed relations would not change.

The survey was carried out in July and August in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States.—AFP