For the first time in a long time, some good news about how the world sees America:

“Views of the U.S. improved or stayed the same as last year in 18 nations, the first positive signs the poll has found for the U.S. image worldwide this decade,” according to folks at the Pew Research Center, who caution that “Five years after the start of the war in Iraq, the image of the United States abroad remains far less positive than it was before the war and at the beginning of the century.”

The center put together in interesting interactive global map to view this and other results, including the level of confidence in President Bush and candidates Obama and McCain.

Among the findings of the full survey, which included 24,000 people in 24 countries, is another shift in opinions that could factor into U.S. relations in the future:

“Around the world, people have a new concern: slumping economic conditions. And they have a familiar complaint — most think the U.S. is having a considerable influence on their economy, and it is largely seen as a negative one.”

Separately, a broader and years-long survey of 52 countries released this week found happiness is on the rise.