Canada and Great Britain continue to be held in high regard by Americans, according to Gallup’s annual World Affairs survey. The survey, which rated 21 countries, found that close to nine in

10 Americans view these countries favorably, with Russia now tying with North Korea as the least favorably reviewed country.

France, Japan, and Germany are among the 10 other countries that received majority-level favorable ratings from the American public, with at least 80% viewing them “very” or “mostly” favorably. Meanwhile, countries such as Taiwan, India, Israel, Ukraine, and Egypt received favorable scores ranging from 68% to 77%. Brazil and Mexico received lower scores at 64% and 59%, respectively.

The survey, conducted from Feb. 1-23, marks the 23rd consecutive year that Gallup has tracked Americans’ views of approximately 20 countries. Since 2001, 15 countries have been included in Gallup’s annual World Affairs survey, with India and Afghanistan being included in most of those polls. The others have been asked about less frequently. Gallup started tracking Americans’ views of countries sporadically in 1979.

Americans generally rate countries that have positive relations with the U.S. in a favorable light. Canada and Great Britain consistently rank at the top of the list, while Japan and Germany also receive strong ratings annually. However, when highly rated countries have negative interactions with the U.S., their favorable ratings reflect it. For example, France’s favorability fell to 47% in 2004 amid Americans’ displeasure with its unwillingness to back the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Similarly, Egypt’s favorable rating was below 50% from 2011 through 2015 after anti-government protests resulted in the resignation of longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

North Korea's favorable rating has never been higher than 31% and has not risen above 15% in more than 20 years due to its continued tensions with the U.S. and the international community. Afghanistan and four Middle Eastern nations—Iran, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, and Saudi Arabia—have been viewed unfavorably by majorities in all of Gallup's readings this century.

Opinions of China and Russia, both of which have been measured since the late 1970s, have reached record lows. Solid majorities of Americans believe that both China's military and economic powers are critical threats to the U.S. amid tensions with China, and opinions of the country have fallen five percentage points since 2022. Russia’s military power and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war are viewed as critical threats by majorities of Americans, and opinions of Russia have worsened by six points since last year. Ukraine's favorable rating has risen by the same amount to a new high.

In summary, Canada and Great Britain are viewed very favorably by Americans, with France, Japan, and Germany also receiving strong ratings annually. However, when highly rated countries have negative interactions with the U.S., their favorable ratings reflect it. North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, and Saudi Arabia have consistently received low ratings due to continued tensions with the U.S. and the international community. Finally, opinions of China and Russia have reached record lows due to their perceived threats to the U.S. Photo by  Makaristos, Wikimedia commons.