Survey: Israel Named World's Most Hated Country, Where Does the US Rank?

A country’s global image can influence everything from tourism and investment to diplomacy and military strength. Recently, one nation has been labelled a ‘world criminal’ for causing misery to its population and triggering global turmoil: Israel. According to the Democracy Perceptions Index 2026, Israel now ranks at the very bottom as the most disliked country in the world. Following Israel are North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iran. Meanwhile, the countries with the most positive global image are Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Sweden, and Italy. Controversy surrounding Israel has intensified in recent years due to conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and especially Iran. As a result, Israel recorded the lowest net perception score in the survey, falling below every other evaluated country, including Afghanistan and North Korea, underscoring how sharply global opinion has shifted. The decline in Israel’s image is linked to growing international criticism of its military operations in Gaza since 2023. The protracted conflict, humanitarian crisis, and allegations of war crimes have influenced global public opinion. The survey also revealed a negative perception of the United States. As Israel’s primary ally, the US has now slipped into the list of the five countries with the most negative global perception, ranking below Russia and China in terms of international popularity. Its net perception score plummeted from +22% in 2024 to -16% in 2026, a drop of 38 points in just two years. The decline in the US ranking comes amid rising anger over President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, including strained relations with NATO allies, aggressive tariffs, threats regarding Greenland, aid cuts to Ukraine, and Washington’s role in the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The survey also found that the US is now viewed as a major global threat, behind Russia and Israel. The Democracy Perceptions Index 2026 describes itself as the world’s largest annual survey on democracy. Unlike expert-based democracy rankings, it asks citizens directly how they experience democracy through questions about elections, freedom of speech, political pluralism, civic education, separation of powers, rule of law, government transparency, and peaceful transitions. Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, displaced nearly the entire population, and imposed conditions described by UN experts and genocide scholars as genocidal. For the US, the findings demonstrate the significant cost of Washington’s sustained military, diplomatic, and political support for Israel. Although successive US administrations have shielded Israel from accountability at the UN and continued arms transfers despite mounting evidence of war crimes, the survey indicates that the global public increasingly associates American power with impunity, double standards, and destabilising wars. Switzerland and Canada topped the global rankings with a net perception score of +36%, followed by Japan (+34%) and Sweden (+33%). Of the 15 countries with the best perception, more than two-thirds are in Europe. European Union member states averaged a score of around +26%, though this average was significantly lowered by France’s relatively low score of +11%, which matched that of the United Kingdom. The positive global perception of Canada and European nations like Switzerland and Italy reflects a combination of factors, including domestic stability, quality of life, diplomatic positioning, and relatively open societies.