Survey Reveals World's Most Hated Country, Israel Ranks First

Israel’s international image is at an all-time low, as it is now viewed more negatively than any other country in the world. According to the Global Country Perceptions 2026 poll released by research firm Nira Dat, Israel currently ranks at the bottom as the most disliked country globally. Following behind Israel are North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iran. Meanwhile, the countries with the most positive global image are Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Sweden, and Italy. The report involved approximately 46,667 respondents from various countries who were asked to assess their perceptions of 129 countries and three international organisations. This survey was published alongside the Democracy Perception Index 2026, which involved over 94,146 respondents across 98 countries. The decline in Israel’s image is said to be related to increasing international criticism of its military operations in Gaza since 2023. The prolonged conflict, humanitarian crisis, and accusations of violations of international law are factors influencing global public opinion towards the country. On the other hand, the survey results also show a negative perception of the United States. As Israel’s main ally, the US has now slipped into the list of the five countries with the most negative perceptions in the world, below Russia and China in terms of international popularity. Its net perception score fell from +22 percent in 2024 to -16 percent 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 policies, 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 Perception Index 2026 describes itself as the world’s largest annual democracy survey. Unlike expert-based democracy rankings, this survey 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 that UN experts and genocide scholars have described as genocidal. For the US, these 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 weapons transfers despite mounting evidence of war crimes, the survey shows that the global public increasingly associates American power with impunity, double standards, and destabilising war.