Israel Ranked Most Negatively Viewed Country in Global Survey; U.S. Falls Into Bottom Five

A new global survey published by the international data and research organization Nira Data has found that Israel is now viewed more negatively than any other country in the world.

According to the Global Country Perceptions 2026 index, Israel ranks at the very bottom of the list, below North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iran, while the United States occupies the fifth position among the world’s most negatively perceived nations.

The findings were released as part of Nira Data’s Democracy Perception Index 2026, one of the world’s largest annual public opinion surveys on democracy and global perceptions. The study gathered responses from 46,667 people across 129 countries and three international organizations regarding their views on different nations. In a separate democracy-focused survey, 94,146 respondents from 98 countries shared their experiences and opinions about democracy in their own states.

According to the report, the five countries viewed most positively worldwide are Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Sweden, and Italy.

The survey suggests that Israel’s growing international isolation is largely linked to its military actions in Gaza, the displacement of Palestinians, accusations of starvation policies, and increasing violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Human rights organizations, United Nations experts, and international courts have repeatedly warned that Israel may be committing serious violations of international law, contributing to a dramatic decline in its global image.

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has reportedly killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, devastated much of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, and displaced nearly the entire population. Several UN experts and genocide scholars have described the situation as a form of planned ethnic destruction.

The survey also highlights a sharp decline in global perceptions of the United States. Washington now ranks among the world’s five most negatively viewed countries, falling below both Russia and China in international popularity rankings.

According to the report, the United States’ net favorability score dropped dramatically from +22 percent in 2024 to -16 percent in 2026 — a decline of 38 percentage points in just two years.

The decline has been attributed largely to growing global dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda. Critics cite tensions with NATO allies, aggressive tariff policies, threats involving Greenland, reduced support for Ukraine, and Washington’s role in conflicts involving Iran and Israel.

The report further states that, after Russia and Israel, the United States is increasingly perceived as one of the biggest threats to global stability.

Unlike many democracy indexes that rely primarily on expert analysis, the Democracy Perception Index collects direct opinions from ordinary citizens. Respondents were asked about elections, freedom of speech, political pluralism, civic education, separation of powers, rule of law, government transparency, and the peaceful transfer of power.

The findings also indicate that continued U.S. military, diplomatic, and political support for Israel has carried growing international costs for Washington. Despite mounting allegations of war crimes, successive U.S. administrations have continued supplying weapons to Israel and have often shielded it from accountability at the United Nations.

The survey concludes that global public opinion increasingly associates U.S. power with impunity, double standards, and wars that have destabilized the Middle East.