Americans' Opinions of France Drop to New Low

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans have a sharply more unfavorable image of France than they have had at any point over the past decade. Favorable opinions of the country have dropped 20 points in the last year, while unfavorable opinions have risen by 17 points. Americans' attitudes toward Germany, which, like France, has balked at approving the U.S. position on the necessity of military action against Iraq, have also become substantially more negative since last year. The image of North Korea in the minds of Americans, already quite negative, has become even more so this year compared to last.

These conclusions are based on trends in country ratings included in the annual Gallup Poll Social Series Update on World Affairs, conducted Feb. 3-6. The survey included a question asking Americans to give their opinions of a list of 26 countries. The American public's attitudes toward most of these countries can be compared to surveys conducted in February of the last 2 years, and in many instances to surveys stretching back a decade or more.

Although survey respondents were asked to rate each country using a 4-point scale (very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable), the analysis here is based mainly on a "net favorable" rating that subtracts the percentage of Americans rating a country unfavorably from the percentage rating it favorably.

These net favorable ratings range this year from a +83% for Great Britain to a –85% for Iraq.

The general structure of American public opinion about the 26 countries is roughly similar to where it has been in previous years. English-speaking allies like Great Britain and Canada rate at the top of the list, while the three countries President George W. Bush identified as comprising the "axis of evil" (Iraq, North Korea, and Iran) rate at the bottom of the list.

As noted, France, Germany, and North Korea suffered the biggest drops in the American public's esteem this year. There were no major increases in favorable ratings this year compared to last year for any of the countries tested, although Israel, Egypt, Iran, and Libya are all rated somewhat more favorably this year (the last two, of course, remain near the bottom of the list despite their relative increase in favorable ratings over last year).

We have included in the table below the favorable and unfavorable ratings for each country, the net favorable rating, and the change in the net rating for each country compared to last year. (Several countries were not rated last year, as noted.) Here is the list:

The major findings from a review of this year's results include the following:

• Fifteen of the 26 countries receive net positive ratings; i.e., the percentage of Americans giving them a favorable rating exceeds the percentage giving them an unfavorable rating.

• Americans are clearly most positive about two English-speaking countries: Great Britain and Canada, both of which receive net favorable ratings in the 80% range. (Australia, not included on the list this year, had a similarly high score in a 2001 survey.)

• Americans also give net favorable ratings of 50% or higher to five other countries: Italy, Spain, Japan, Mexico, and Germany.

• Turkey, Russia, Israel, Egypt, South Korea, and France comprise the next group of countries in the list. All of these receive significantly more favorable than unfavorable ratings from Americans, although not as favorable as the countries discussed above.

This year, only 59% of Americans say they have a favorable attitude toward France, while 33% report a negative view. That's a substantial decline from last year, when 79% had a favorable view and 16% had an unfavorable view. The net favorable rating for France has thus dropped from 63% last year to its current reading of 26%.

• Kuwait, Vietnam, and China all have net ratings of about 0%; i.e., just about as many Americans rate them unfavorably as rate them favorably.

• A series of six countries have net ratings that are in the minus 30% to minus 50% range. These include Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Cuba, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Libya.

• Three countries have much more substantially unfavorable images among Americans: the Palestinian Authority, Iran, and North Korea.

• Finally, and not surprisingly, Iraq is the lowest rated of any of the 26 countries tested, with unfavorable ratings from 90% of Americans and favorable ratings from only 5%. This is not new. Iraq's image has been similarly negative in each of the 10 prior Gallup Polls in which it has been tested, going back to 1991.

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,001 adults, 18 years and older, conducted Feb. 3-6, 2003. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Next, I'd like your overall opinion of some foreign countries. First, is your overall opinion of [RANDOM ORDER] very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable? How about -- [INSERT NEXT ITEM]?

Favorability of Nations Trend

A. Afghanistan

B. Canada

C. China

D. Colombia

E. Cuba

F. Egypt

G. France

Next, I'd like your overall opinion of some foreign countries. First, is your overall opinion of [RANDOM ORDER] very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable? How about -- [INSERT NEXT ITEM]?

Favorability of Nations Trend

H. Germany

I. Great Britain

J. Iran

K. Iraq

L. Israel

M. Japan

N. Libya

O. Mexico

P. North Korea

Q. Pakistan

R. Russia

S. Saudi Arabia

T. South Korea

U. The Palestinian Authority

V. Vietnam

W. Kuwait

X. Turkey

Y. Italy

Z. Spain