Gallup Poll: Americans' Opinions of France, Germany and North Korea Drop to New Lows

Americans' Opinions of France Drop to New Low Germany and North Korea also rated more unfavorably

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 complete ratings for each country are displayed at the bottom of this article.)

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:

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.

Germany is rated lower this year than it was last year. The drop is not as dramatic for Germany as it is for France. Americans' favorable attitudes toward Germany had averaged in the 70% range since 1991, although they dropped to 63% in June 1993 and reached a high point of 83% last February. This year, 71% of Americans have a favorable attitude toward Germany, while 21% have an unfavorable attitude.

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.

As noted, there have been changes in the positioning of several of these countries in the minds of Americans since last year. Israel and Egypt get slightly more favorable ratings now than they did in 2002. Israel's net favorable rating has gone from 23% last year to 35% this year, while Egypt's net rating has increased from 20% to 31%.

The image of France has undergone the most significant change of any of the countries tested. Americans have been asked about France using this format in six previous Gallup Polls, stretching back to 1991. Between 70% and 79% of Americans have reported favorable attitudes toward France in each of these prior surveys. Between 12% and 20% have reported unfavorable attitudes.

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.

Libya's and Saudi Arabia's images are slightly more positive this year than they were last year.

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

While attitudes toward North Korea have been strongly unfavorable in the three previous surveys that included North Korea, they have become much more so this year, with a reading of 12% favorable and 80% unfavorable. The net favorable rating of North Korea has moved from –42% last year to –68% this year.

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.

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.

Go do your own research. Anyone who has followed European culture, including church attendance and polls indicating beliefs in standard Christian doctrines, is aware that Europe is NOT a Christian continent, not by the standards of belief or practice.

Christianity is not an inherited religion. It is a practiced religion.

Having a Baptisimal certificate is not evidence that one is a Christian.

The fact that you are unaware of the spiritual state of Europe is an indication that you are not a practicing Christian. I don't have the time or inclination to search the web to prove something to someone who is obviously so uneducated on the subject. I suggest googling some poll takers on religion for a start.

For anyone familiar with Europe, my statement is not controversial at all.

"Go do your own research."

I already did. I lived in Germany. My wife and I have near cousins, in three countries. I have also long lived in the US.

I am old and wise enough, to not fall for every statement or contention that I see. That includes yours.

I asked you to support two statements. You supported neither, while claiming they were supportable.

You know nothing of me, of my religion, or lack thereof. Yet you jump to such a rash conclusion, that I am not a "practicing" Christian.

In your view, how would I demonstrate to you a sufficiently high degree of "practice" as to qualify? I am genuinely curious, and would like your answer.

I will give you my reply.

My assumption was based on the fact that you are unaware of the decline of Christianity in Europe. Christians of my aquaintance, who have a genuine interest and concern for the state of Christendom in the world, are aware that very few Europeans are church goers, that, when queried as to the basic doctrines of the faith, do not profess belief, and do not see their faith as a vital part of their identification. That is my answer. There are those in this country who fit into that category as well. There are also those who are church attenders, but who don't have a concern or vision for the rest of the world. Perhaps that is where you fit in, I don't know; this may be new information to you. That is why I state that the decline of Christianity in Europe is common knowledge and not controversial at all. That is one of the identifiers of the difference between the U.S. and Europe, that we are an industrialized nation with vital religious belief and practice, which is more typical of developing countries. It has even been given a term: "American exceptualism".

As for practice and what are the minimums to qualify, I would just reiterate that it is not based on occassional rituals or obligations, but on a living faith, that is as important as breathing. I would not dispute that there are those in Europe who live in this way, but they are much fewer than those proportionally in the U.S.

Europe is often described as a secular culture. It is far more leftist, and has substituted this utopian politics for religion, in the same way that the leftist/liberals in this country are far less likely to practice faith. Hopefully I have answered your question. I did not mean to insult you, but these facts about Europe are commonly known to conservatives.

"One more thought. My answer applied to what has recently been termed "Old Europe". It does not apply to such countries as Poland which is notable for its faith.

Perhaps that is where you have experience of Europe."

I stated I lived in Germany. We have Catholic cousins, in Italy, and protestant cousins in Sweden, Scotland and Canada. I have Mormon cousins in the US.

I'm quite surprised that after taking a broad sweep at Europe, you decided it was necessary to narrow down your area for condemnation.

You still have not supported the contention, that Europe is now non-Christian. You keep repeating it is "common knowledge."

If such knowledge is so common, surely you'd find it simple to provide a reference.

Similarly, I'm surprised to learn you know the hearts and minds of so many Europeans, as to conclude that they generally don't hold views sufficiently strong for you.

When the yoke of communism was lifted, it was a welcome fact that many quickly returned to traditional religious practices.

As for "Old Europe" versus some other grouping, it seems this phrase only came into use recently, by Rumsfeld, as a means of being critical of France and Germany for failure to lock-step support the foreign policy of America.

You have quickly adopted it to ALSO identify which nations are no longer sufficiently Christian, to meet some as yet undefined threshhold for being Christian.

Italy, Denmark and others have recently elected conservative governments. Does one conclude from this, that they have become more Christian?

I'll concede to you that there may be statistics supporting your contention. But you seem to utilize a form of debate, by which I'm to just take your word for it.

FYI I consider myself a non-denominational Christian, for I find most denominations expect to foist upon me their own interpretations.

I direct you to Emmet Fox, for interpretaions of the true meanings of Christian life and beliefs, which make sense for me.

As for the underpinnings of American government and laws, I adhere to the historic fact that influential founders were deists, which was consistent with the idea that no official, state endorsed religion would hold suppremacy.

I happen to classify Roman Catholics as Christians. Many Europeans follow that faith. In your view, does the "socialism" of modern church political policy opinions by that church, render them all non Christian, or not sufficiently "conservative?"

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