Australia’s best friend in the world
A majority of Australians (59%) select New Zealand as our best friend in the world, an increase of six points from 2017 and up 27 points from 2014.
After losing ground in 2017, the United States has rebounded and 20% say it is Australia’s best friend. This remains 15 points lower than in 2014 (35%). The United Kingdom ranks third in 2019, with only 15% saying the United Kingdom is our best friend.
In 2014, this question was asked on behalf of the Lowy Institute by Newspoll in its omnibus survey on 2–4 May 2014.
# Note change in mode. See 2024 Methodology.
Australians may view our relationship with our largest trading partner, China, as of a similar priority to the United States, but only 4% say China is our best friend. This number has halved since 2017. The number of Australians saying the United States is our best friend is now five times higher than the number nominating China. Only 2% see Japan and 1% see Indonesia as Australia’s best friend.
Australian views of the United Kingdom may have been affected by Brexit, and the adverse coverage of the protracted Brexit negotiations. Seven in ten Australians (70%) say that the United Kingdom leaving the European Union will be a bad thing for the European Union. The majority (62%) say it will be a bad thing for the United Kingdom. Fewer, but still a majority (58%), say Brexit will be a bad thing for the West.
Pessimism about Brexit aligns with Lowy Institute polling from 2016, in which a majority of Australians (51%) said that the United Kingdom ‘should remain a member of the European Union’. Only 19% said it should leave.
Brexit may also have affected sentiment towards the United Kingdom more generally, with the Lowy Institute feelings thermometer registering a six-point fall for the United Kingdom since 2018 (to 76°). Feelings towards the European Union have remained steady at 66°.