Feelings thermometer
An English-speaking country has topped the Lowy Institute feelings thermometer this year, as in every other Lowy Institute Poll. On a scale of 0° (coldest feelings) to 100° (warmest feelings), Australians give our neighbour and ‘best friend’ New Zealand a very warm 86°. The United Kingdom remains in high regard at 76° (although down six points from 2018).
Not all English-speaking countries receive similarly high levels of warmth. The United States has dropped four degrees to 63°.
Japan is in third place on the feelings thermometer at 72°. Fiji follows, with 68°, and the European Union at 66°. Feelings towards Thailand have remained steady at 61°. Closer to home, increased attention on Papua New Guinea while it hosted APEC in 2018 has not boosted Australians’ feelings, which have marginally cooled to 59°. Brazil and Malaysia follow, at a warmish 58° and 57°, respectively.
Feelings towards other nations
Please rate your feelings towards some countries and territories, with one hundred meaning a very warm, favourable feeling, zero meaning a very cold, unfavourable feeling, and fifty meaning not particularly warm or cold. You can use any number from zero to one hundred: the higher the number the more favourable your feelings are toward that country or territory. If you have no opinion or have never heard of that country or territory, please say so.
In 2006, this question asked respondents about their feelings towards ‘countries and peoples’. From 2007 to 2018, this question asked respondents about their feelings towards ‘countries’. Until 2015, this question asked respondents about ‘Great Britain’, and from 2015 to 2019, respondents were asked about ‘United Kingdom (Great Britain)’. Until 2019, this question asked respondents about ‘Myanmar/Burma’. Until 2023, this question asked respondents about ‘East Timor’.
This year, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong appeared in the same feelings thermometer for the first time in a Lowy Institute Poll. Australians hold warm feelings towards Hong Kong (63°) and Taiwan (59°), but feelings towards China have cooled significantly this year. At 49°, China has fallen nine degrees from 2018 in the largest fall and the lowest result China has received since the Lowy Institute first asked this question in 2006.
Feelings towards India (53°) and Indonesia (51°) have marginally cooled from previous years, but remain slightly warmer than neutral. Australians place Israel (48°) and Myanmar (46°) on the cooler side of the thermometer.
Australians continue to feel cool towards Russia (43°) and Saudi Arabia (34°). North Korea again receives the coldest feelings from Australians, remaining steady at a frosty 25°. This antipathy appears to be unaffected by the high-profile meetings between North Korea’s leader and US President Donald Trump in 2018.