Feelings thermometer
For the first time, Russia has fallen to the bottom of the Lowy Institute ‘feelings thermometer’, a measurement of Australians’ perceptions about countries, territories and institutions on a scale of 0° (coldest feelings) to 100° (warmest feelings).
Russia registers an icy 19°, a 22-degree drop in a single year, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This represents the greatest single-year fall in the history of the Lowy Institute Poll feelings thermometer.
By contrast, Australians feel very warmly towards Ukraine, with the country receiving a reading of 69°, 18 degrees higher than the last time Ukraine featured on the thermometer in 2015. Australians feel the same level of warmth towards France (69°).
While Russia has replaced China at the bottom of the feelings thermometer, feelings towards China in 2022 remain very cool at 33°. Australian views of Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country remain largely unchanged at a cool 36°. Attitudes towards Myanmar have warmed marginally since 2021, marking a five-degree improvement to reach 46°.
Both India and Indonesia receive warm readings of 57°, marking Indonesia’s highest result in 17 years. Australians feel warmly towards the United Nations and the European Union, registering 61° and 62° respectively.
South Korea (63°), Taiwan (64°) and Vietnam (64°) all receive warm readings in 2022. Feelings towards Papua New Guinea are stable at 61°, and Tonga registers 67°. Feelings towards the United States have warmed three degrees to 65° in the second year of the Biden administration.
Feelings towards Japan (74°), the United Kingdom (77°) and Canada (80°) remain very warm in 2022. This year, New Zealand again leads the feelings thermometer, receiving a very warm 86°, steady from 2021.
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’.