Countries With the Most and Least Disrespect for America

U.S. leadership has a median disapproval rating of 59% among European countries, the highest of any continent. Discontent with the Trump administration is even greater in Spain, where 73% of adults disapprove of American leadership. Spain is one of several NATO member states to draw sharp criticism from the Trump administration for not spending enough on defense. As of 2017, Spain spent less than 1% of GDP on defense, nearly the least of any NATO member state.

Most of the countries that disapprove most of U.S. leadership are European, and that includes Germany, the largest economy on the continent. Of the four major world powers included in the Gallup study — the United States, Russia, China, and Germany — Germany had the highest global approval rating, at 39%.

Switzerland’s 73% disapproval rating of the Trump administration is the same as the disapproval rating in neighboring Germany. Trump was scheduled to meet with the Swiss finance minister in Davos in January 2019, but he cancelled the trip because the U.S. government shut down.

Tensions between Turkey and the United States increased after Trump piled on existing sanctions with tariffs on aluminum and steel. In August 2018, the Trump administration doubled tariffs on Turkish steel and also raised tariffs on aluminum in response to the 21 month detention of an American pastor.

Almost three-quarters of adults in Pakistan population disapprove of current U.S. leadership. This likely stems in part from the perceived U.S. support of India, Pakistan’s primary rival. Relations between the two bordering nations remain as tense as they have been in years. Last year, Trump took a harder line against Pakistan when referring to the crisis.

The European nation of Slovenia, like neighboring Austria, has one of the highest rates of disapproval of U.S. leadership of any country. The 74% of surveyed Slovenians who disapproved of U.S. leadership was the highest among the Balkan states.

Nearly three out of every four Mexican adults disapprove of the Trump administration, a larger share than in all but nine other countries (and tied with four others). Relations between the United States and its neighbor to the south have been a defining aspect of Trump’s presidency. The administration is fighting to restrict immigration from Mexico, partially by building a wall — a wall Trump initially insisted Mexico would finance.

With a GDP per capita of $107,737, the small European nation of Luxembourg is one of the few countries with a more affluent population than the United States. Those residents are also among the most likely to disapprove of U.S. policy and leadership.

As a NATO member state, Belgium is expected to allocate 2.0% of its GDP every year to defense spending. The country, however, along with two other NATO allies, spends less than 1.0% of its GDP on defense — making it the target of harsh criticism from the Trump administration.

The vast majority — 74% — of Portuguese adults disapprove of the Trump administration, compared to only 14% who approve of the administration and 13% with no opinion. Despite widespread disapproval, Portugal is a close U.S. ally, and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited the White House in June 2018 to discuss NATO, trade, Vladimir Putin, and, on a lighter note, the World Cup.

Three out of four adults in Finland disapprove of America’s current leadership, the second worst of the five Nordic countries after Norway. People in Finland took to twitter to mock the U.S. president in November 2018 after Trump suggested that Finland is able to avoid catastrophic forest fires — like those that were burning in California at the time — by raking.

Chile has far and away the highest disapproval rating of the Trump administration of any South American nation. Three out of every four Chileans disapprove of the administration, compared to less than two-thirds of the population of every other country on the continent. Relations between the United States and Chile have been strained by the tit-for-tat trade battle between the U.S. and China. Tariffs imposed by the two countries have resulted in lower copper prices, and Chile is the world’s largest copper exporter.

Three in every four adults in Yemen disapprove of the Trump administration. There is a civil war raging in Yemen, and the U.S. has backed a Saudi-led coalition in the fight for years, perpetuating a devastating conflict.

The Trump administration has a 76% disapproval rating in Austria, more than in all but five other countries worldwide. Earlier this year, Austria expressed concerns over nuclear proliferation following Trump’s withdrawal from a Cold War-era treaty between the United States and Russia that included restrictions on certain kinds of land-based cruise missiles.

In the Netherlands, 77% of the adult population disapproves of the Trump administration, the largest share of any country in Western Europe. In 2018, amid rising trade tensions between the United States and the European Union — a group of countries that includes the Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte interrupted Trump in a White House press conference to dispute the president’s claim that leaving trade issues unresolved is not necessarily bad.

Though tensions between the United States and Mexico dominate headlines, the Trump administration is even less popular north of the border. Nearly eight in every 10 Canadians disapprove of the Trump administration, compared to about three out of every four Mexicans. Canadians’ negative view of U.S. leadership are partially due to differences between the two nations in 2018 regarding the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Palestine includes the West Bank and Gaza, disputed territories that are either occupied or were once occupied by Israel, America’s closest ally in the Middle East. The United States provides Israel with about $3.8 billion in military aid per year — and much of that money is used in conflicts with the Palestinians. The Trump administration has a 67% approval rating in Israel. Meanwhile, 81% of Palestinians disapprove of U.S. leadership.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have been high since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Most recently, Trump withdrew from a 2015 multi-national deal put in place by the Obama administration that eased economic sanctions in exchange for a dismantling of the country’s nuclear program. The 85% disapproval rating of U.S. leadership in Iran is likely due in large part to the recently re-enacted sanctions.

In a now infamous 2018 meeting between Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, the U.S. president reportedly expressed interest in attracting more Norwegian immigrants to the United States. Trump contrasted Norwegians immigrants to immigrants from Africa and Haiti. Many in Norway, including a Conservative Party politician responded with the sentiment “Thanks, but no thanks.” Nearly nine out 10 Norwegians disapprove of the Trump administration, the highest disapproval rating of any country in the world.

The countries where the Trump administration has the highest approval rating are located almost exclusively in Africa. In the West African nation of Mali, 56% of the population approves of the Trump administration. The United States delivered $145 million in aid to Mali in fiscal 2017.

In the Central African nation of Gabon, 56% of those surveyed by Gallup approved of U.S. leadership. The American government also collaborates with groups providing international aid to Gabon, and also provides training to Gabonese military officers.

In the Ivory Coast, 57% of the adult population approves of the Trump administration. The United States and the Ivory Coast in 2017 signed a pact that promised $524.7 million in aid to improve education and transportation infrastructure in an around Abidjan, the largest city in the country.

The Trump administration’s 57% approval rating in Kenya has likely been bolstered by the growing economic partnership between the United States and the East African nation. More American tourists visited Kenya in 2016 and 2017 than residents of any other nation, and at the end of last year, the two countries expanded bilateral trade and investment through the launch of the U.S.-Kenya Trade and Investment Working Group.

The United States assists Rwanda with economic and health care matters, particularly in rural areas, according to the Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, D.C. More than half of those in the Central African country currently approve of U.S. leadership. This is 10 percentage points higher than in 2017.

With over 190 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and one of the most populous in the world. African nations represent the vast majority of the 19 nations with the highest approval of U.S. leadership. In Nigeria, 59% od adults approve of the Trump administration.

Three in every five adults in the West African country of Benin approve of U.S. leadership. The country has a relatively low GDP per capita — as is the case with many countries in the region — and struggles with many issues such as inadequate health care, poor public education, and widespread corruption. The United States has provided extensive assistance, however, including $375 million for infrastructure improvement in 2017.

In Mongolia, 60% of residents approve of the Trump administration, the highest approval rating of any East Asian country. Recently, the country jockeyed for a bid to host the summit between Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un but lost out to Vietnam.

In November 2017, Robert Mugabe — Zimbabwe’s leader for 37 years — was forced from power following a public uprising. Approval of U.S. leadership in the country also increased a substantial 11 percentage points between 2017 and 2018 and now stands at 61%.

In 1946, President Harry Truman signed the Treaty of Manila, granting sovereignty to the new Republic of the Philippines. Residents of the former sovereign of the United States remain among the staunchest supporters of current leadership, with 61% saying they approve of the current administration.

Approval of U.S. leadership increased by 12 percentage points in Congo (Brazzaville) from 2017 to 2018 — nearly the largest increase of any country surveyed. Recent agreements between the U.S. and the Congo, such as the Open Skies Air Transport Agreement, are expected to increase travel and trade.

In Sierra Leone, 63% of residents approve of the Trump administration. The United States, one of the largest donors to Sierra Leone, helped the country manage the devastating Ebola outbreak in 2014. The U.S. government and American NGOs donated an estimated $600 million to fight the outbreak.

According to the U.S. Department of State, the United States and Ghana share a history of promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law dating back to Ghana’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. The United States has provided aid to the country to promote its development. In 2018, however, the United States threatened to impose visa restrictions on Ghana in retaliation for the nation’s unwillingness to cooperate with immigrant deportations.

More than two out of every three Nigeriens approve of the job performance of U.S. leadership. Approval of the Trump administration jumped 14 points in the West African nation in 2018, the largest increase of any country on the continent. That same year, Niger received $437 million in U.S. aid to improve infrastructure and strengthen the country’s agriculture sector.

The United States and Israel have long maintained strong diplomatic relations. The American government sends billions of dollars in aid and diplomatic support to the Middle Eastern nation. Currently, 67% of Israelis approve of U.S. leadership.

Almost 70% of those surveyed in Guinea approved of U.S. leadership, and only 7% disapproved. The U.S. government and other U.S. bodies provide substantial aid to the relatively poor nation. In 2011, the U.S. government renewed Guinea’s status as a beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which grants the nation substantial trade freedoms with the United States.

The United States has long supported an independent Albania and has supported the country’s transition to a democracy and market-oriented economy following the end of communism there in 1992. Pro-American sentiment is widespread in Albania, with approval of current leadership measured at 69%. Only 20% of Albanians currently disapprove of U.S. leadership.

Togo has the second highest approval of U.S. leadership in the world and the highest in all of Africa. The United States has had a positive relationship with Togo since its independence from France in 1960. The United States provided the country $13.5 million in aid in 2017 and has worked with the Togolese government to encourage democracy and economic growth.

The United States has an 80% approval rating in Kosovo — the highest of all nations. This positive view has its roots in the country’s 1998-1999 war with Serbia during which the United States led NATO airstrikes in defense of Kosovo’s largely ethnically Albanian population. Approval of the U.S. has increased over the past year in Kosovo by 5 percentage points.