Russia, Iran, China and Israel rank worst out of 14 key nations and global institutions for the negative influence they are having around the world, survey finds

According to new research, Russia, Iran, China and Israel have the most negative influence of fourteen countries and institutions around the world, with global perception taking a significant hit in the past five years.

A global survey of some 23,800 people from five continents shows that around half now believe Russia is using its influence for ‘bad’ causes on the world stage, with Iran, Israel and China also appearing to be divisive in their policies.

Public opinion has changed significantly over the past five years, with 2019 comparative polls showing that the share who believe Russia has a largely negative influence in the world rose by 22 percent.

While global conflicts and struggles for control over strategic corridors and resources may have soured public opinion on these global players, the perception of Britain and the US remains largely the same.

The research by Ipsos and the Policy Institute at King’s College London shows that 26 percent of the global public believes Britain is using its influence for good, trailing only Canada and Germany.

By surveying thousands of international respondents about their perceptions of foreign nations, the researchers found significant shifts in the way some of the world’s most important players are viewed.

Forty-eight percent say they believe Russia will use its influence in the world for “bad,” while only nine percent believe it will use its power for “good.”

This put the Eastern European giant ahead of everyone else by a significant margin, closely followed by Iran.

As many as 37 percent believed that Iran used its influence for “bad,” compared to just eight percent who believed the country was working for the common good.

Iran scored the lowest among the fourteen countries and institutions surveyed on this front, although 17 percent felt that Iran used its influence for both good and bad purposes.

Israel, in the midst of a devastating conflict with Hamas in Gaza, ranks only above Russia and Iran in perception of doing good in the world at 12 percent.

About a third of the 23,800 respondents believed that Israel is causing more damage globally, with 21 percent perceiving some degree of balance.

The ‘mostly good’ rating has fallen by one percentage point since the last poll, while the ‘mostly bad’ rating has risen nine percent.

China and Russia also saw significant increases in the number of people who rated their actions as “mostly bad,” among respondents from 23 countries who participated in both waves.

The number of people who think China has a negative influence has increased by 10 percentage points, while the number of people concerned about Russia has increased by almost a quarter.

Canada came out on top for countries perceived to use their influence for good, although perceptions have fallen by eight percentage points since the last count.

The UN, charged with maintaining international peace and security, was right behind the UN because of its reputation for acting for good.

Nationally, Britain came in third, behind only Canada and Germany; According to 26 percent, the country is doing well in the entire world.

The EU and NATO both scored about the same in terms of perceived positive influence, at 28 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Britain has offered significant donations to Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion since 2022.

It has also imposed sanctions on Iran and China, although it remains an ally of Saudi Arabia and Israel, both of which are among the countries considered to currently have a more negative impact on the world.

But the British themselves are now less likely to see their country as a force for good around the world.

Between 2019 and 2024, this fell by eight percentage points, from 40 percent to 32 percent.

Americans also had their reservations: the number who appreciated Britain’s influence in the world fell by 13 points.

France came in just below Britain, with a quarter of respondents believing the country had a positive influence.

The ‘mostly good’ rating fell by five percentage points since the last poll, while the ‘mostly bad’ rating rose by three.

To get a wide range of views, Ipsos interviewed almost 24,000 adults in 31 countries between March and April this year.

The survey brought together opinions on some of the world’s most prominent actors on the global stage from North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The global survey was conducted on the occasion of 2024 Fulbright distinguished lecture by Washington Post columnist and CNN anchor Dr. Fareed Zakaria on June 14.

Although the polls did not ask about the causes of the changing perceptions, the study authors provided some insight.

Dr. Zakaria said: ‘The results of this study are fascinating. All over the world, when push comes to shove, people still want liberalism in many ways.

‘What surprised me was that the international example of good governance is the European Union. And the great irony is that while people in most countries have a more favorable view of the United States than they did five years ago, the only place where this was not true was America itself.

“It seems that the heirs of the liberal tradition have the most doubts about their role in the world.”

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said: ‘We live in an increasingly multipolar world, with very different views on how countries act and whether their models should be emulated in our own countries. will test international relations.

“It is especially important for people in liberal democracies to recognize how increasingly diverse these views are around the world.”