It seems Pakistan seriously have a huge image problem of its own
downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/country-rating-poll.pdf
23
Pakistan
Views of Pakistan have remained
stable and very negative overall
in 2014. On average, amongst
the 20 tracking countries
surveyed in 2013 and 2014, only
16 per cent of respondents rate
Pakistan positively in terms of its
influence in the world—this is one
point higher than the proportion in
2013. Negative perceptions have
gone up one point as well to
reach 58 per cent. Pakistan
remains the least positively rated
along Iran.
Out of the 23 countries polled,
only two lean positive (Pakistan
itself, and Indonesia) with the 21
remaining leaning negatively.
The most negative perceptions of
Pakistan are found among
Western countries. Stable
majorities of eight in ten and
above lean negative in the USA
(85%), and in Germany (80%).
Negative attitudes towards
Pakistan in Canada, Australia,
France, the UK and Spain are
shown among over 70 per cent
and mostly stable except in
Canada where it has increased
by seven points and reached a
record high since the country was first rated in 20
08. However, in Spain, the negative
sentiment has receded with a 14-point drop in negat
ive ratings.
The USA, Spain and Germany only have five per cent
of positive views, the lowest score
given to Pakistan by the surveyed countries after I
srael.
In countries at the periphery of Europe, perception
s of Pakistan are also all negative,
although to a lesser extent than in Western countri
es. In Russia, 53 per cent have
unfavourable views of Pakistan’s influence (up 8 po
ints and at its highest since its initial
rating in 2008), while only 6 per cent have a posit
ive perception (lowest proportion since
2008). Turkey is less negative with favourable perc
eptions amounting 25 per cent and
negative views receding down to 41 per cent (down 7
points since 2013). Asked to rate
Pakistan for the first time, two thirds (68%) of Is
raeli give it negative ratings, while positive
views merely exist (2%).
With the exception of Indonesia that posts 40 per c
ent of positive views, perceptions of
Pakistan in Asian countries, although leaning negat
ive, are less unfavourable than among
Western countries. Apart from Australia (77%) and S
outh Korea, where a growing proportion
leans negatively towards Pakistan (66%, up 9 points
), no Asian country holds over 50 per
cent of negative perceptions. They reach 49 per cen
t in India where positive attitudes have
gone up six points to 17 per cent. In China, the se
ntiment has become more negative overall
with unfavourable ratings somewhat increasing (41%,
up 5 points), and positive ratings
dropping seven points to 21 per cent. Even in Indon
esia, the mood has become less friendly
with negative ratings going up six points to 31 per
cent (highest proportion since the initial
rating in 2008). In Japan, a stable plurality (41%)
feels negative.
The highest positive view of Pakistan comes from it
s own population, with 44 per cent of
rating their country’s influence favourably. This i
s up six points since 2013 and it is the
highest positive rating that the population has giv
en its country since 2008.
Africa is the region where views of Pakistan are th
e least unfavourable overall, although they
remain in negative territory. Outside of Pakistan a
nd Indonesia, Nigeria is the country with
the highest positive perception of the country, wit
h favourable views reaching 40 per cent.
This is 12 points higher than in 2013 and, followin
g an eight-point decrease in negative
ratings (46%), overall perceptions among Nigerians
lean only narrowly negatively. Negative
perceptions have also decreased six points in Ghana
where a plurality of 41 per cent leans
unfavourably (34% positive). However, negative view
s have significantly increased in Kenya
(45%, up 13 points).
In Latin America, the worst ratings of Pakistan con
tinue to be found among Brazilians (75%,
up 13 points). Negative perceptions of Pakistan hav
e reached their highest level since it was
first rated in Chile and Peru, but the proportion a
re still much lower than among Brazilians
with pluralities of 49 and 47 per cent, respectivel
y. Positive ratings have also gone down six
points in Chile, to 13 per cent. Mexico bucks this
trend as the negative sentiment among
Mexican has appeased with negative ratings dropping
14 points to 44 per cent.