Israel ranked last for the second consecutive year in the 2025 Nation Brands Index (NBI), according to data released on Thursday by BrandIL, recording the steepest annual decline since the index was established nearly two decades ago.
The Nation Brands Index, developed by policy adviser Simon Anholt and conducted annually by Ipsos, is based on large-scale international public-opinion surveys that measure how countries are perceived rather than how they perform on objective indicators.
According to Ipsos’s published methodology, the index evaluates national reputation across six perception-based dimensions – tourism, people, culture, immigration, exports, and governance – and is intended to capture a snapshot of global sentiment during the research period, rather than economic output, legal status, or military capacity.
According to the 2025 findings, Israel recorded a 6.1% drop in its overall score, the sharpest decline in the index’s history, placing it at the bottom of the 50-country ranking for a second year in a row. The survey was conducted between August and September 2025, and included approximately 40,000 respondents across 20 countries, representing about 70% of the world’s population.
The report indicates that global criticism of Israel has expanded beyond its political leadership to encompass Israeli society more broadly. In the category measuring human sentiment – including trust, empathy, and goodwill toward citizens – Israel ranked last, reflecting what the report describes as a collapse in positive sentiment toward Israelis themselves.
Beyond the report’s findings, this can be seen in intense and hostile encounters Israelis have experienced abroad, sometimes resulting in threats or attacks; a severance of ties in the fields of culture and academia; and more.
Gen-Z respondents perceived Israel as 'illegitimate'
The most pronounced deterioration was recorded among Generation Z respondents – particularly in Western countries – where Israel ranked last and was widely perceived as a colonial or illegitimate state. Researchers noted that distinctions between Israeli government policy and the diversity of views within Israeli society have largely disappeared in global perception.
Israel also ranked last in perceptions of exports and products, indicating a growing reluctance to engage with goods and services associated with the country. While the index measures sentiment rather than purchasing behavior, the report warned that sustained reputational damage can translate into long-term economic consequences, including reduced foreign investment, weakened tourism, and erosion of trust.
At the same time, the findings highlight a widening gap between Israel’s objective socioeconomic indicators – such as GDP per capita, education levels, and life expectancy - and its perceived global standing. Based on those indicators alone, Israel would typically rank among advanced economies, yet it is increasingly grouped with countries viewed as part of the global periphery. Over time, the report cautioned, this mismatch could undermine Israel’s economic and technological advantages.
By contrast, Saudi Arabia recorded one of the largest improvements in the index, rising to 42nd place, while the United States continued a gradual decline in brand perception. The Palestinian Authority – which was included in the survey despite not being a recognized state – recorded a modest improvement but remained ranked below Israel overall.