How Uzbekistan and Other Central Asian Countries Are Viewed Around the World
According to the Global Country Perceptions 2026 survey, Uzbekistan ranked 71st out of 132 countries with an international perception index of +7. This result is comparable to those of Kazakhstan and China and indicates that positive views of the republic outweigh negative perceptions abroad.
Infographic: Kursiv Uzbekistan, Graphic Editor: Andrey Matochenko
The study is based on a survey of 46,700 respondents conducted across 85 countries between March 19 and April 21, 2026. Participants were asked about their overall attitudes towards different countries. The final index was calculated as the difference between the share of positive and negative evaluations.
Central Asia’s Performance
Among the countries of Central Asia, Kazakhstan achieved the strongest result, also scoring +7 and ranking one position above Uzbekistan.
The results for other countries in the region were as follows:
- Kazakhstan — +7
- Uzbekistan — +7
- Tajikistan — +5
- Kyrgyzstan — +3
Turkmenistan was not included in the ranking.
Infographic: Kursiv Uzbekistan, Graphic Editor: Andrey Matochenko
As a result, all Central Asian countries included in the survey received positive scores and avoided falling into the group of nations with a negative international image.
The World’s Most Favoured Countries
The countries with the most positive global perceptions were:
- Switzerland — +36
- Canada — +36
- Japan — +34
- Sweden — +33
- Italy — +32
The top ten also included Norway, Spain, Australia, Denmark and New Zealand.
Countries at the Bottom of the Ranking
The countries viewed most negatively worldwide were:
- Israel — -24
- North Korea — -19
- Afghanistan — -19
- Iran — -17
- United States — -16
Russia received a score of -11, placing 126th out of 132 countries.
Previously, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that Fitch Ratings upgraded Uzbekistan’s outlook from «stable» to «positive».
