Israel has ranked last in the 2025 Nation Brands Index (NBI), according to data released by BrandIL on Thursday, December 25, the second consecutive time it has happened and the steepest annual decline since the index was established 20 years ago.
The survey, conducted between August and September 2025, shows Israel’s overall score fell by 6.1 per cent compared to the previous year. The NBI, establishment of the index by policy adviser Simon Anholt, assesses countries’ global reputations across six areas such as tourism, people, culture, immigration, exports and governance.
It is based on large-scale international public-opinion surveys that measure how countries are perceived instead of how they perform on objective indicators.
Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, Switzerland and the UK ranked among the highest, while Israel came behind countries like India, Kenya, Russia, Ukraine and Namibia.
Israel also ranked the lowest in terms of perceptions of exports and products, reflecting growing consumer reluctance to buy goods and services associated with the country.
The NBI report also highlighted a major shift between 2024 and 2025, with negative global sentiment extending beyond criticism of the government to include attitudes towards Israeli citizens, linked to the genocide in Gaza.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israelis are increasingly perceived abroad as persona non grata – a Latin phrase that literally means “unwelcome person.”
According to a report by Middle East Eye, Israel is being perceived as illegitimate. Even products labelled as “Made in Israel” are directly negatively affected, as boycotts continue across the world.
BrandIL warned of wider economic risks, including falling global trust, declining foreign investment, damage to tourism and the erosion of Israel’s standing in the international community.
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