Image @ Presidency of Egypt / Handout/Anadolu Agency
Of the 54 countries that make up the African continent, only one made it onto Gallup’s 2026 list of nations rated by American public opinion, and it was not Nigeria, South Africa or Kenya.
Egypt, the North African nation that controls the Suez Canal and has long served as Washington’s gateway into Middle Eastern diplomacy, secured a 59% favourability rating in Gallup’s annual World Affairs poll, placing it 11th out of 21 countries assessed. Mexico, Ukraine and India also received majority-positive ratings, with Egypt following them on the list.
The poll, conducted by telephone from February 2 to 16, 2026, with a random sample of 1,001 US adults aged 18 and older , captured American perceptions at a time of shifting alliances, trade disputes and diplomatic friction across several regions. Gallup noted the survey took place after the January 3 removal of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power and the World Economic Forum in Davos, but before the February 28 US and Israeli military strikes on Iran.
The absence of Africa’s three other major powers from the list was notable. Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation and one of its largest consumer markets, was excluded. So were South Africa, one of Africa’s most industrialised economies, and Kenya, a key commercial and diplomatic hub in East Africa. Their omission reflects, at least in part, diplomatic strains each country has experienced with Washington. US-South Africa relations have been strained over Pretoria’s land policies, its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and the Trump administration’s decision to grant refugee status to white Afrikaners. Tensions with Nigeria have centred on religious violence, security cooperation and questions of sovereignty, while Kenya’s relationship with Washington came under legal scrutiny over a health cooperation agreement signed in December 2025, which a Kenyan court later suspended over concerns about data privacy and parliamentary oversight.
Egypt’s position on the list, by contrast, reflects decades of strategic alignment with the United States rooted in geography and diplomacy. Historically, Egypt has been an important country for US national security interests based on its geography, demography and diplomatic posture, and granting US Navy vessels expedited passage through the Suez Canal has been a significant benefit to the United States when it seeks to rapidly deploy military assets to the Persian Gulf area and wider Indian Ocean basin. In early 2026, that arrangement took on fresh relevance as President Trump sought to deploy additional naval vessels to the Persian Gulf ahead of potential military action against Iran, with several US navy vessels reportedly passing through the canal.
For decades, Egypt has been tied to the United States through a complex web of military aid, a regional role as a mediator in Middle East issues, and the guarantee of secure passage through the Suez Canal and Egyptian airspace. Egypt has also been an active mediator in the Gaza conflict, hosting talks between regional parties and backing a United Nations Security Council resolution on Hamas disarmament late last year. Republicans, whose foreign-policy positions broadly align with the Trump administration’s, contributed to Egypt’s solid favourability score.
At the top of the 2026 rankings, Japan, Canada, Italy, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom and Germany all ranked near the top, with their strong economic, security and cultural connections to the US highlighting how foreign relationships shape public perceptions. Japan led the field with an 85% favourability rating, narrowly ahead of Italy at 84%, while Canada and Denmark tied at 80%. France and Great Britain each recorded 76%, and Germany followed at 75%.
Canada’s favourable rating fell nine percentage points to 80%, while Great Britain’s dropped eight points to 76%, marking record lows for both countries. Republican respondents drove much of those declines, amid disputes over trade, tariffs, NATO and President Trump’s suggestion that Canada could become the 51st US state. At the bottom of the table, North Korea and Iran each received favourability ratings of just 13%, with Russia at 17% and Iraq at 21%.
One notable shift was China’s rating, which climbed to 34%, more than double its record low recorded in 2023, driven by improved perceptions among Democrats and political independents, though Republican views remained largely negative.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah