Israel’s global image collapses despite strong economic fundamentals
Sharpest decline in 20 years in the Nation Brands Index highlights collapse in international perception.
Israel ranked last in the 2025 Nation Brands Index for the second consecutive year, according to a survey of 40,000 respondents across 20 countries. Israel placed 49th (last), recording a 6% decline in its overall score, the sharpest drop since the index was established nearly 20 years ago.
By contrast, Saudi Arabia recorded the largest improvement in the rankings, with an increase of more than 4%, continuing a steady upward trajectory. The Palestinian Authority was also included in the index; while its overall score improved by 1.1%, it remains ranked below Israel.
In terms of public sentiment, Israeli citizens are perceived as “undesirable,” ranking last among all countries surveyed on this measure. Among Generation Z respondents in particular, Israel is increasingly categorized as a colonialist and illegitimate state, described as toxic and disconnected from liberal values. The distinction between government policy and the diversity of views among Israeli citizens has largely disappeared in global perception.
Against this backdrop, the initiative behind the study revealed for the first time a strategy aimed at changing Israel’s international standing: the creation of a global platform based on artificial intelligence and data, designed to build supportive international communities and restore what it describes as sovereignty over Israel’s national brand.
According to the index, the “Made in Israel” brand has suffered a direct blow, adding to mounting evidence of a de facto boycott of Israeli goods and services. The potential economic implications are significant, including reduced global confidence, damage to foreign investment and tourism, pressure on Israel’s credit rating, and erosion of its legitimacy in the international system.
The gap between Israel’s brand perception and its objective indicators is particularly striking. On measures such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, and educational attainment, Israel would rank among the global top ten. Yet in practice, it is positioned alongside countries considered part of the world’s geopolitical and economic periphery, a discrepancy that could, over time, undermine Israel’s achievements in technology and economic development.
Saudi Arabia’s rise is especially notable. Now ranked 42nd, it is gaining legitimacy year after year, while Israel continues to slide in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, the United States, Israel’s primary ally, continues to weaken in global brand perception, a trend that began during the Trump administration.
Now explaining its 20th year, the Nation Brands Index ranks 50 countries selected for their economic influence, geopolitical relevance, continental representation, and importance to the global agenda. The index evaluates countries across six dimensions: governance and policy (including security, political stability, and transparency); culture (arts, sports, and heritage); people and society (friendliness, trustworthiness, and employability); exports (product quality, science, and technological innovation); immigration and investment (willingness to live, study, or invest in the country); and tourism (desire to visit and explore).
The study, published on Thursday, was conducted in August–September 2025, making it the most up-to-date assessment of Israel’s international standing two years after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Respondents came from countries representing roughly 70% of the world’s population, including the United States, China, Russia, India, Brazil, France, the UK, Germany, Argentina, Sweden, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
Israel was added as a full member of the NBI global index only a year ago. The Palestinian Authority was also included, despite not being formally defined as a country, in order to collect comprehensive and current data on its international perception. It currently ranks just below Israel.
