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Most Mentioned Enemies of the USA

How did American citizens respond to this Gallup poll question: "What one country ... do you consider to be the United States' greatest enemy today".
The poll takes place in February/March
Numbers do not necessarilty add up to 100% because of other/no opinion
Quiz by Gyrenaica
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Last updated: March 12, 2023
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First submittedApril 16, 2015
Times taken142,935
Average score78.6%
Rating4.62
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2023
50%
China
32%
Russia
7%
North Korea
2%
Iran
1%
Afghanistan
1%
U.S. itself
 
 
2020
23%
Russia
22%
China
19%
Iran
12%
North Korea
7%
Iraq
1%
Afghanistan
2016
16%
North Korea
15%
Russia
14%
Iran
12%
China
5%
Iraq
4%
Afghanistan
4%
Syria
 
 
2012
32%
Iran
23%
China
10%
North Korea
7%
Afghanistan
5%
Iraq
2%
Russia
2%
Pakistan
1%
Japan
1%
Saudi Arabia
1%
U.S. itself
2008
25%
Iran
22%
Iraq
14%
China
9%
North Korea
3%
U.S. itself
3%
Afghanistan
2%
Pakistan
2%
Russia
1%
Saudi Arabia
1%
Venezuela
2005
22%
Iraq
22%
North Korea
14%
Iran
10%
China
3%
Afghanistan
2%
U.S. itself
2%
France
2%
Saudi Arabia
2%
Syria
2%
Russia
1%
Middle East
2001
38%
Iraq
14%
China
8%
Iran
6%
Russia
4%
Libya
4%
Saudi Arabia
2%
Cuba
2%
Middle East
2%
North Korea
1%
Japan
1%
Palestine
1%
(U.S. itself)
+1
Level 56
Apr 28, 2020
Saudi Arabia made me laugh a lot
+1
Level 82
Mar 13, 2023
Some people seem to remember Osama and his pilots.
+3
Level 74
Mar 13, 2023
They've done more than many others on the list to justify their inclusion.
+1
Level 30
Apr 28, 2020
People are on here debating about France, and I'm here trying to figure out how I missed USA itself lol.
+1
Level 48
Apr 28, 2020
I would urge any respondent to this poll which suggested that the USA is its own worst enemy, move to one of the other nations in the poll results.
+6
Level 78
Apr 28, 2020
The fact that many places are less livable doesn't mean that they are bigger threats to the US than (parts of) itself.
+4
Level 60
Apr 28, 2020
I would urge you to understand that answering the USA doesn't mean you prefer any other countries from this poll results.

Maybe it means you prefer many other countries which are not in this poll results.

+3
Level 82
Apr 28, 2020
I'm sure that those who are self-reflective enough to understand that the US is imperfect and that fundamentally it is a greater threat to itself than any foreign power could hope to be, answer this way out of love for the country and a desire to see it improve, or despair at seeing it being taken down or made worse. Not because they hate the US and wish to live somewhere else.
+2
Level 63
Apr 28, 2020
I tried answers that would be obvious to a more educated person, such as all the individual countries of the Middle East, but then I noticed that the questionnaire was asked to the average American - so I then started guessing the things that don't even make sense, such as Germany, France and Italy. It's sad that one of them worked!
+3
Level 68
Apr 28, 2020
I mean I guess Germany kind of makes sense, because of both world wars, but I don't think the average American even knew Italy even fought in WWII, despite them being an Axis Power.
+1
Level 50
Jun 12, 2022
I think he was just trying to guess countries that there was a realistic chance that Americans actually knew of
+7
Level 63
Apr 28, 2020
no Israel? huh. and relax, people. i didn't say Jewish people. i said Israel. significant difference.
+8
Level 68
Apr 28, 2020
Well, Israel and the US are allies (the reason why the United States is vetoing Palestinian membership in the UN) and I'm not sure how it could suddenly come to an Americans head that Israel is a "bad guy".
+3
Level 57
Apr 28, 2020
Well Israel's prime minister was stirring up a lot of sentiment against former president Obama, and by extension the Democratic party. Now look who is in the Oval Office. The one person who has destroyed our health care system during the worst pandemic in a century, and turned this country into a laughing stock throughout the world.
+5
Level 68
Apr 28, 2020
I guess Israel was counted through the Middle East, but Israel is getting constant help from the US and is not like the Arab states in the Middle East where if your not Muslim, your dead. Israel has the highest quality of life in the Middle East and is a peaceful and prosperous nation, just geographically situated in a bad area.
+4
Level 46
Mar 13, 2023
Peaceful? Are you trolling?
+6
Level 82
Apr 28, 2020
The fact that you feel the need to announce you are not bigoted against Jews before anyone else even responded to you suggests that you might be bigoted against Jews.
+2
Level 41
Apr 4, 2023
Seems to me most that want to exterminate all the Jews in Israel also want to exterminate all the Jews.

Significant difference? huh

+2
Level 60
Apr 28, 2020
So if I understand, when they were asked which COUNTRY may be an enemy, some answered Middle East ?

Well it shows pretty well how accurate their opinions are...

+3
Level 88
Apr 28, 2020
Japan?! Did they conduct this survey in a rest home? ;)
+1
Level 51
Jan 30, 2024
I bet if you polled Japan a much higher percent would say the USA was their enemy. Their pop is aging with long lifespans.
+1
Level 52
Feb 8, 2024
It's not just WWII. In the 80s and 90s, a lot of Americans were concerned that Japanese businesses would take over everything (now, that concern has shifted to China).
+4
Level 66
Apr 28, 2020
Where's Canada? I'm telling you now USA; those drug dealing Snow Mexicans are tunneling in under your border fences and their coming for your daughters! I've warned you...
+1
Level 61
Sep 27, 2023
If a Tim Hortons opens near you it's a sign that invasion is close and they've already infiltrated us

And if the NHL ever gets a new expansion team it's over

+1
Level 38
Apr 28, 2020
Missed Cuba, Usa, Venezuela, and Libya. 😑😐
+2
Level 41
Apr 28, 2020
I knew the United States hated itself but i didn't know it would be on the list..
+1
Level 44
Apr 28, 2020
Nice updated version! <3 Interesting recent swing back to mid 20th century type answers, seems like Cold War II is realer than ever nowadays. I wonder if without the current virus China would’ve still figured so highly this year though??
+4
Level 75
Apr 28, 2020
Where’s Petoria?
+3
Level 66
Apr 29, 2020
Where is Wadiya?
+1
Level 71
Apr 4, 2023
Lol, that movie was so funny.
+4
Level 50
Apr 29, 2020
One noticeable thing here for me is the rapid rise of Russia in this list. I would bet it has to do with media coverage of Russia's supposed influence in the US election and perhaps Russia's involvement in the Syrian civil war and Ukraine.
+3
Level 82
May 2, 2020
Or maybe it has to do with Russia's influence in the US election? Which was a real thing that happened. Just a thought.

... could also be Russia actively meddling in elections all over the world notably in Europe, trying to bring down NATO and Western democracy, propping up nationalists and Nazis and populists and nativists and those given to identity politics and other undesirables because these people inspire disunity and strife, invading and occupying sovereign nations to redraw borders through military conquest for the first time in Europe since the end of World War 2, Putin's obvious desire to resurrect the Soviet Union, the shooting down of commercial passenger airlines, the shameless murder of numerous critics of the regime both within Russia's borders and abroad, and their support of Donald Trump who remains the single greatest threat to the present international order and prosperity of the world. Could be that, too.

+1
Level 50
Jun 12, 2022
??? After that list of stuff Putin is doing you still think Trump is a bigger threat to world prosperity? Oops, just now realized this comment was from 2020...
+1
Level 82
Sep 21, 2022
Currently with Trump mostly out of power at Mar-a-Lardo and mired in legal troubles, and Putin threatening to annex parts of Ukraine? No. Putin is clearly a bigger threat at present. But that has the potential to change.
+2
Level 41
May 26, 2020
I'm very surprised Mexico isn't on the list. Only one I missed was usa itself! lol
+1
Level 35
Jun 23, 2020
same here
+2
Level 82
Aug 12, 2020
Americans are more afraid of Mexicans than Mexico.
+6
Level 66
Aug 31, 2020
Funny that Americans still see Iraq as a threat, when it was the US who invaded them by lying that they had weapons of mass destruction (which they didn't). Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths has been the result of it, and George W. Bush who was the one who invaded Iraq has not been penalized of his war crimes.
+3
Level 57
Sep 4, 2020
Are American Presidents EVER penalized for war crimes? This is America. America decides who is penalized.
+1
Level 82
Sep 26, 2020
Most of the time war criminals are only punished if they lose. America doesn't lose many wars. Not so far, anyway.
+2
Level 59
Sep 29, 2020
Imagine living in 2020 and thinking that Russia is a bigger threat to the US than China or Iran
+6
Level 77
Sep 29, 2020
I think 2020 is proving that the greatest enemy of the United States is the United States itself
+3
Level 82
Nov 10, 2020
Some self-preservation instinct finally kicked in in early November. But, yeah, this is probably still true.
+5
Level 57
Feb 18, 2021
Japan and France :D

For some reason I guessed them both, but not USA ITSELF.

+3
Level 46
May 25, 2021
The "United States itself" answer was one I did not see coming.

What a plot twist.

+2
Level 67
May 30, 2021
Ok "US itself" wowww

I was actually thinking of typing it as a joke but I didn't smh, only other I missed was Libya I guessed Algeria and Egypt but not Libya

+3
Level 67
May 30, 2021
I feel like whoever said Japan is stuck in the 1940s
+1
Level 69
Aug 20, 2021
France? What?
+6
Level 26
Dec 12, 2021
japan and france are some of the USA biggets allys and closest
+2
Level 64
Jan 18, 2022
I laughed when I realized USA was one of the options
+2
Level 60
Feb 13, 2022
The caveats say 'necessarilty' instead of 'necessarily'.
+2
Level 60
Oct 17, 2023
The caveats still say 'necessarilty' instead of 'necessarily'.
+1
Level 72
Oct 23, 2023
It's okay, I'm with you Dollyfroggy.
+2
Level 21
May 11, 2022
I can't believe I missed North Korea out of all countries
+2
Level 59
Mar 15, 2023
Same. But even worse, I guessed South Korea instead!
+2
Level 55
May 11, 2022
Interesting answers but not really at the same time.
+3
Level 47
May 12, 2022
Other than maybe Russia, the US is probably its own worst enemy.
+5
Level 69
May 15, 2022
yo who the heck is saying Japan or France
+6
Level 82
Sep 21, 2022
Japan: old people who lived through Pearl Harbor and/or the 80s when Japan was an economic threat. France: Republicans c.2002 eating Freedom Fries.
+1
Level 51
Sep 13, 2022
look all the activists voting the us itself *this is satire”
+2
Level 66
Apr 4, 2023
It's true, though.
+1
Level 53
Jan 12, 2023
interesting that there isnt germany but 1% japan, but only in 2002 and 2012 not in between, i wonder wtf theyre thinking
+1
Level 65
Apr 4, 2023
Japan was a nastier ennemy than Germany during WW2 (attacked Pearl Harbor, treated American POWs much worse, used kamikazes and was the last to surrender), and wasn't changed as much as Germany after the war. Hirohito remained the emperor until his death in the 80s, and if you don't know their current naval flag, you'll be surprised.

This may be why. But a score of 1% here is nearly statistical noise.

+1
Level 59
Jan 24, 2023
Really surprised that the US made the list every single time... aside from the past eleven years despite all the internal turmoil.
+2
Level 75
Mar 12, 2023
You get most of them by copying the ones already filled in for 2023.
+3
Level 73
Mar 12, 2023
Why is 2023 already all filled in?
+1
Level 65
Apr 4, 2023
The poll is in february or march.

That's also why Afghanistan wasn't even on the radar in 2001 despite something happening in september.

+2
Level 69
Mar 12, 2023
2023 shouldn't be filled in imo
+2
Level 68
Mar 12, 2023
This is now fixed
+3
Level 75
Mar 12, 2023
How interesting that Afghanistan never got over 7% (considering how ignorant many Americans are and the length of the war in Afghanistan.)
+5
Level ∞
Mar 12, 2023
If you look at the years, it makes sense. Keep in mind that the 2001 poll was done BEFORE September 11. And by 2005, the U.S. had already established a new regime which could hardly be considered an enemy. So maybe Americans aren't so ignorant after all?
+2
Level 88
Mar 13, 2023
The real question is HOW DID BELGIUM NOT MAKE THE LIST!?!?! ;)
+1
Level 66
Apr 4, 2023
No wonder they love waffles with syrup... it's their wheels and their oil.
+2
Level 68
Mar 13, 2023
Kind of expected Somalia, Lebanon or Yemen at some point
+4
Level 76
Mar 20, 2023
China is the only one with double-digit percentages in all seven polls.
+1
Level 53
Jun 1, 2023
Americans hate China the most. Just that simple.
+1
Level 56
Sep 30, 2023
propaganda works
+1
Level 86
Mar 21, 2023
Tried every South American country, except Venezuela, of course.
+1
Level 50
Mar 29, 2023
Whats the beef with Japan?
+6
Level 70
Apr 4, 2023
Wagyu, perhaps?
+1
Level 67
Apr 4, 2023
After randomly typing in France, I knew this was gonna be a clown quiz.
+1
Level 43
Apr 4, 2023
Why France though?
+3
Level 65
Apr 4, 2023
Chirac refused to send France to Iraq. That's why some voted, though it indeed makes no sense (AFAIK we have no plan to reconquer Louisiana)
+3
Level 72
Apr 4, 2023
Necessarily is spelled wrong in the caveats.
+1
Level 70
Apr 4, 2023
France? I guess French Guyana might be trying to annex Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands.
+2
Level 43
Apr 4, 2023
France???
+3
Level 51
Apr 5, 2023
Pretty sure France opposed the US intervention in the Middle East, hence they were disliked.
+1
Level 42
Apr 4, 2023
me
+1
Level 53
Apr 4, 2023
the people who say US itself is an enemy should say Israel, it's more accurate as that's who controls the US government
+2
Level 66
Apr 4, 2023
Japan? What, did they poll a bunch of nursing homes housing WWII veterans?
+1
Level 47
Apr 11, 2023
Maybe people were thinking a threat as in competition when it comes to technology? That's my only thought as to why
+1
Level 65
Dec 17, 2023
Precisely, was a big concern back the early to mid 90's
+1
Level 50
Apr 5, 2023
France is one of the United States biggest allies. They are part of NATO. Also japan is an ally
+1
Level 47
Apr 11, 2023
Who said France in 2005? LOL
+2
Level 70
Sep 14, 2023
france mildly opposed sending troops to iraq so of course american media was like "this is terrible" which led to the freedom fries debacle
+1
Level 87
Sep 9, 2023
Ye Gods!

2% of Americans equates to over six and a half million people, who started eating “freedom fries” cos Cheney and Rumsfeld told them to. Not to mention more than three million people who think Japan is still your enemy. Jokes mate, it would be too funny if it didn’t explain current American politics so well…

+2
Level ∞
Sep 27, 2023
+2
Level 61
Sep 10, 2023
Why is there Japan and France? Why Saudi Arabia that the US buys cheap oil from?
+2
Level 58
Oct 4, 2023
What about Liechtenstein? Those guys are always up to something, man.
+1
Level 44
Oct 23, 2023
Pakistan.

They have been a U.S. ally for years. Not sure why people would have a grudge against them. Possibly growing support for India makes people dislike Pakistan. Again, not too sure on why some people don't like Pakistan.

+2
Level 65
Dec 17, 2023
Bin Laden was hiding out there
+1
Level 38
Dec 14, 2023
Apparently "drugs" didn't work