What makes a country “polite”—and which ones stand out globally?
A new survey of over 4,600 respondents by Remitly reveals a clear frontrunner.
Japan alone captured more than 35% of all votes, far ahead of every other country on the list.
As Visual Capitalist's Gabriel Cohen shows in the chart below, the ranking highlights how perceptions of politeness vary worldwide, while also revealing strong regional patterns across Europe and Asia.
Perceptions of politeness can shape everything from tourism experiences to international business relationships.
For travelers, these rankings often influence expectations around etiquette, hospitality, and day-to-day interactions abroad.
Japan: The World’s Clear FavoriteJapan stands far ahead of every other country, capturing 35.2% of all votes—nearly three times more than second-place Canada. No other country breaks even 15%, underscoring just how dominant Japan’s reputation is globally.
Japanese culture is famous for its high emphasis on respect, etiquette, and social harmony. The country’s blend of tradition and recognizable cultural exports has helped it become well-regarded nearly everywhere.
Certain traits associated with local culture no doubt contribute to the Japanese people’s reputation of politeness, including the value placed on cleanliness and punctuality.
Beyond this, citizens of other countries may be surprised when encountering Japanese bowing, a way of conveying respect, as well as other unique elements such as relative silence on public transit within the country.
Canada’s High Respect PremiumCanada ranks second with 13.4% of the vote—less than half of Japan’s total, highlighting the gap between first place and the rest of the field.
The sprawling North American country has been deemed the most respected country worldwide by one measure, while Canadians have long been known as some of the friendliest people on the globe.
Canada’s hospitality and civility has boosted the country’s reputation for politeness, both in dealings with each other and with people from other countries. This has been reinforced in some corners by the country’s relative contrasts with its southern neighbor, the United States, which obtained just over a tenth of the share of votes (1.6%) of Canada.
Europe’s High Prevalence of PolitenessAfter Canada, the United Kingdom ranks third at 6.2%, leading a strong European showing. In total, European countries make up more than half of the top 25—suggesting that politeness, as perceived globally, is strongly associated with the region.
Northern Europeans appear to fare better than their peers across the Old Continent, with the UK joined in the top 10 by Germany (2.8%) and Nordic countries like Sweden (2.3%), Denmark (2.1%), and Finland (1.9%).
In contrast, Asian countries nabbed a fifth of the spots on the list, while Africa was home to only one country in the top 25: South Africa, which at 1.8% of all votes cast landed at the 10th position worldwide.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Best Countries For Culture & Heritage, As Determined by the People on Voronoi.
Tyler Durden Sat, 04/18/2026 - 20:25Authored by Luis Cornelio via HeadlineUSA,
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies spent weeks boasting that his book, Young Man in a Hurry, became a “best-seller” within hours of its March release. However, a new report found those sales were largely driven by Newsom’s own super PAC using donor funds.
FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)The book, published March 10 and centered on Newsom’s upbringing in California, has reportedly sold 97,400 copies since its release. Of those, 67,000 were purchased by Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy Committee through a donation-for-book scheme,
The leftist New York Times reported Friday that the PAC urged supporters to make donations in exchange for a copy of the book, effectively turning each contribution into a guaranteed sale.
Critics described the setup as a potential money-laundering scheme, with the super PAC purchasing copies from its publisher Porchlight Book Company for every donation, regardless of the amount.
“Make a contribution of ANY AMOUNT today and I will send you a copy,” Newsom reportedly wrote in an email pitch.
In total, Newsom’s PAC spent $1,561,875 on the effort.
This might not be the book people expected me to write.
It's about something universal — the messiness of becoming who we are.
Young Man in a Hurry is out February 2026.
Pre-order it here: https://t.co/WMGKrREIre pic.twitter.com/OtB0MlcFSf
Defending the arrangement, Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click said the governor did not receive royalties from those purchases.
“Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work. And as it turns out, the tactic more than paid for itself,” Click claimed.
Critics questioned the ethics of the program, with some suggesting it may have influenced Porchlight Book Company’s advance for Newsom’s 2026 book.
It remains unclear how much Newsom received as part of that advance. In 2019, however, he was paid $125,000 by Penguin Random House for Ben and Emma’s Big Hit, a children’s book.
A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to Headline USA’s request for comment regarding the advance for his latest book.
Steve Hilton’s on it! This is basically money laundering. Newsom writes a book, his PAC uses campaign donations to buy his books. He makes money on the royalties he gets back. His book sales are artificially inflated making him look more legitimate on the presidential stage. So,… https://t.co/iswaAlFo8a
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) April 17, 2026 Tyler Durden Sat, 04/18/2026 - 19:50