Global
Perceptions
2023
How 18 to 34 year olds
see the UK and the world
Insights on attractiveness, trust and values from 18 leading nations
Whether a country is perceived as attractive or trusted matters. These perceptions drive behaviour and affect a state’s ability to influence other international players to take steps towards a desired action.
Now in its sixth edition since 2016, the British Council’s Global Perceptions study gauges what 18–34 year olds across the G20 member states think of the UK and other leading nations, and how these perceptions have shifted over time.
Global Perceptions 2023:
How 18 to 34 year olds see the UK and the world is the latest iteration of our research exploring how young people view the world’s leading nations.
Methodology
The survey was administered by Ipsos UK.
Fieldwork was undertaken online in June and July 2023.
What are the top results
from Global Perceptions 2023?
Global Perceptions 2023 reveals the latest trends on attractiveness and trust.
It provides a detailed picture on what values matter to young people today, and their intentions to engage with education, arts and culture, and tourism across the G20 member states.
Understanding how young people perceive the world’s leading nations allows us to identify where states might leverage their influence, deepen connections, and build trust, whether to address international challenges like climate change or facilitate conflict resolution.
Attractiveness
We asked young people how attractive they find each of the countries in the G20. Participants were encouraged to take everything into consideration and score each country for their overall attractiveness.
Italy and the UK top a leading pack of 8 countries for overall attractiveness. The difference between 1st and 7th place is just 6%.
Three highlights from 2023:
Attractiveness
Italy ranked first for attractiveness. The UK dropped to second place but has improved its score since 2021.
Attractiveness
Republic of Korea and Türkiye have seen the greatest growth in attractiveness since 2016.
Attractiveness
Russia has seen the sharpest fall in attractiveness, moving from 10th to 18th place between 2021 and 2023.
Trust
We asked young people to what extent they trust the governments, people and institutions of the countries in the G20.
Trust enables states to take risks and work together on sensitive issues. Our research shows that there is a positive relationship between cultural engagement and trust-building; participating in a UK cultural relations activity is strongly associated with greater trust in the UK.
Three highlights from 2023:
Trust
Canada scores at the top for trust in government and people but its position appears to be weakening over time.
Trust
Trust in the UK government, people, and institutions is relatively high and stable over time. However, it may find itself challenged by the growing trust in Japan.
Trust
Trust metrics for Republic of Korea are trending positively and could overtake France very soon.
Values
We asked young people across the G20 what they think are the most important values that countries around the world should support and encourage in the 21st century.
Common values often provide the foundation for trust and co-operation. The UK’s openness, stability, democracy, diversity, and respect for difference are core to its near universal appeal.
Three highlights from 2023:
Values
The values that matter most to young people today are equality, sustainability, and freedom.
Values
The UK is the top state for having a positive influence in the world, followed by Japan and the USA.
Values
Russia is the only G20 country to have more people view it as a negative influence in the world than positive.
Attractiveness
We asked young people how attractive they find each of the countries in the G20. Participants were encouraged to take everything into consideration and score each country for their overall attractiveness.
Italy and the UK top a leading pack of 8 countries for overall attractiveness. The difference between 1st and 7th place is just 6%.
Three highlights from 2023:
Italy ranked first for attractiveness. The UK dropped to second place but has improved its score since 2021.
Republic of Korea and Türkiye have seen the greatest growth in attractiveness since 2016.
Russia has seen the sharpest fall in attractiveness, moving from 10th to 18th place between 2021 and 2023.
Trust
We asked young people how trustworthy they find the governments, people, and institutions of the countries in the G20.
Trust enables states to take risks and work together on sensitive issues. Our research shows that there is a positive relationship between cultural engagement and trust-building; participating in a UK cultural relations activity is strongly associated with greater trust in the UK.
Three highlights from 2023:
Canada scores at the top for trust in government and people but its position appears to be weakening over time.
Trust in the UK government, people, and institutions is relatively high and stable over time. However, it may find itself challenged by the growing trust in Japan.
Trust metrics for Republic of Korea are trending positively and could overtake France very soon.
Values
We asked young people across the G20 what they think are the most important values that countries around the world should support and encourage in the 21st century.
Common values often provide the foundation for trust and co-operation. The UK’s openness, stability, democracy, diversity, and respect for difference are core to its near universal appeal.
Three highlights from 2023:
The values that matter most to young people today are equality, sustainability, and freedom.
The UK is the top state for having a positive influence in the world, followed by Japan and the USA.
Russia is the only G20 country to have more people view it as a negative influence in the world than positive.
Closest values
The USA and UK are joint first for having values that young people across the G20 feel most closely align with the values of their own country.
The USA
Young people from India, South Africa, and the UK feel the values of their country most closely align with those of the USA.
The UK
Young people from Australia, Canada, and the USA feel the values of their country most closely align with those of the UK.
How does the UK rank on trust and other key metrics?
Global Perceptions 2023:
How 18 to 34 year olds see the UK and the world is the latest iteration of our research exploring how young people view the world’s leading nations.
Built with Shorthand