For over three decades, we have been studying Poles' attitudes towards other nationalities, trying to determine which of them are favoured and which are viewed with dislike. In this year's survey, we have asked about attitudes towards 21 nationalities and ethnic groups. Similar to last year, Italians rank first in the list of the most liked peoples, with nearly six out of ten Poles (58%) expressing sympathy, while only 7% show dislike. A slightly lower percentage of Poles have a positive attitude towards Czechs (55%). Every second respondent likes Slovaks (52%), while nearly half have favourable views of English (49%) and Americans (47%). Over two-fifths of respondents express sympathy for Croats (45%), Swedes, French, and Dutch (44% each), as well as Lithuanians (43%) and Hungarians (41%).

Further down the list of the most liked nationalities are Bulgarians and Germans (35% each). However, it is worth noting that dislike for Germans is declared twice as often as for Bulgarians (32% vs. 16%). One-third of Poles have a positive attitude towards the Vietnamese (33%), with a slightly lower percentage liking the Chinese (30%).

Subsequent positions in the ranking are occupied by nationalities and ethnic groups for which declarations of dislike are more common than declarations of sympathy: Ukrainians (29% vs. 43%), Palestinians (24% vs. 30%), Jews (22% vs. 40%), Belarusians (19% vs. 46%), and Roma (18% vs. 46%). Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, we have consistently approached Russians with the greatest distance, with 74% of respondents expressing dislike and only 7% showing sympathy.

Attitude to other nationalities.

A year ago, we recorded a deterioration in attitudes towards many nationalities. This year, the changes are somewhat less clear-cut, but we have observed more frequently decline, rather than an increase in sympathy. The most significant increase in dislike is recorded in attitudes towards Jews (an increase of 8 percentage points, with a simultaneous decrease in sympathy of 4 points) and Americans (increase in dislike of 8 points, decrease in sympathy of 11 points), as well as Ukrainians (increase in dislike of 5 points, decrease in sympathy of 1 point).

Average ratings on the sympathy-antipathy scale for selected nationalities; Averages measured on a scale from -3 (maximum antipathy) to +3 (maximum sympathy)
Excluding declarations of indifference

Further increases in dislike concern the English (up by 3 percentage points, decrease in sympathy of 1 point), Roma (increase in dislike of 3 points), and Russians (increase in dislike of 2 points, decrease in sympathy of 1 percentage point). Compared to the previous measurement, we have also noted a slight increase in dislike for the Chinese (by 2 points), but with a simultaneous increase in sympathy (also by 2 points). This is the third consecutive year in which Poles' attitudes towards peoples which clearly gained in our eyes immediately after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, i.e. Americans, the English, and Ukrainians, have deteriorated.

Aside from the aforementioned Chinese, we can also note increased sympathy for Slovaks (up by 4 points), French (increase in sympathy of 2 points, decrease in dislike of 4 points), Germans (increase in sympathy of 2 points, level of dislike unchanged), and Palestinians (increase in sympathy of 2 percentage points, decrease in dislike by 4 points).

It is also worth noting that this year we have registered a deterioration in attitudes towards most of Poland's neighbours. If we look at the average indications, the exceptions are Slovaks and Germans with slight increases of 0.04 and 0.02, respectively. The Czechs remain in first place in terms of sympathy, similar to last year, followed by Slovaks in second, and Lithuanians in third. Fourth place is occupied by Germans, towards whom our attitude is quite ambivalent, while Ukrainians are fifth. Belarusians occupy sixth place, while Russians are last. We approach them with the greatest dislike.

Changes in attitude to Poland's neighbours. Average values on the scale from -3 (max. antipathy) to +3 (max. sympathy).