These are the most polite people in the world

Which compatriots are particularly polite? The British financial services provider «Remitly» wanted to find out. To do this, over 4,600 people in 26 different countries were surveyed about which nation they perceived as the most polite based on their own experiences.

In addition, they also had to assess themselves. The question arose: how far apart are self-perception and how others perceive them? Do global perceptions align with self-perceptions?

External assessment

With an impressive 35.15 percent, more than a third of those surveyed believe that the people of Japan are the most polite. This puts the country in first place in the ranking. Japan has always been associated with a culture of respect and social harmony.

Canada came in second with 13.35 percent of the vote. For Canadians, politeness and consideration continue to play an important role in everyday life. Great Britain completed the podium with 6.23 percent. The country has a strong queuing culture, says «sorry» particularly often, and uses the words «please» and «thank you» remarkably frequently.

Self-assessment

The self-assessment of nations shows that external and self-perception can differ greatly, not least because the meaning and perception of politeness can vary significantly in different cultures.

Brazilians consider themselves particularly polite. They gave themselves 9.46 out of 10 points, placing them in first place. Chile achieved the same score. Both South American countries are often associated with warmth and hospitality, as well as a strong social culture. India completes the top three. There, however, politeness is associated with supporting one's family and friends.

Japan's self-perception is remarkable. The country, perceived by others as the most polite nation, ranks second to last in its own self-assessment. This is likely due to the deep-rooted societal values ​​of humility and modesty. They give themselves a score of 8.73 out of 10. The only country to rate itself even lower is Poland, with 8.68 points.

The fact that the values ​​between first and last place are not far apart suggests that people worldwide generally consider themselves to be quite polite.