South Africa ranks high among world’s most polite countries
· The South African
Politeness is as politeness does, and South Africa does it so well that it ranks highly among the most polite countries in the world.
Remitly, an American financial services company, recently conducted a global survey. In it, they asked participants to name the countries that they believe are home to the most polite people. To determine their answers, participants had to draw upon their personal experiences, as well as compare global perception versus self-perception.
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Collecting the responses of 4 697 people from 26 nations worldwide, Remitly revealed the results of their findings.
SOUTH AFRICA: TENTH MOST POLITE COUNTRY
To the delight of South Africans, Mzansi took home tenth place on the list with a score of 1.82%.
Finland, which was crowned the world’s happiest country for 2026, finds itself in ninth place with a 1.92% score.
Australia and Switzerland tied for 11th place with a score of 1.73%.
TOP 25
Here is the official list of the top 25 most polite countries in the world (from first to last):
- Japan – 35.15%
- Canada – 13.35%
- United Kingdom – 6.23%
- China – 3.07%
- Germany – 2.80%
- The Philippines – 2.30%
- Sweden – 2.26%
- Denmark – 2.07%
- Finland – 1.92%
- South Africa – 1.82%
- Australia – 1.73%
- Switzerland – 1.73%
- United States – 1.57%
- India – 1.53%
- Ireland – 1.46%
- New Zealand – 1.36%
- Norway – 1.23%
- The Netherlands – 1.21%
- Thailand – 1.15%
- France – 1.15%
- Brazil – 1.13%
- Spain – 1.11%
- Belgium – 1.04%
- Italy – 1.02%
- Austria – 0.96%
As you can see, Japan notched the top spot with an impressive 35.15% ranking.
“Politeness plays a visible role in everyday life in Japan, and the country has long been associated with a culture of respect and social harmony,” writes Remitly.
“For example, bowing is not only used to greet people, but also as a sign of respect. Their language is also built around honorifics and polite speech, which further reinforces the importance of being considerate of others.
Canada took second place due to its “welcoming approach to newcomers, natural beauty, and strong job prospects”, all of which help “make Canada a popular destination for people moving abroad, as revealed in our recent study of relocation habits.”
In third place comes the United Kingdom, home of apparently frequent apologies, plenty of “please” and “thank yous”, and a culture defined by staunch queuing, cosy afternoon teas and self-deprecating humour.
SOUTH AFRICA: POLITE AND PROUD
Like every country in the world, South Africa has its fair share of issues. Regardless, it can’t be denied that its citizens are among the friendliest, most approachable and most accommodating folks on the planet… if we do say so ourselves!
In fact, it’s safe to say South Africans make living in, or visiting, the Rainbow Nation an unforgettable experience.
Cheers to SA on this remarkable achievement!