I’d guess New Zealand - the people are friendly, they speak English, sort of, and they play proper sports.
They’re the Australia it’s OK to like.
Got to be the U.S.A. Don’t want to be bombed, after all …
Fear aside, I think Italy is the best “lifestyle” place I’ve visited: long sunny lunchtimes, beautiful mountains, lively and intelligent people. In fact, having thought about it for a whole sentence, I’ve just decided to emigrate.
No way, 70 years ago they were one of the worst human rights violators on earth.
I can’t tell for sure but its probably either Canada, One of the scandanavian countries or New Zealand who is the world’s favorite.
Another vote for New Zealand here.
Most folks will vote for their own country, so I say China will win.
There’s no way to answer a question like this intelligently.
Does the “most popular” country have to be one that everybody loves, that everyone has enthusiastically positive feelings about? Or does it just have to be the one that’s disliked by the fewest people?
I mean, it’s no secret that millions of people around the world loathe the USA, while almost nobody loathes, say, Denmark. Does that make Denmark “more popular” than the USA?
Well, maybe… then again, are millions of people around the world watching TV shows and movies from Denmark? Are they listening to pop music from Denmark? Are millions of people from all over the world taking great pains to emigrate to Denmark?
I recall a survey in the Seventies showing that Howard Cosell both the most popular AND the most hated sportscaster on television. He was just a guy who iosnpired strong passions, pro and con. I suspect that, similarly, the USA is both the most loved AND the most despised nation on Earth- sometimes by the same people!
I recall a column in which author P.J. O’Rourke described a visit to Lebanon. He said that in one meeting he had with some radical Moslems, one of the young men got in O’Routke’s face and went on a loud, crude, vulgar rant in which he screamed BOTH that the Americans were the great Satan and ought to be destroyed AND that he was going to dental school in Michigan next year, as soon as he arranged the financing.
Get the idea? This young Arab despised the USA, and yet he couldn’t wait to go there himself.
Denmark is undoubtedly a wonderful country- it has prosperity, political freedom, scenic beauty, and admirable people. But if it everyone LIKES Denmark but nobody loves it passionately, how popular can it (or any comparable country) be?
Well, basically the concept I had in mind in the OP was what do you think would happen if you gave everyone in the world a slip of paper that said the following (assuming of course that they could all read and write, which I know is not true) (and assuming as well, that everyone votes, which also would not be true):
Which country is your favorite (no voting for your nation of citizenship):________________________
Well, the first ones that came to mind upon reading the thread title were Italy, Spain, and Greece, because of the warm, mellow, laid-back Mediterranean-ness of them. But after reading, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand seem like strong contenders too.
But I actually wouldn’t be too surprised if the United States scored a lot higher than expected. A lot of people immigrate here; there must be a reason for that.
That’s a tough one. I don’t have one answer. But if we were only counting countries to which we’ve been, my personal vote would be for Germany. I really had a blast when I was there, even though it’s been about 20 years.
How can you not like Djibouti. No other country is as fun to pronounce. If you get tired of saying the name, then give its capital a try.
The Netherlands, hands down.
There are a lot of great places out there, but it seems that whenever I meet Scandinavians they are very friendly, decent folks. So maybe Finland. Of course I’ve not been to Finland, so it could just be that the people who leave there are crazy.
Now if you’re talking more about the country and less about the people then I would nominate Thailand. Tsunamis notwithstanding, there’s a lot to do there, it’s cheap, great food and the people are generally very friendly. And there are a heck of a lot of expats there (it’s where I met all those Swedes, Finns, Danes, English, Japanese, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, etc) so it must have something going for it.
Canada!
New Zealand comes in second. 
In the first case- no doubt the USA. In India, China and other places a lot of dudes want to go here. Now, a lot of smaller (in population) nations are likely more freindly, I’ll admit- Canada, Denmark, NZ, Australia, the Netherlands, etc, etc. But- they’ll split the vote. Sure a contest between just Denmark and the USA might go to Denmark, but not if we count the winner as the one who gets the plurality.
In the second case- I dunno. A LOT of dudes hate the USA with a passion.
Out of curiosity, what are the 51st and 52nd states?
Texas.
After that, probably Greece with honorable mention going to Great Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. I enjoyed travelling in 'em all but Greece smoked me to an appreciable crisp. Man, what a place.
Well, if THAT’S the way the elction would work, I’d say the USA would win the “most popular” election by a narrow margin.
But if you used the same format to hold a “most hated nation” election, I’m sure the USA would win by a landslide.
I think the USA would win in a landslide. Why? Because it happens to be the best country in the world in which to live.
I know there might be one or two people who will disagree with me, but I happen to believe it’s true. And so do millions of people all over the world. We are still the destination of choice for the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses, and I think we Americans should be proud of that. Og knows we have our problems, but there’s still no place better.
We would also with the “Most hated nation” award hands-down.
Really? By what standard?
I cast my vote for Sweden.
I see it didn’t take long for those who live in a country to put that country forward into the stakes despite the OP’s regs (calm kiwi - lookin’ at you, mate) … 
That said – I’m glad NZ’s in th’ running. 
Oh, Australia, most likely.
They’re cool. They’re mellow. An atom bomb could be going off and they’d be going “she’ll be right, mate.” I don’t think you can piss off an Australian, has anyone tried and succeeded?
They showed the world in 2000 that they know how to throw a kickass party. They all live on a beautiful beach. They have cool accents and weird animals. They even have a beautiful national anthem that’s easy to sing.
What’s not to like, seriously?
If not Australia, then the US. Say what you will about this war, but for all of the trash talking we hear about America, people are still killing themselves trying to get in. Ain’t nobody making a mad dash for … well never mind, I won’t go there.
Israel, undeservedly, would win that one.