So what are the 10 least xenophobic countries in the world? This is an interesting question that often goes unanswered. In fact, if you search Google for xenophobic countries, all you often get are results which show the most and least racially tolerant countries in the world. However, there is a stark difference between racism and xenophobia, a difference which apparently many people are not significantly aware of. A xenophobe is a person who is afraid of foreign things, as well as foreign people. On the other hand, a racist person is someone who is afraid of a particular race and not nationality. But like I mentioned, people are often unable to grasp the subtle difference.
Due to a lack of results, it is hard to determine the least xenophobic countries in the world. On the other hand, it is extremely easy to find out about the most as well as least racist countries in the world, as evidenced by the 13 Least Racist Countries in the World. Most people will often use the terms xenophobe and racist interchangeably, mainly because quite often, people who are racist are also xenophobes and vice versa, of which a prime example is the esteemed President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and his supporters, who has advocated both against races and against foreigners.
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When he first acted against blacks, way before he was president of the country and only a billionaire, that showed that he was a racist. When he supported people like Steve Bannon, the former chairman of the alt-right website Breitbart, which actively advocates against minority racists. But when he banned immigrants from seven countries, afraid they would spoil his chances to ‘make America great again,’ he was a xenophobe. See the difference? It is subtle but present.
Because racism is such a hot and controversial topic in not just the United States, but the world, there are a ton of studies and research carried out on the subject. We believe that with the current scenario that has enveloped America and Europe as well in recent times due to the influx of immigrants, xenophobia deserves to be displayed in the same light as racism.
While some countries are very xenophobic, other are not. These countries are very tolerant of people of other nationalities and are extremely welcoming. To confirm which countries would make our list, we consulted the World Value Survey, where most of the nations are asked dozens of different questions. One of the questions was ‘On this list are various groups of people. Could you please mention any that you would not like to have as neighbors?’ We looked at the countries where the smallest percentage of people wanted to avoid foreigners and immigrants as people they would not want to have as a neighbor. Meanwhile, another question was “When jobs are scarce, employers should give priority to people of this country over immigrants. Do you agree, disagree, or neither agree nor disagree with this statement?’ We selected the countries where the smallest percentage of the people agreed with the statement. These two questions combined provided us with an accurate representation of the prevalence of xenophobia.
10. Mexico
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 11.6%
Rank: 15
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 60.8%
Rank: 15
Insider Monkey Score: 5
The fact that Mexico is one of the least xenophobic countries in the world should not come as much of a shocker, considering the fact that its citizens in other countries have often been victims of xenophobia, mainly in the United States of America. The wall that Trump intends to build is evidence of the rampant fear in the US of Mexicans, though there are several sane voices who support Mexicans in the country as well.
9. Netherlands
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 19.6%
Rank: 24
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 35.9%
Rank: 3
Insider Monkey Score: 6.5
The Netherlands, taht ranked 9th on the list of least xenophobic countries in the world is famous for being accepting, be it drugs, sex, or immigrants. While there has been growing anti-immigrant sentiment in many Western Europe countries such as Germany and France, the people in Netherlands are still not against foreigners. However, it is important to note that the survey was taken in 2014, and considering the events in the last couple of years, the stance of Netherlands may significantly change.
7. Uzbekistan
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 12.3%
Rank: 17
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 43.9%
Rank: 5
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Uzbekistan is number 7 on our list of least xenophobic countries in the world that may have been more xenophobic a few years ago, mainly due to effects of the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the country teamed up with Russia in order to combat xenophobia, among other things in the country, and the survey results show that this has been an unmitigated success.
7. Uruguay
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 1.7%
Rank: 1
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 65.6%
Rank: 21
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Once again, a country features on this list which has perhaps itself been a victim of xenophobia. Uruguay, next on our list of least xenophobic countries in the world has always been accepting of people of foreign descent, as shown by the government’s dedication to the recognition of Uruguayans who are of African descent. These people make up 10% of the country’s entire population. The government has pursued this policy in order to increase awareness and promote equality for its citizens.
5. Spain
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 7.5%
Rank: 10
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 52.8%
Rank: 11
Insider Monkey Score: 9.5
The United Nations made a statement in 2013 that said that the Spanish government must ensure that there is no backlash against immigrants for the company’s economic turmoil and that they should not be blamed for the troubles the country is facing. It looks like that statement had an effect as most Spaniards are completely fine with foreigners in their country.
5. Australia
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 10.5%
Rank: 12
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 50.5%
Rank: 9
Insider Monkey Score: 9.5
While Australia fared very well in the survey, xenophobia is still very much an issue in the country, and different nationalities, from Chinese and Vietnamese to the Greeks and Italians have been the victim of xenophobic policies by the country.
4. Rwanda
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 5.4%
Rank: 6
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 52.8%
Rank: 11
Insider Monkey Score: 11.5
We are continuing our list of least xenophobic countries in the world with Rwanda that has had little time for xenophobia, considering its citizens couldn’t even stand each other. This is why the country is the location of one of the biggest genocides in history, the Rwandan Genocide, where more than 800,00 people, or 20% of the country’s population, was massacred. However, this doesn’t mean that there is no xenophobia in the country, and in fact, xenophobia is the reason cited by many for the suspension of operations of Mount Kenya University in the country.
3. New Zealand
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 5.9%
Rank: 7
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 49.5%
Rank: 6
Insider Monkey Score: 13.5
New Zealand is another country on our list of least xenophobic countries in the world that has an accepting population and it takes a lot for them to be vehemently opposed to something. However, that is not to say the entire population is not xenophobic. Some are against foreigners, especially Chinese investors, which can actually be surprising considering that there are around 200 ethnic groups in Auckland alone. This is why it is especially concerning how a member of the parliament told another member, Melissa Lee, to ‘go back to Korea.’ Whether this is a one-off incident or a growing tide of intolerance that threatens to divide the nation, only time will tell.
2. Argentina
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 2.8%
Rank: 3
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 50.5%
Rank: 9
Insider Monkey Score: 14
It is completely appropriate and expected for Argentina to be featured on this list, as evidenced by its history. After all, not only was the country founded by immigrants, it has a population where a large percentage is made up of immigrants. This occurred in the late 19th and the start of the 20th century, where mostly Europeans from Italy, Spain, and the Slavic countries moved to Argentina and in fact, changed the entire landscape of the country. However, recently, Argentina’s openness to immigrants has been threatened by its leaders, though people who remember Argentina’s history are opposing this stance.
1. Sweden
People who wanted to avoid foreigners as neighbors: 3.5%
Rank: 4
People who wanted locals to be prioritized over immigrants: 14.3%
Rank: 1
Insider Monkey Score: 17.5
Topping the list of least xenophobic countries in the world is Sweden, which is unsurprisingly open to people of other nationalities, be it as their neighbors or even when they could take the jobs that would otherwise go to the local population. Maybe this is why Sweden was so surprised that its citizens who lived in Britain were the victims of severe xenophobia in the wake of Britain’s exit from the European Union. A 100,000 Swedes reside in Britain who are now unsure of their future in the country.
