Germany was the most positively viewed nation overall, with 63 per cent of those surveyed rating its influence as positive.

The BBC World Service Country Rating Poll asked nearly 29,000 people to rate the global influence of 16 major nations and the EU.

Positive views of the UK have risen, making it the second most popular country in the world.

The UK’s positive rating rose from 53 per cent in 2010 to 58 per cent this year. It is the first time it has been the runner-up in the annual poll.

Negative views of the UK decreased by two per cent, now standing at 17 per cent. Of the 27 countries polled, 24 lean positively towards the UK while two, Pakistan and Mexico, have overall negative views of the UK. One country, Turkey, remains divided.

Those with the most positive views of the UK were the US, at 80 per cent, followed by Australia at 79 per cent and Canada at 69 per cent.

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