Where Courtesy Comes Naturally: The World’s Most Polite Countries

The Editors, 25.03.2026

Sometimes, it only takes a simple “please” and “thank you,” a warm smile, or a small gesture to turn a foreign place into a welcoming one. A recent international study reveals which countries are perceived as the most polite—and how locals rate their own sense of courtesy.

For travellers, it is often the subtle, everyday interactions that shape a destination: a friendly greeting in a café, patience in the face of language barriers, or a brief moment of kindness on the street. These small gestures define how welcome we feel. The British financial services provider Remitly surveyed expatriates worldwide to identify where politeness is most deeply rooted—and complemented the findings with locals’ own perceptions of their national character.

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Where Courtesy Comes Naturally: The World’s Most Polite Countries