A new global ranking has been released which every country should aspire to top: a list of the world's most polite countries.
American financial services provider Remitly asked 4,600 people from 26 countries whether they considered themselves well-mannered and whether they had travelled and been welcomed by polite people in other countries.
It's little surprise that the land of the rising sun was ranked number one in the list. As Time Out reports, Japan has a worldwide reputation as a society that emphasises respect and social harmony. Honorifics and bowing to greet people are standard practice in the country, even for deer.
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Second place went to Canada, while the UK claimed third place. According to Time Out, both countries share similarities when it comes to their perception of their own manners, with a tendency to over-apologise and frequent use of 'please' and 'thank you'.
China ranked 4th, followed by Germany, the Philippines, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and South Africa.
Belgium ranked as the 23rd most polite country in the world, as voted by the survey participants.
The survey also asked Belgian respondents what they thought of their own manners. It asked, for instance, whether they consider themselves to be polite when meeting someone, and if they treat strangers with respect. Belgians ranked themselves as the 16th most polite people in the world.
The people of Brazil and Chile, meanwhile, ranked as the most confident in their own politeness.
Survey participants were also asked about perceptions of friendliness. In this area, Belgium ranked 20th, with only 1.55% of the people surveyed thinking that the nation is friendly.
The survey concluded by noting that "politeness and friendliness can vary widely across cultures. If you are planning to start a new life in a different country, immersing yourself in the local culture and communities can help you feel settled. Even small gestures of kindness, like a friendly smile or a bow, can help turn unfamiliar places into welcoming communities."
