Who do Czechs like – and who don’t they? A recent study shows that while Vietnamese, Slovaks and Poles are viewed positively, Roma, Russians and Arabs are met with rejection. Education and age play an important role in shaping these views.
What do people in the Czech Republic think about foreigners living in their country? The Centre for Public Opinion Research at the Sociological Institute of the Academy of Sciences (CVVM) explored this question in its regular survey Naše společnost. At the end of May and beginning of June 2025, researchers recorded the level of sympathy towards 14 nationalities – including Czechs themselves, who served as a benchmark.
Respondents were asked to express their attitudes on a five-point scale – from ‘very sympathetic’ to ‘very unsympathetic’. Unsurprisingly, Czechs feel closest to themselves: 76 percent rated their own ethnic group as sympathetic, while only 2 percent felt the opposite. Traditional neighbours also scored well: 70 percent expressed sympathy for Slovaks and 48 percent for Poles.
Also notable is the comparatively positive image of the Vietnamese minority, with 52 percent of respondents viewing them sympathetically. Even nationalities such as Germans (35%), Jews (31%), Hungarians (26%) and Chinese (23%) were generally rated neutrally or positively – although there were larger shares of neutral responses in these cases.
Attitudes towards Ukrainians (25% sympathy vs. 29% antipathy) and Romanians (13% vs. 23%) were more mixed. Here, neutral responses dominated, indicating a degree of uncertainty or ambivalence.
Three groups received markedly negative assessments: Roma, Arabs and Russians. In all three cases, over 50 percent of respondents expressed antipathy – most strikingly in the case of Russians, who were viewed negatively by 51 percent. A full 22 percent even described them as ‘very unsympathetic’. The Roma followed with 56 percent antipathy (19% ‘very unsympathetic’), and Arabs with 54 percent (16% strongly negative).
A closer look at demographic differences reveals that education plays a role – especially in views on Russians and Ukrainians. The higher the level of education, the greater the sympathy towards Ukraine – and the more critical the attitude towards Russia. People with higher levels of education also tended to rate Jews more positively.
Age also influences perceptions. Older people (65+) were particularly sympathetic towards historically and culturally close groups such as Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians – as well as their own compatriots. Interestingly, Vietnamese people also enjoyed relatively high acceptance among this age group.
Younger Czechs (aged 15–19) were only occasionally more open – for example, towards the Chinese or Hungarians. Rejection of groups such as Arabs or Roma was just as pronounced as among older generations. The 20–29 age group, however, stood out for its particularly positive view of Asian minorities such as the Vietnamese and Chinese.
The study’s conclusion is mixed: while there are clear signs of tolerance and openness towards some nationalities, there remains a deep-rooted reservation towards others – particularly Arabs, Roma and Russians – across broad sections of society. So far, shifts in attitudes are only visible in specific cases and limited demographic groups.
