In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a US think tank, on Pope Francis popularity in different countries of the world, the Catholic pope was least popular in Egypt with 35 percent respondents who expressed unfavorable views of the pope. Thirty seven percent expressed favorable views and 28 percent gave no rating.
Francis was generally less popular in the Middle East where a Catholic minority lives.
Many in the Middle East did not rate the pope, according to the survey.
Francis maintained the highest popularity rate in Lebanon where over quarter the population are Christians. A median of 62 percent expressed a positive view of the pope in Lebanon, according to the survey.
In Israel, 25 percent expressed negative views and 50 percent gave favorable views.
Thirty-four percent expressed negative views of the pope in Jordan, 32 percent in Turkey, 23 percent in Palestine and 16 percent in Tunisia.
Francis received his highest favorability rates in Europe, the United States and Latin America with 84 percent, 78 percent, and 72 percent respectively. In Argentina, the pope's homeland, Francis retained very high popularity rates with 91 percent respondents who expressed positive views of him.
Globally, 60 percent of respondents expressed positive views of Francis, 28 percent did not rate him, and 11 percent disliked him.
