What does it mean to be patriotic? For some, it means taking pride in their country's culture and identity. For others, it means being willing to defend their homeland, even if that means going to war.
A 2023 Gallup International survey offers one way to explore this question. It asked 46,138 people across 45 countries whether they would be willing to fight for their country if a war broke out. Among the four Southeast Asian countries included, Malaysia recorded the highest share of people who said yes, followed by Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Here is how they compare.
Southeast Asia's Countries Ranked by Willingness to Fight
1. Malaysia – 68%
Malaysia ranked first in Southeast Asia, with 68% of respondents saying they would be willing to fight for their country. Another 19% said they would not, while 13% were unsure or did not answer.
2. Indonesia – 60%
Indonesia came second, with 60% answering yes. Meanwhile, 23% said they would not be willing to fight, and 18% were unsure or did not answer. The figures add up to 101% due to rounding.
3. Thailand – 50%
Half of the respondents in Thailand said they would be willing to fight for their country. Another 39% said they would not, making it the only country in the regional survey where the two responses were relatively close.
4. The Philippines – 48%
The Philippines recorded the lowest share among the four countries, with 48% saying they would be willing to fight. Meanwhile, 43% said they would not, leaving only a five-percentage-point gap between the two groups.
The global average stood at 52%. Malaysia and Indonesia were above this figure, while Thailand and the Philippines were below it.
How Does Southeast Asia Compare with the Rest of the World?
Beyond Southeast Asia, Armenia recorded the highest willingness to fight, at 96%. It was followed by Saudi Arabia (94%), Azerbaijan (88%), Pakistan (86%), and Georgia (83%).
At the other end of the list, Japan recorded just 9%, followed by Italy (14%), Austria (20%), and Germany (23%).
Gallup International also reported regional figures. India recorded 76%, the Middle East 73%, the United States 41%, Canada 34%, and the European Union 32%.
Does Willingness to Fight Reflect Patriotism?
Willingness to fight is one way to understand how people feel about defending their country, but it does not capture every aspect of patriotism.
A separate survey by Indonesia's Maarif Institute illustrates this difference. In a survey of 1,221 Indonesians in December 2024, 56.6% said they were very proud to be Indonesian, while another 40.2% said they were proud. Combined, 96.8% expressed pride in their nationality.
Pew Research Center explored another dimension in a 2025 survey across 25 countries. When asked what made them proud of their country, 30% of Indonesian respondents mentioned diversity and multiculturalism. Other answers included the people (21%), the economy (17%), arts and culture (15%), and natural resources (14%).
These findings show that people can express patriotism in different ways, from taking pride in their national identity to being willing to defend their country. However, the results cannot be directly compared because each survey asked different questions.
A note on the data: Gallup International's survey was conducted between October and December 2023. Its Southeast Asian results cover only Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The figures therefore do not represent all countries in the region. The survey also measured willingness to fight in a war, rather than patriotism as a whole.
