(QMI Agency, file)

Americans are head over heels for Canada, showing a more favourable view of their northern neighbour than any other country in 20 years, according to a new poll.

The Gallup poll found 96% of Americans think Canada is just swell, up four percentage points from 2011.

That's the highest favourable rating the polling firm has measured for any country in the 20 years it has been conducting the survey. Canada beat its own record, 93%, from 1987 and 1989.

But it's not just Canada feeling the love. Americans' views of many ally nations improved in 2012.

"In a year when America continues to be faced with political and economic foreign policy challenges around the world, Americans are feeling warmer than ever toward several of the United States' long-standing allies," pollster Lydia Saad wrote.

Of the Americans polled, 93% look favourably on Australia, 90% like Great Britain, 86% like Germany, 83% like Japan and 75% like France.

Some countries saw significant jumps in their approval ratings, like Mexico, which rose six percentage points to 51%, and Cuba, which rose seven percentage points to 37%.

North Korea saw a two-percentage-point spike to 13% following the death of dictator Kim Jong-il, while Iraq, Pakistan, China and Iran all saw declines.

Iran was the least popular country at 10%, while China saw the biggest decline, to 41% from 47%.

"This comes at a time when Iran is under heavy scrutiny and criticism from the West over its nuclear programs," Saad said.

"U.S. favourability toward China had dipped to even lower levels in the decade after the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre."

Gallup surveyed 1,029 adult Americans in all 50 states between Feb. 2-5. The poll has a margin of error of four percentage points.