British drink too much, ignorant: Survey

Britons are largely viewed as heavy drinkers and ignorant of other cultures, according to a survey by the British Council.

The survey that included over 5,000 people aged between 18 and 34 from Brazil, China, Germany, India and the US ranked Britain as the joint second most attractive country along with Australia, just after the US.

"When respondents have direct experience of the UK, some common stereotypes about British people, such as bad eating and drinking habits, seem to be confirmed (as percentage increases of ten and eight respectively suggest)," a report on the British Council website read.

Other commonly cited negative traits included "too nationalistic" and "intolerant towards people from other countries".

While 27 percent of the respondents thought the British drink too much alcohol, 23 percent thought that British citizens had bad eating habits.

A total 22 percent of the participants thought that the British were too nationalistic.

Culture and history are seen as Britian's best qualities, with its best-known cultural icons cited as Shakespeare, the Queen, and David Beckham.

Asked to name British people's best qualities, 46 percent mentioned politeness and good manners, while others ticked "educated and skilled", "friendly" and "respect the rule of law", The Independent reported.