JOHN Howard has been overwhelmingly backed as the country's best prime minister of the past quarter of a century in a new poll, which ranks Julia Gillard last.

Mr Howard was considered by 35 per cent of just over 1000 people polled by Galaxy as Australia's best leader of a generation.

Just five per cent felt the same about Ms Gillard whose support from Labor voters asked who they believed had been Australia's best prime minister in the past 25 years was almost identical to Mr Howard's.

Of those polled, 11 per cent of Labor supporters rated Ms Gillard as the best prime minister while ten per cent of Labor voters said Mr Howard was their top pick.

Ms Gillard was outshone by the man she deposed, Kevin Rudd, who scored 16 per cent. Bob Hawke was next on 15 per cent.

Older voters have also been underwhelmed by Ms Gillard, three per cent of respondents aged 50-64 rating her as the best prime minister compared to six per cent of those aged 18-34.

Paul Keating ranked fourth with nine per cent of people considering him the best prime minister of the past 25 years.Mr Howard, Australia's second longest serving leader, said he was "flattered'' by the result of the Galaxy poll.

"It was a huge privilege to have been prime minister of Australia for almost 12 years,'' he said.

Mr Rudd quipped he was "glad to have beaten Mr Howard once'' at the 2008 election before lightheartedly adding: "I'm disappointed I didn't beat him again.''

He said he was proud of the things he had achieved in his almost three years as prime minister.

"I am proud to have led a team that got Australia through the global financial crisis without going into recession and without mass unemployment as we saw elsewhere in the world,'' he said.

"I am proud we got Australia a seat on the G20 and on the United Nations Security Council. And I am proud of the Apology, the National Broadband Network, Paid Parental Leave, the Education Revolution and delivering the biggest pension rise in Australia's history.

"Mr Hawke's office said he declined to comment on the poll result which saw him ranked highest by Labor voters with 27 per cent ranking him as best prime minister ahead of Mr Rudd at 23 per cent.Mr Keating was not available for comment yesterday while a spokesman for Ms Gillard declined to comment.

Originally published as Voters name best PM of a generation