Pollination is a critical ecosystem function with high ecological and economic value, but knowledge of how pollination services are perceived and valued by the general public remains limited. We conducted a multinational survey assessing public recognition of crop-pollination services provided by insects in eight countries (Australia, Japan, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and the USA). We administered a questionnaire (n = 4000) and investigated the perceived significance of crop-pollination services delivered by nine major groups of insects. We also estimated the actual economic contributions of crop-pollination services provided by each insect group by conducting a literature review and database analysis. We found large variations in the recognition of insects’ roles in crop pollination among the eight countries, with recognition generally lower in more economically developed nations. Differences in recognition levels were evident among the insect groups: insects estimated to have greater economic benefits through crop pollination tended to be identified as more important by respondents. However, the perceived contributions of insects favoured by people often exceeded their estimated actual economic importance. Conversely, the contributions of less-favoured insects such as flies and bugs to crop pollination were consistently underestimated. Our results indicate that despite the crucial roles insects play in crop pollination, these services are not adequately recognised in some countries and for certain groups of insects. Recognising the key role of public valuation in the conservation of ecosystems, we propose that improving public understanding of these “under-recognised” aspects of ecosystem services is crucial.