The Reputation Institute published its 2016 Country RepTrak, a study that evaluates how the general public feels about different nations. The report finds that traditional metrics like population size and economic output have limited influence on a country’s emotional appeal. Instead, perceptions of being welcoming, safe and beautiful are the strongest drivers of a positive national reputation.
Nicolas Trad, executive partner at The Reputation Institute, explained that countries with strong reputations are better positioned to attract tourists, boost exports, strengthen diplomatic ties, and draw foreign investment, knowledge and talent. The 2016 ranking was based on 58,000 individual ratings gathered earlier in the year, covering public perceptions of countries’ economies, governance, environments and other attributes.
Sweden earned the top spot in the 2016 list, displacing Canada, which moved down to second place. Rounding out the top ten were Switzerland, Australia, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands. Notably, Ireland returned to the rankings this year, taking the place formerly held by Belgium.
France showed the largest year-over-year improvement in reputation, although the gains were not enough to enter the top ten. Conversely, Turkey experienced a significant decline and fell toward the bottom of the list. Countries perceived least favorably included Russia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq.