The United States has been ranked as the world's most admired country. With the best overall brand ranking, the US has moved up to the top slot, up from seventh last year, states a survey by GFK Roper Public Affairs & Media.
While India has been ranked at 30, China's position has risen to 22 among the 50 nations surveyed.
The Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index measures the power and quality of each country's 'brand image' by combining the following six dimensions:
- Exports: Determines the public's image of products and services from each country and the extent to which consumers proactively seek or avoid products from each country-of-origin.
- Investment and Immigration: Determines the power to attract people to live, work or study in each country and reveals how people perceive a country's economic and social
- Tourism: Captures the level of interest in visiting a country and the draw of natural and man-made tourist attractions.
- People: Measures the population's reputation for competence, education, openness and friendliness, etc.
- Governance: Measures public opinion regarding the level of national government competency and fairness.
- Culture and Heritage: Reveals global perceptions of each nation's heritage and appreciation for its culture.
1. USA
The US economy is the largest in the world, with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of $14.3 trillion (a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity).
"What's really remarkable is that in all my years studying national reputation, I have never seen any country experience such a dramatic change in its standing as we see for the United States in 2009," explains Simon Anholt, NBI founder and an independent advisor to over a dozen national governments around the world.
"Despite recent economic turmoil, the US actually gained significant ground. The results suggest that the new US administration has been well received abroad and the American electorate's decision to vote in President Obama has given the United States the status of the world's most admired country."
Check out the world's most admired countries...