{"id":31838,"date":"2025-02-20T08:33:47","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T08:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/?post_type=press-release&#038;p=31838"},"modified":"2025-02-20T10:40:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T10:40:41","slug":"brand-finance-global-soft-power-index-2025canada-ranks-7th-recognised-for-leading-reputation-generosity-and-ease-of-business","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/press-releases\/brand-finance-global-soft-power-index-2025canada-ranks-7th-recognised-for-leading-reputation-generosity-and-ease-of-business","title":{"rendered":"Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025:Canada ranks 7th, recognised for leading reputation, generosity, and ease of business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>China overtakes UK for the first time; US remains top-ranked nation brand<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Canada secures 7<sup>th<\/sup> place in the Global Soft Power Index 2025, with a Soft Power score of 65.2 out of 100.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The US retains the top position, but its reputation declines following a divisive presidential campaign and future direction under President Trump looks uncertain<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The UK drops to 3<sup>rd<\/sup>, overtaken by China in the sixth annual survey from Brand Finance measuring how nations are perceived around the world<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>El Salvador is the fastest-rising nation brand, climbing 35 spots in the global ranking<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nations engaging in hard power see Soft Power damage \u2013 Israel's reputation declines<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>20 February 2025, VANCOUVER - <\/strong>Canada ranks 7<sup>th<\/sup> in the latest iteration of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brandfinance.com\/softpower\">Global Soft Power Index<\/a> by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brandfinance.com\/\">Brand Finance<\/a>, reaffirming its position as a respected and influential nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of more than 170,000 respondents from over 100 countries to gather data on global perceptions of all 193 United Nations member states. Thanks to the scope of the survey, the Index is the world\u2019s most comprehensive study on perceptions of nation brands, providing an in-depth analysis of the evolving status of Soft Power as nations navigate significant global changes and challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soft Power is defined as a nation's ability to influence the preferences and behaviours of various actors in the international arena (states, corporations, communities, publics, etc.) through attraction or persuasion rather than coercion. Each nation is scored across 55 metrics to arrive at an overall score out of 100 and ranked in order from 1<sup>st<\/sup> to 193<sup>rd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, Canada is perceived to have a very strong Reputation, ranking 3<sup>rd<\/sup> globally, behind Switzerland and Japan. The Peoples &amp; Values pillar remains one of Canada\u2019s greatest strengths, ranking 2<sup>nd<\/sup> globally, just behind Switzerland. Within this, Canada is recognised for being perceived as the most \u2018generous\u2019 and \u2018tolerant &amp; inclusive\u2019 nation in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, Canada is regarded as a top business destination (ranking 3<sup>rd<\/sup> for \u2018easy to do business in and with\u2019), driven by its stable economy, strong trade relationships, and initiatives like the updated Indo-Pacific trade strategy. However, with President Trump beginning his second term and signalling a more protectionist approach - including tariffs on Canadian goods - there are concerns that new trade barriers could challenge Canada\u2019s strong business reputation in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite cultural exports like the global success of Canadian artists and the rising popularity of homegrown TV productions, Canada struggles to translate its rich heritage into Soft Power influence, with its lowest ranking in the Culture &amp; Heritage pillar (21<sup>st<\/sup> globally).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Laurence Newell, Managing Director, Brand Finance Americas, commented<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cCanada\u2019s strong global reputation has long been a pillar of its Soft Power, consistently ranking among the top nations in our Index. With a federal election on the horizon and leadership changes underway, the country faces a period of transition. Meanwhile, renewed trade tensions under President Trump\u2019s second term could pose challenges. Yet, Canada\u2019s deep-rooted values of inclusivity, stability, and global cooperation ensure it remains a trusted and influential player on the world stage.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>United States <\/strong>maintains its position at the top of the ranking with an all-time highest Global Soft Power Index score of 79.5 out of 100. Once again, it leads in the Familiarity and Influence Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), three out of eight Soft Power pillars, and ranks highest in 12 out of the 35 nation brand attributes. At the same time, the US\u2019s Reputation has taken a hit, falling four positions to rank 15<sup>th<\/sup> globally, and Governance, a key pillar that underpins a nation\u2019s Reputation, has revealed a notable decline down four spots to 10<sup>th<\/sup>, likely due to internal political tensions and the polarising nature of the presidential campaign, which was underway during the time of polling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance commented<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cAt the end of his first term, Donald Trump\u2019s confrontational politics weakened US Soft Power, costing it the top spot in the 2021 Index. Now, he returns for a second term as the US sees a drop in perceptions of its political stability and good governance for the third consecutive year. As he dismantles traditional Soft Power mechanisms such as foreign aid and free trade, uncertainty and unpredictability loom over America\u2019s Soft Power and global reputation, with potential implications for future rankings.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time, <strong>China has surpassed the UK to rank 2<sup>nd<\/sup><\/strong> with a score of 72.8 out of 100 - its highest ever position. Since 2024, China has recorded statistically significant growth across six of the eight Soft Power pillars, and in two-thirds of measured attributes, stemming from strategic efforts including Belt and Road projects, an increased focus on sustainability, stronger domestic brands, and post-pandemic reopening to visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, the <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>\u2019s drop to third place behind China reflects a period of stagnation in its nation brand perceptions. While scores remain relatively stable, a lack of progress across key pillars \u2013 especially Business &amp; Trade, down to 6<sup>th<\/sup>, and Governance, down to 3<sup>rd<\/sup>, are an argument that the UK should bolster its Soft Power strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance commented<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cChina has invested heavily in enhancing its Soft Power, and now we\u2019re seeing the result as it ranks higher than the United Kingdom for the first time in the six years Brand Finance has released the Global Soft Power Index. The 2025 rankings reflect China\u2019s sustained efforts to enhance its economic attractiveness, showcase its culture, and boost its reputation as a safe and well-governed nation. The UK needs to keep up and the establishment of the UK Soft Power Council is a step in the right direction.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>El Salvador&nbsp;is 2025\u2019s fastest-rising nation<\/strong>, climbing 35 spots to 82<sup>nd<\/sup> with a +3.2-point increase in its Soft Power score. El Salvador has significantly reduced gang violence and homicides, with improving views of El Salvador as \u2018safe and secure\u2019 and \u2018politically stable and well governed\u2019. El Salvador has also advanced in Business &amp; Trade - its 2021 decision to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, though controversial, has attracted significant attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, nations <strong>engaged in military conflicts continue to decline in Soft Power<\/strong>. <strong>Israel <\/strong>dropped to all-time lowest 33<sup>rd<\/sup> in the overall ranking, following a sharp 42-place decline in the Reputation metric to 121<sup>st<\/sup>. <strong>Ukraine<\/strong> fell two positions to 46<sup>th<\/sup> as it struggles to maintain international attention and support. <strong>Russia<\/strong> remains at 16<sup>th<\/sup>, bolstered by strong support from Eastern allies despite widespread condemnation from the West. Ukraine\u2019s Reputation also declined, falling 19 positions to 95<sup>th<\/sup>, below Russia\u2019s 75<sup>th<\/sup>, highlighting global divisions over the ongoing conflict between the two nations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>China overtakes UK for the first time; US remains top-ranked nation brand 20 February 2025, VANCOUVER - Canada ranks 7th in the latest iteration of the Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance, reaffirming its position as a respected and influential nation. Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[35,97,163],"class_list":["post-31838","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-canada","tag-global-soft-power-index","tag-soft-power"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/31838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31838"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/31838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31839,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/31838\/revisions\/31839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}