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The new best country in the world

Staff Writer

 ·13 Nov 2014

The world has a new number one nation, as the United States’ failure as a global leader in peace and security has given way for Germany to take the top spot.

So finds the latest Nation Brands Index, compiled by research firm Gfk and independent policy advisor, Simon Anholt.

The index measures the brand image of 50 countries, with respect to Exports, Governance, Culture, People, Tourism and Immigration/Investment.

According to Gfk, South Africa is ranked 37th, overall. Compared to 2013’s study, the country has grown stronger, however Chile and Peru – two other nations which ranked behind South Africa in 2013 – also improved, passing South Africa in the 2014 overall rankings.

South Africa leads the four African nations measured in the NBI rankings, Gfk noted.  Egypt is in 38th position, while Kenya and Nigeria rank among the bottom 10 countries on the list.

South Africa has remained pretty stable on the list since 2010 (37th), before moving up to 36th between 2011 and 2013.

Global leader in reputation

For the 2014 study, a total of 20,125 interviews were conducted in 20 countries, with at least 1,000 interviews per country.

“After holding the number one place since 2009, the USA has this year been pushed down to second place by Germany, which now takes the lead in the index,” Gfk said.

Notably, the perception towards the USA was significantly downgraded by Russia and Egypt for its role (or lack thereof) in global peace and security.

“Both Russia and Egypt have downgraded the U.S. in an unprecedented manner, particularly in their perception of American commitment to global peace and security, and in their assessment of the competence of the U.S. government,” Gfk said.

“However, on a global level, it is Russia that has received the strongest criticism from public opinion.”

Overall in this year’s study, Russia slipped three places to 25th, overtaken by Argentina, China, and Singapore.

Russia’s largest decline was registered on the Governance dimension – especially for the attribute of its perceived role in international peace and security.

“This is the most drastic score drop seen for any single attribute across the 50 nations,” Gfk said.

The USA’s knock, plus a jump in the “sporting excellence” indicator for 2013’s number 2, helped push Germany to the top of the index, Gfk said.

“Germany appears to have benefited not only from the sports prowess it displayed on the world stage at the FIFA World Cup championship, but also by solidifying its perceived leadership in Europe through a robust economy and steady political stewardship,” Anholt said.

The USA’s slip is the only shift in the top 10 nations in 2014’s ranking.

The world’s top 10 nations

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