Sweden climbed from 3rd spot in 1917 to 1st spot in 2018. According to the Annual Country RepTrak ranking produced by the Denmark-based Reputation Institute, Sweden is seen as the most ethical and progressive country in the world. Norway is listed no. 4 on the list while Denmark is ranked no. 9. So, Scandinavian countries rank among the 10 most reputable countries in the world
Sweden’s excellent reputation can, in part, be credited to its decades of sustainability initiatives, dating back to 1967, when Sweden became the world’s first country to form an environmental protection agency.
Related: 2015: Norway – World’s Second Best Reputation
Financial stability has always influenced reputation but only two of the world’s top economies are represented on the list, Canada falling from first place to No. 7 and Japan rising four spots to No. 8. None of the top 10 most reputable countries are in the top 10 by population
Scandinavian Countries Rank Among the 10 Most Reputable Countries in the World
The factors that made Sweden the most reputable country with a score of 81.7 is its generous social benefits, liberal vacation policies, gender equality, beautiful nature, friendly people, high transparency in the media and acceptance of large numbers of refugees.
Being one of the world’s leading natural gas exporters, Norway (No. 4) is one of the richest countries in the world as country’s GDP per capita is USD 70,590 according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Norway is renowned for its nature, quality of life, education and effective government.
Related: 2018: Scandinavia Ranks On Top On The List of World’s Most Reputable Countries
Denmark (No. 9) performs very well in different rankings in terms of the quality of life. Access to a basic knowledge, water and sanitation, civic engagement, and health care usually place Denmark on the top of different lists.
58,000 individual ratings
The ranking is based on more than 58,000 individual ratings among the general public across the G8 economies, the study evaluated 55 of the world’s largest countries by GDP, and reflects the willingness to visit, live in, work in, invest in and study in these countries.
Related: All Scandinavian Capitals on the “50 Smartest Cities in the World” List
“What sets Sweden apart is that it is perceived as a highly principled, altruistic, egalitarian, and environmentally-conscious country”, said Nicolas George Trad, President, Strategic Accounts at Reputation Institute, the company behind the study.
The Top 10 most reputable countries in 2018 are:
- Sweden
- Finland
- Switzerland
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- Denmark
- Netherlands
Feature image (on top): From Stockholm
Scandinavian Countries Rank Among the 10 Most Reputable Countries in the World, is based on a press release.