Germany Knocks USA Off 'Best Nation' Top Spot After 5 Years

PR58592

LONDON, Nov. 12 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    Germany sees large gain in 'sports excellence', which helps in part to

drive it to first place   

USA is downgraded heavily by Russia and Egypt for role in global peace and

security  

Russia is only nation to suffer a precipitous global reputation drop; their

score drop for "peace and security" is the largest for any single attribute   

    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

Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index[SM] (NBI[SM]).

    People around the world now have more positive perceptions of Germany than

of 49 other developed and developing countries, according to the annual NBI[SM]

study. The study measures global perceptions of each country, based on

twenty-three different attributes that make up the six overall dimensions on

which national image is based: exports, governance, culture, people, tourism

and immigration/investment. For the 2014 study, a total of 20,125 interviews

were conducted across 20 countries.

    Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index[SM]

Overall Brand Ranking 2014 (Top 10 of 50 Nations)  

    2014 rank                2013 rank

    1         Germany        2

    2         United States  1

    3         United Kingdom 3

    4         France         4

    5         Canada         5

    6         Japan          6

    7         Italy          7

    8         Switzerland    8

    9         Australia      9

    10        Sweden         10

    Germany achieved the largest overall Nation Brands Index[SM] score increase

this year - partly due to its score gain on "sport excellence", which is the

largest gain seen this year for any single attribute across the 50 measured

nations.

    Simon Anholt, an independent policy advisor, explains, "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.

Germany's score gains in the areas of 'honest and competent government',

'investment climate', and 'social equality' are among the largest it achieved

across all the aspects covered by the NBI 2014 survey."  

    In contrast, the USA has shown the least impressive NBI[SM] gain among the

developed nations. While it still is seen as number one in several areas,

including creativity, contemporary culture, and educational institutions, its

role in global peace and security only ranks 19th out of 50 nations.  

    Xiaoyan Zhao, Senior Vice President and Director of NBI[SM] at GfK,

comments, "In a year of various international confrontations, the United States

has lost significant ground where tension has been felt the most acutely. 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.  

However, on a global level, it is Russia that has received the strongest

criticism from public opinion."

    In previous years, Russia had shown upward momentum - but in the 2014 NBI

study, it stands out as the only nation out of 50 to suffer a precipitous

drop.  Russia's largest decline is 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. Overall in this year's study, Russia has slipped three

places to 25th, overtaken by Argentina, China, and Singapore.

    Ms. Zhao adds, "International diplomacy clearly reaches beyond the realm of

public opinion - however, policy makers need to be keenly aware that the way in

which a country is perceived globally can make a critical difference to the

success of its business, trade and tourism efforts, as well as its diplomatic

and cultural relations with other nations. As our partner Simon Anholt often

says, the only superpower left in today's world is global public opinion."

    For more information on the the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index, please

contact Xiaoyan.Zhao@gfk.com / +1 650 289 2051  

    About the Anholt-GfK Nations Brand Index[SM]2014

    Conducted annually, the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index[SM] measures the

image of 50 countries, with respect to Exports, Governance, Culture, People,

Tourism and Immigration/Investment. In 2014, a total of 20,125 interviews were

conducted in 20 countries, with at least 1,000 interviews per country.

Interviews were online with adults aged 18 or over. The most up-to-date online

population parameters were used to weight the achieved sample in each country

to reflect key demographic characteristics such as age, gender and education of

the online population in that count.  Additionally, in the U.S., the UK, South

Africa, India, and Brazil, race/ethnicity was used for sample balancing. The

report reflects the views and opinions of online populations in the 20

countries surveyed. Fieldwork was conducted from July 10 to July 28 2014

(extended to July 31 in Egypt).

    For more information on the the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index, please

contact:

    Xiaoyan.Zhao@gfk.com / +1-650-289-2051  

    Press information contact: Amanda Martin, Global PR,

    Amanda.Martin@gfk.com / +44-7919-624688

    SOURCE: GfK