Germany tops for 2014 in annual study of nations

Germany was named the number one country in the 2014 edition of the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index, an annual study measuring global perceptions of 50 nations around the world.

Since 2009, the U.S. (listed in second place for 2014) had been named to the top spot in the study, which is based on twenty-three different attributes that make up the six overall dimensions on which national image is based, including exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment. For the 2014 study, a total of 20,125 interviews were conducted across 20 countries.

According to a press release, factors such as ‘sports excellence’ and strong leadership accounted for Germany’s ranking, while the U.S. slipped in the study due to downgrading by Russian and Egyptian respondents regarding the country’s role in global peace and security.

With the exception of Germany and the U.S., the order for the study’s top 10 countries of 2014 remains unchanged from last year:

1 – Germany

2 – U.S.

3 – U.K.

4 – France

5 – Canada

6 – Japan

7 – Italy

8 – Switzerland

9 – Australia

10 - Sweden