Renowned for its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, Peru offers a unique blend of ancient traditions and modern developments. As the cradle of the Inca Empire, its historical significance is matched by its contributions to gastronomy, biodiversity, and tourism. The country’s diverse ecosystems, from the Amazon rainforest to the Andes mountains, attract nature enthusiasts and adventurers alike. Economically, it presents substantial opportunities in mining, agriculture, and tourism.

But how does Peru fare in leading rankings and indices regarding economic performance, country brand strength, and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

  • Peru’s soft power and brand strength
  • Its appeal to skilled labour, investors, and visitors
  • The country’s global contribution to peace and well-being
  • How well it fares in terms of happiness and sustainability

Peru’s Soft Power and Brand Strength

In the Global Soft Power Index 2023 by Brand Finance, Peru secures the 76th spot, slightly trailing the Seychelles (74th) and Paraguay (75th). It experienced a jump of six positions from 2022, and its score increased by 5.8%. Peru’s consistent brand positioning over the years has helped establish it as a reference in the region as a safe country for tourism, the enjoyment of gastronomy, and the purchase of locally produced goods.

In the U.S. News Best Countries 2023 ranking, Peru secured the 50th position, behind Czechia (48th) and Hungary (49th). Notably, it performs best in the Heritage factor (25th). Peru maintained its positioning from 2022, with its lowest scores in the factors of Entrepreneurship and Power.

The Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brand Index (NBI) calculates its ranking based on averaging the scores of six different factors: exports, governance, tourism, culture, people and immigration. According to the NBI 2023 ranking, Peru secures the 39th position, dropping one position from the previous ranking.


Appeal to Talent, Investors, Trade, and Travel

As per the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023, Peru’s FDI has doubled to $12 billion in the past year.

The Bloom Consulting biannual Country Brand Ranking Trade Edition 2022-2023 assesses investment-related variables, emphasising perceptions of a country’s trade-specific brand and evaluating branding performance. Regionally, Peru placed 8th, maintaining its previous positioning. Globally, it secured the 52nd position.

In addition, the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition 2022-2023 places Peru at the 46th global position. Regionally, Peru now holds the 7th position, experiencing a drop of one position as Puerto Rico took over the 6th position.

In the IMD 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking, Peru secured the 55th position, showing a slight shift from its 54th ranking in 2022. Currently, it sits just behind Slovakia (53rd) and Jordan (54th), while surpassing Mexico (56th).

In terms of specific characteristics, Peru’s economic performance decreased by thirteen positions to the 53rd spot in 2023. It holds the 50th position for government efficiency, experiencing a jump of two positions compared to 2022. Lastly, Peru continues to place 53rd for business efficiency, and holds the 60th spot for infrastructure, a drop of one position since 2022.

Peru, classified as an upper-middle-income country within the Latin American and Caribbean regional group, currently holds the 82nd position in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023. The country ranks highest in the Grow pillar (48th) and struggles most with the Retain pillar (88th).


Sustainability

The 2022 edition of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks Peru 101st, sitting below the Republic of Congo (100th) and above Bosnia and Herzegovina (102nd). The EPI analyses the performance of 180 countries, scoring and ranking these countries on their environmental performance using the most recent year of data available, as well as providing calculable changes in scores over the previous decade. Peru has experienced a change in score of negative 0.40.

The Sustainable Development Report 2023 ranks Peru in 65th position. It highlights that Peru experiences some significant and major challenges that are still to be overcome. However, the Quality Education goal has reached SDG achievement and continues to experience moderate increases.


Is Peru a “Good” Country?

In the CAF World Giving Index 2023, Peru secured the 114th position, a drop of 46 positions from last year’s ranking. It performs best in the subfactor of helping a stranger, where 64% of its adult population helped a stranger this past year.

In the Good Country Index, Peru currently holds the 66th position overall, with notable subfactors as follows: Science & Technology (82nd), Culture (99th), International Peace & Security (107th), World Order (34th), Planet & Climate (71st), Prosperity & Equality (57th), and Health & Well-being (100th). It’s worth mentioning that in 2022, the country was ranked 83rd, and in 2021, 79th, with the Health & Well-being factor experiencing the highest positive change.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2023, Peru ranked in the yellow zone (5-6 range) with a score of 5.92 out of 10. This is higher than Mexico and Ecuador, who scored 5.25 and 5.69.

The 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranks Peru 101st with a score of 36/100. Peru’s score has stayed the same since 2021.


Peace and Happiness

The Global Peace Index 2023 ranks Peru 103rd, dropping one position from last year’s index. Peru is currently tied with Guatemala and Togo. The country falls under the Medium sector of the ‘State of Peace’ spectrum as defined by the Institute for Economics & Peace. Peru placed 7th out of 11 amongst its fellow South American countries.

Similarly, the Institute for Economics & Peace ranks Peru within the Medium Impact (Light Orange) zone in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’ in the 2022 Global Terrorism Index. Peru ranks 41st, sitting between Tunisia (40th) and the UK (42nd).

Meanwhile, the World Happiness Report 2023, which displays the Ranking of Happiness based on a three-year average from 2020–2022, ranks Peru 75th.


Last updated in November 2023. More country profiles here.


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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Peru’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.