Argentina: renowned for its capital Buenos Aires, impressive landscapes, wine, dance and culture – but how does the South American country fare when it comes to talent attractiveness, economic competitiveness, soft power and reputation, according to leading rankings and indices?
Let’s take a closer look at:
- Argentina’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
Argentina’s Soft Power and Brand Strength
In the Global Soft Power Index 2023 by Brand Finance, Argentina secures the 42nd spot, slightly trailing South Africa (40th) and Thailand (41st). Argentina experienced a drop of four positions from 2022, although its score increased by 3.7%.
In the U.S. News Best Countries 2023 ranking, Argentina secured the 39th position, behind Russia (37th) and Malaysia (38th). Notably, Argentina excels in two key areas: adventure (12th) and heritage (16th). However, Argentina dropped one position from 2022, with the lowest scores in the factors of being open for business and movers.
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, Argentina secured the 29th position, maintaining the same score as in the previous ranking.
Appeal to Talent, Investors, Trade, and Travel
As per the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023, Argentina does not rank among the top 20. However, the report highlights that FDI in Argentina doubled to $15 billion, as well as being one of the top 5 hosts for renewable energy in the region.
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, Argentina placed 6th, overtaking Chile due to improvements in its Net FDI inflows and social media presence. Globally, Argentina secured the 32nd position.
In addition, the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition 2022-2023 places Argentina in the 57th global position. Regionally, Argentina now holds the 12th position, experiencing a drop of three positions, falling behind Aruba (10th) and Colombia (11th). This drop is due to lower tourism receipts and a decline in D2 – Digital Demand © searches, despite the country outperforming itself in the other measurement factors.
In the IMD 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking, Argentina secured the 63rd position, showing a slight shift from its 62nd ranking in 2022. Currently, it sits just behind Mongolia (62nd) and South Africa (62nd) while surpassing Venezuela (64th). In terms of specific characteristics, Argentina’s economic performance decreased by two positions to the 59th spot in 2023. It holds the 64th position for government efficiency, experiencing a drop of one position compared to 2022. Lastly, Argentina dropped four positions to the 63rd position for business efficiency, and holds the 56th spot for infrastructure, a drop of two positions since 2022.
The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index 2019 edition placed Argentina at the 83rd position among 141 countries. However, it’s important to note that an updated version of this report hasn’t been released in the past five years, and rankings may have shifted since then.
Argentina, classified as an upper-middle-income country within the Latin American and Caribbean regional group, currently holds the 61st position in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023. The country ranks highest in the Grow pillar (42nd) and struggles most with the Enable pillar (91st).
Peace and Happiness
The Global Peace Index 2023 ranks Argentina 54th, jumping 10 positions from last year’s index. Argentina sits behind Ghana (51st), Senegal (52nd), and Indonesia (53rd). Argentina falls under the high sector of the ‘State of Peace’ spectrum as defined by the Institute for Economics & Peace. Argentina positioned 2nd out of 11 countries regionally amongst fellow South American countries, led by Uruguay.
The Institute for Economics & Peace similarly ranks Argentina within the medium impact (light orange) zone in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’ in the 2022 Global Terrorism Index. Argentina ranks 57th, sitting between Ethiopia (56th) and Slovakia (58th).
Meanwhile, the World Happiness Report 2023, which displays the Ranking of Happiness based on a three-year average 2020–2022, ranks Argentina 52nd.
How “Good” is Argentina?
In the CAF World Giving Index 2023, Argentina secured the 92nd position, a drastic drop of 71 positions from last year’s ranking. Argentina performs best in the subfactor of helping a stranger, where 66% of its adult population helped a stranger this past year.
In the Good Country Index, Argentina currently holds the 63rd position overall, with notable subfactors as follows: Science & Technology (58th), Culture (82nd), International Peace & Security (92nd), World Order (32nd), Planet & Climate (76th), Prosperity & Equality (87th), and Health & Well-being (109th). It’s worth mentioning that in 2022, Argentina was ranked 73rd, and in 2021, it held the 81st position, showcasing an upward trend.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2023, Argentina ranked in the light blue zone (6-7 range) with a 6.85 out of 10. This is higher than Brazil and Colombia, who scored 6.78 and 6.72, but lower than South Africa and India, who scored 7.05 and 7.04.
The 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranks Argentina 94th with a score of 38/100, tying with Brazil, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Morocco. Argentina’s score has not changed since 2021.
The Sustainable Development Report 2023 ranks Argentina in 51st position. It highlights that it experiences some significant challenges that are still to be overcome. However, the quality of education and gender equality goals have reached SDG achievement and continue to be on track.
Environmental Performance
The 2022 edition of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks Argentina 92nd, sitting between Cabo Verde (91st) and Kazakhstan (93rd). 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. Argentina has experienced a change in score of positive 7.80.
Last updated in October 2023. More country profiles here.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Argentina’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.
