Israel: How does the country’s political status influence its performance in global rankings that measure talent attraction potential, public diplomacy, soft power strength, environmental sustainability, and economic development?
Let’s take a closer look at:
- Israel’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
Israel’s Soft Power and Country Brand Strength
In the Global Soft Power Index 2023 by Brand Finance, Israel secures the 27th spot, sitting behind Austria (25th) and New Zealand (26th). Although its score has shown growth, rising from 47.6 in 2022 to 48.4 this year, it dropped four positions from last year’s index.
In the U.S. News Best Countries 2023 ranking, Israel secures the 36th position, behind Egypt (34th) and Poland (35th). Notably, it excels in two key areas: Power (11th) evaluating military strength, export prowess, and economic influence, and Movers (12th) assessing differentiating factors, distinctiveness, dynamism, and uniqueness. Israel jumped one position from 2022, with its lowest scores in Adventure and Social Purpose factors.
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, Israel secures the 46th position, a drop of two places since 2022.
Appeal to Investors, Business, and Travel
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, Israel jumped one position and now holds the 9th spot, behind Malaysia (7th) and South Korea (8th). Globally, it holds the 29th position.
In addition, the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition 2022-2023 places Israel at the 47th global position. Regionally, it holds the 15th position, a drop of two positions from the previous ranking.
In the IMD 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking, Israel secured the 23rd position, showing a jump of two positions from the 2022 ranking. Currently, it sits just behind China (21st) and Germany (22nd), while surpassing Austria (24th) and Bahrain (25th).
In terms of specific characteristics, Israel’s economic performance jumped five positions to the 31st spot in 2023. It holds the 34th position for government efficiency, experiencing a drop of two positions compared to 2022. Lastly, the country jumped three positions to the 24th position for business efficiency and holds the 18th spot for infrastructure, a drop of one position since 2022.
How Attractive for Talent?
Israel, classified as a high-income country within the Northern Africa and Western Asia regional group, currently holds the 25th position in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023. Notably, it performs most remarkably in the VT Skills pillar where it holds the 13th position, and its main challenge is the Attract pillar where it ranked 44th.
Sustainability
The 2022 edition of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks Israel 57th, sitting between Armenia (56th) and Grenada (58th). 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. Israel has experienced a change in score of positive 1.9.
The Sustainable Development Report 2023 ranks Israel in 48th position. It highlights that the country continues to face significant challenges. However, the Good Health and Well-being SDG has reached its status, and the Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure goal is on track.
Peace and Happiness
The Global Peace Index 2023 ranks Israel 143rd, a drop of eight positions from last year’s index. It sits behind Colombia (141st) and Chad (142nd). The country falls under the Low sector of the ‘State of Peace’ spectrum as defined by the Institute for Economics & Peace. Israel is positioned 15th regionally amongst its fellow Middle Eastern and North African countries, led by Qatar and Kuwait.
The Institute for Economics & Peace similarly ranks Israel within the High Impact (Dark Orange) zone in terms of the ‘Impact of Terrorism’ in the 2022 Global Terrorism Index. It ranks 25th, sitting between Indonesia (24th) and Thailand (26th).
Meanwhile, the World Happiness Report 2023, which displays the ranking of happiness based on a three-year average from 2020–2022, ranks Israel 4th.
How “Good” Is Israel?
In the CAF World Giving Index 2023, Israel secured the 83rd position, showcasing a drop of five positions from the previous year. It performs most admirably in the subfactor of helping a stranger, where 53% of its adult population helped a stranger in the past year.
In the Good Country Index, Israel currently holds the 59th position overall. In 2022, it was ranked 45th, and in 2021 it held the 53rd position. The factors which have shown the most significant growth are Planet & Climate and Prosperity & Equality.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2023, Israel ranked in the blue zone (7-8 range) with a score of 7.93 out of 10. This is the highest score in the Middle Eastern region.
The 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranks Israel 31st with a score of 63/100, tying with South Korea. Its score has increased by four since 2021.
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 Israel’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.
