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Global Soft Power Index
Published by: Brand Finance
First published in 2020, this index evaluates the soft power of nations—their ability to influence others through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. Based on surveys of over 170,000 respondents from more than 100 countries, it assesses 193 nations across 55 metrics, including international reputation, governance, culture, education, and diplomatic influence..
What Experts Say
Detailed, data-driven approach to understanding soft power; valuable for global strategy insights.
Considerations: can appear to be overly broad, making it challenging to draw specific, actionable conclusions.
Note: Custom reports are available for country-specific insights and strategy recommendations.
Contact: Konrad Jagodzinski
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Anholt Nation Brands Index (NBI)
Published by: Anholt & Co
First published in 2005, this annual survey measures global perceptions of 60 nations across six dimensions: exports, governance, culture, people, tourism, and immigration/investment. The NBI gathers insights from approximately 20,000 respondents in 20 countries, providing a comprehensive assessment of national reputations.
What Experts Say
Consistently applied since 2005, well-rounded, and widely respected for providing a comprehensive assessment of national reputation across multiple dimensions.
Considerations: Some experts feel it doesn’t adequately capture resident satisfaction or perceptions.
What Experts Say
Strong focus on trade and economic aspects; useful for understanding economic positioning.
Considerations: Some experts view it as overly consulting-driven, based on traditional economic factors, providing surface-level insights.
CAF World Giving Index
Published by: Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)
First published in 2010, this annual index evaluates generosity across countries by assessing three key behaviors: helping a stranger, donating money to charity, and volunteering time. Utilizing data from Gallup's World Poll, it offers insights into global giving trends and the cultural aspects of generosity.
What Experts Say
Provides valuable insights into global generosity and civic engagement.
Considerations: Limited focus on economic or cultural factors influencing generosity.
Corruption Perceptions Index
Published by: Transparency International
First published in 1995, this annual index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as assessed by experts and businesspeople. Countries are scored on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), providing insights into governance and ethical standards worldwide.
What Experts Say
Highly respected for highlighting governance and corruption issues.
Considerations: Relies heavily on perception rather than concrete data.
Environmental Performance Index
Published by: Yale University
First published in 2006, this biennial index ranks 180 countries on their environmental health and ecosystem vitality. Utilizing 58 performance indicators across 11 issue categories—including air quality, biodiversity, climate policy, and water resources—the EPI provides a data-driven summary of the state of sustainability around the world.
What Experts Say
Strong reputation for environmental measurement accuracy.
Considerations: Sometimes criticized for neglecting social aspects of sustainability and failure to capture macro-level sustainability trends effectively.
EIU Democracy Index
Published by: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
First published in 2006, this annual index evaluates the state of democracy in 165 independent countries and two territories. It assesses nations based on 60 indicators grouped into five categories: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.
What Experts Say
Highly regarded for assessing political systems and governance.
Considerations: Can be perceived as biased due to its heavy reliance on Western democratic norms.
European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS)
Published by: European Commission
First published in 2001, the EIS offers an annual comparative assessment of research and innovation performance across EU Member States, neighboring European countries, and selected global competitors. Countries are grouped into Innovation Leaders, Strong Innovators, Moderate Innovators, and Emerging Innovators, helping identify strengths and gaps in national innovation systems.
What Experts Say
Lauded for its structured and consistent methodology. Its broad set of indicators allows for nuanced insights into innovation ecosystems.
Considerations: May not fully reflect informal or grassroots innovation and can be limited by differences in national data collection methods or the fast pace of technological change.
Global Peace Index
Published by: Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
First published in 2007, the GPI ranks 163 independent states and territories, covering 99.7% of the world’s population, based on their levels of peacefulness. It assesses peace across three domains: ongoing domestic and international conflict, societal safety and security, and militarization. The index utilizes 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from reputable sources to provide a comprehensive analysis of global peacefulness.
What Experts Say
Widely respected for highlighting areas of conflict and peacebuilding opportunities.
Considerations: Limited economic or cultural factors are considered.
Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI)
Published by: INSEAD
First published 2013, the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) is an annual benchmarking report developed by INSEAD, in collaboration with the Descartes Institute for the Future and the Human Capital Leadership Institute. It evaluates how countries and cities grow, attract, and retain talent, providing insights into the global talent landscape. It covers 134 countries across various income groups.
What Experts Say
Lauded for its comprehensive approach to assessing talent competitiveness, combining both qualitative and quantitative data. Its multi-dimensional framework offers valuable insights for stakeholders aiming to enhance their talent strategies.
Considerations: May not fully capture the nuances of informal labor markets or the rapid changes in digital skills demand.
Global Terrorism Index
Published by: Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
First published in 2012, the GTI offers a detailed overview of global trends and patterns in terrorism, analyzing data from over 66,000 terrorist incidents recorded since 2007. It evaluates the impact of terrorism in 163 countries, considering factors such as the number of incidents, fatalities, injuries, and hostages over a five-year period.
What Experts Say
Provides valuable insights into global terrorism trends.
Considerations: Heavily focused on negative aspects of security; lacks broader economic or social dimensions.
Good Country Index
Published by: Anholt & Co
First published in 2014, this index evaluates countries based on their contributions to the global common good, assessing performance across seven categories: Science & Technology, Culture, International Peace & Security, World Order, Planet & Climate, Prosperity & Equality, and Health & Wellbeing. Utilizing 35 reliable datasets, primarily from United Nations agencies and other international organizations, the index provides a comprehensive analysis of how countries contribute positively or negatively to the world outside their own borders.
What Experts Say
Respected for its focus on a country's contribution to the global community.
Considerations: Not designed to measure brand strength or economic performance; more focused on ethical and humanitarian metrics.
IMD World Competitiveness Index
Published by: IMD Business School
First published in 1989, this annual index evaluates the competitiveness of countries based on four key factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. It assesses 67 economies using 333 criteria derived from extensive research, including economic literature, international and national sources, and feedback from the business community, government agencies, and academics.
What Experts Say
Combines statistical data with executive opinion surveys, for a holistic perspective.
Considerations: Focuses heavily on economic metrics; not directly related to brand perception or country reputation.
Internations Expat Insider Country Report
Published by: Internations
First published in 2014, this annual survey evaluates countries based on expatriate experiences across five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and Expat Essentials. The 2024 edition gathered insights from over 12,500 expats representing 175 nationalities in 174 countries or territories.
What Experts Say
Well-regarded for providing practical insights into expatriate satisfaction.
Considerations: Limited relevance for broader economic or cultural analysis.
Numbeo Country Cost of Living Index
Published by: Numbeo
First published in 2009, the Numbeo Country Cost of Living Index provides a comparative analysis of consumer prices across countries. It evaluates expenses such as groceries, restaurants, transportation, and utilities, excluding accommodation costs. The index uses New York City as a baseline (set at 100) to determine the relative cost of living in other countries.
What Experts Say
Recognized for its extensive user-generated data, offering timely insights into the cost of living worldwide. Its granular breakdown of expenses aids individuals and organizations in making informed financial decisions.
Considerations: The crowd-sourced nature of the data may lead to variations in accuracy. Differences in data submission rates across countries can impact comprehensiveness.
Numbeo Country Quality of Life Index
Published by: Numbeo
First published in 2009, the Numbeo Country Quality of Life Index is a crowd-sourced global database that ranks countries based on various factors influencing the quality of life. These factors include purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, property price to income ratio, traffic commute time, pollution, and climate. The index provides insights into the living conditions and well-being of residents in different countries.
What Experts Say
Valued for its real-time, user-contributed data, offering a grassroots perspective on quality of life across countries. Allows for nuanced comparisons between nations.
Considerations: The reliance on user-submitted data may introduce biases or inconsistencies which can affect the comparability and reliability of the rankings.
RepCore Nations
Published by: Reputation Lab
First published in 2024, this study assesses the reputations of countries worldwide by analyzing perceptions related to governance, economic performance, culture, and quality of life. While still in its early stages, RepCore Nations shows potential as a valuable resource for understanding national reputations.
What Experts Say
As a recent addition to the field, RepCore Nations offers fresh insights into country reputations, indicating promising potential for future analyses.
Considerations: Being a new study, its methodologies and findings are yet to be extensively validated within the industry.
Sustainable Development Report (SDG Index)
Published by: Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
First published in 2016, this annual report evaluates countries' progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides a comprehensive assessment by analyzing various indicators across all 17 goals, offering insights into areas of success and those requiring improvement.
What Experts Say
Provides a structured assessment of sustainability performance.
Considerations: Heavily focused on environmental and social metrics; not a brand-oriented ranking.
The World Happiness Report
Published by: University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre
First published in 2012, this annual report evaluates global happiness by analyzing individuals' self-assessed life evaluations on a scale from 0 to 10, known as the Cantril Ladder. It incorporates factors such as income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust, and generosity to provide insights into well-being across nations.
What Experts Say
Popular for its focus on well-being and quality of life.
Considerations: Can be perceived as subjective due to its reliance on self-reported data.
U.S. News Best Countries
Published by: U.S. News & World Report
First published in 2016, this annual ranking evaluates countries based on a survey of nearly 17,000 global citizens from 36 countries. The assessment covers 73 attributes across 26 subrankings, including adventure, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, power, and quality of life. The rankings aim to capture global perceptions that have the potential to drive trade, travel, and investment, directly affecting national economies.
What Experts Say
Provides broad, media-friendly insights into country reputations.
Considerations: Can be overly simplistic, lacking academic rigor.
World University Rankings
Published by: Times Higher Education (THE)
First published in 2004, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings assess the performance of universities worldwide. The rankings evaluate institutions based on 18 performance indicators across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The 2024 edition includes 1,907 universities from 108 countries and regions.
What Experts Say
Esteemed for its comprehensive and balanced methodology. The inclusion of diverse indicators provides a holistic view of institutional strengths.
Considerations: The reliance on self-reported data from institutions may introduce inconsistencies. Additionally, the emphasis on research output can overshadow other aspects of university performance, such as teaching quality and student satisfaction.