Best Countries

The annual Best Countries ranking measures global perceptions of countries against a series of characteristics – impressions that have the potential to drive trade, travel and investment, and directly affect brands.

The world’s best guide on how countries are perceived globally – and why

How a country is viewed around the world is of huge importance to brands. The words “Made in …” can instantly lend credibility and trust to a product or brand that a consumer hasn’t previously encountered. That can be enough to convince someone to buy, and, beyond that, convince them to pay a premium. Likewise, “Made in …” can prove an instant turn-off if a consumer associates the country of origin with poor safety standards, or sees it as being behind the times on social issues or workers’ rights.

The perceptions and performance of brands abroad feed back into the development of the country itself. Willingness to invest is closely linked to the strength of a country’s brand, and as local brands and businesses succeed, they generate economic growth as well as lending further positive associations to their country’s brand.

The perceived best countries of the world in 2024

People surveyed for Best Countries were asked how closely they associated 73 attributes with a range of countries. These attributes were then grouped into 10 factors that were used to calculate the Best Countries ranking.

The weighting of each category in the final index is determined by the strength of its correlation to per capita GDP and forecast GDP for 2027.

Collectively, the 89 countries in the 2024 ranking account for around 95 percent of global Gross Domestic Product and represent around 80 percent of the world’s population.

Explore the world

Explore how each region and country is seen. Start by picking a region.

Best Countries is done in association with The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and U.S. News & World Report.