#9
New Zealand
New Zealand’s wide-open spaces and varied landscape have long made the country a hugely popular tourist destination, one that has been boosted by the country’s starring role in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie trilogy. The ‘Kiwi’ spirit and culture are personified by such notable natives as Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1953, and Lord Rutherford, who split the atom.
New Zealand has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world thanks to exports of dairy, sheep, beef, poultry, vegetables and wine.
In Best Countries, New Zealand’s ranking is driven by an outstanding performance on the Agility, Adventure and Social Purpose metrics. New Zealand is seen as leading the world in caring for the environment and is among the strongest for perceptions around human rights.
It ranks as one of the most scenic countries in the world on Best Countries (second only to Greece), and thanks to perceptions of New Zealand being a happy, safe and the most family-friendly country in the world, it is also the country where most people say they would like to live.
The 10 factors that determine a country’s brand
Why is New Zealand seen as the 9th best country in 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 categories 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.
New Zealand's top and bottom attributes
Each factor is made up by combining a selection of 73 attributes that track how people perceive each country. These are New Zealand's top and bottom ones.
#1
Cares about the Environment
#1
Family-friendly
#1
Is a place I would live
#85
Strong military
#77
Religious
#76
Unapproachable
The percepions of New Zealand have changed over time
New Zealand has not always been seen as the #9 best country in the world. Explore how the perceptions of New Zealand have changed over time.
How do people in New Zealand see the world?
If we were to only ask people in New Zealand how they see the world the Best Countries ranking would be different. This is how they see it.
