The 2019 Country RepTrak® study was conducted in March and April by Reputation Institute, a global technology-driven provider of reputation measurement and management services.

To determine the list, RI surveyed more than 58,000 individuals in just seven countries, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, during the period from March to April 2019. The 55 countries considered were those with the greatest gross domestic product and those that were familiar to at least 51% of the population of the G8 countries.

“Reputation determines whether people support a country through their behaviors. A good reputation means more exports, more investments, more people coming to visit,” the RI’s Nicolas Georges Trad told Forbes.

Sweden took the top spot for the second year in a row, largely thanks to its universal healthcare system, eco-friendly policies and commitment to gender equality.

Sweden was followed by Switzerland, Norway, Finland, and New Zealand rounding out the top five.

The Reputation Institute’s 10 Most Reputable Countries for 2019 are:

• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Norway
• Finland
• New Zealand
• Canada
• Denmark
• Australia
• Netherlands
• Ireland

2019 Country RepTrak Highlights

• Five countries made it into the “excellent” tier of country reputation – Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and New Zealand.
• Six of the top 10 are European countries.
• Eight of the 10 most reputable countries also rank among the top 10 in the 2019 World Happiness Ranking (2019 World Happiness Index).
• Italy is the only country with a significantly stronger emotional connection among foreigners than locals.
• UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Israel, and Venezuela experienced drastic reputations declines while Vietnam, Algeria, Singapore, Switzerland and Poland had the largest year-over-year reputation gains.
• Since the Brexit referendum of 2016, the U.K’s country reputation has polarized. Its external reputation among the G8 has declined sharply, dropping from strong to average in 2019, while it’s self-reputation continues to be in the strong range.
• Canada outperforms most countries in willingness to work, live and study. Its economic immigration system has been called a “role model” among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation.