Estonia made a notable leap in the Good Country Index rankings, rising from 22nd to 9th in terms of its overall contribution to humanity’s collective well-being. Finland takes the top position (previously 5th), and Slovenia jumps from 17th to 8th.
The study’s author, Simon Anholt, noted at the recent Brand Estonia Meetup that Estonia’s position in the global top ten is a remarkable achievement. “It’s difficult to overstate what an extraordinary result this is – the first time ever that the Top 10 of the Good Country Index has included a country with GDP per capita under $33K, a country not in Western Europe (apart from New Zealand, Canada and Japan),” said Anholt. He added that building a country’s reputation through mere slogans and messaging can’t be done; it must be earned by doing things that genuinely matter.
First issued in 2014, the Good Country Index measures countries’ contributions to global good based on publicly available factual data, considering factors such as country size and GDP. In this year’s index, Estonia saw its most significant improvement in the “Global contribution to world order” category, which jumped from 84th to 18th.
Estonia is also ranked as the 3rd most significant cultural contributor globally through international events, cultural exports, press freedom, and more. While Estonian cultural heritage may not be as widely known as larger countries, this research shows that Estonia is among the best in the world at sharing and disseminating its cultural values.
“The Good Country Index provides important evidence that Estonia as a state, its people and society contribute significantly to global good across various fields. It’s great to see that many international reputation surveys reflect this,” said Kata Varblane, Director of Country Promotion at Enterprise Estonia.
The country promotion department at Enterprise Estonia has conducted several international surveys this year on Estonia’s familiarity and reputation. The research confirms that although Estonia’s international awareness remains relatively modest, perceptions of Estonia among those who know it have risen significantly in recent years, particularly regarding the country and its governance.
According to the Nation Brands Index, which evaluated Estonia’s reputation in 20 countries, Estonia is perceived primarily as a state that respects human rights, acts responsibly in maintaining peace and security, and protects the environment. Since 2009, Estonia’s reputation has improved substantially, moving from 42nd to 35th place.
The Global Soft Power Index maps countries’ international awareness and reputation and shows that people strongly associate Estonia with ease of doing business, helping other countries, and sustainability. Respondents rated Estonia’s ease of doing business as more than twice as significant as the global average.
Good Country Index results: https://index.goodcountry.org/
More information about Estonia’s international reputation is in the latest Brand Estonia annual report: https://brand.estonia.ee/new/2024/annual-report
