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The World’s Most Powerful Countries by Soft Power (2026)
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Key Takeaways
- The U.S. ranks #1 in soft power in 2026, just 1.4 points ahead of China.
- Japan, the UK, and Germany round out the top five.
- Western Europe dominates the top 20, but Gulf nations like the UAE and Qatar also rank highly.
- The index evaluates all 193 countries based on global perceptions of influence, reputation, and familiarity.
Soft power reflects a country’s ability to shape global opinion through culture, diplomacy, business, and international influence.
The data for this map comes from the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2026. This index scores and ranks countries on how positively they are perceived around the world, based on surveys and other perception metrics collected globally.
Top Soft Power Nations
The United States ranks #1 in the 2026 Global Soft Power Index with a score of 74.9, just 1.4 points ahead of China in second place.
| Rank | Country | Soft Power Index (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 74.9 |
| 2 | China | 73.5 |
| 3 | Japan | 70.6 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 69.2 |
| 5 | Germany | 67.7 |
| 6 | France | 65.8 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 63.2 |
| 8 | Canada | 63.2 |
| 9 | Italy | 61.6 |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | 59.4 |
| 11 | South Korea | 59.2 |
| 12 | Spain | 58.9 |
| 13 | Sweden | 58.8 |
| 14 | Russia | 58.7 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 57.8 |
| 16 | Australia | 57.5 |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia | 55.9 |
| 18 | Denmark | 55.6 |
| 19 | Norway | 55.4 |
| 20 | Qatar | 54.9 |
| 21 | Singapore | 54.5 |
| 22 | Belgium | 54.5 |
| 23 | Finland | 53.5 |
| 24 | Austria | 53.3 |
| 25 | Türkiye | 52.4 |
| 26 | New Zealand | 51.6 |
| 27 | Portugal | 50.4 |
| 28 | Ireland | 49.6 |
| 29 | Brazil | 49.2 |
| 30 | Luxembourg | 49.1 |
| 31 | Poland | 48.9 |
| 32 | India | 48.0 |
| 33 | Greece | 46.7 |
| 34 | Iceland | 45.9 |
| 35 | Malaysia | 45.8 |
| 36 | Monaco | 45.5 |
| 37 | Argentina | 45.2 |
| 38 | Thailand | 45.0 |
| 39 | Israel | 44.8 |
| 40 | Egypt | 44.8 |
| 41 | Kuwait | 44.8 |
| 42 | Mexico | 44.3 |
| 43 | South Africa | 44.2 |
| 44 | Czechia | 43.6 |
| 45 | Indonesia | 42.0 |
| 46 | Croatia | 41.6 |
| 47 | Ukraine | 41.4 |
| 48 | Hungary | 41.3 |
| 49 | Bahrain | 40.8 |
| 50 | Morocco | 40.6 |
| 51 | Oman | 40.5 |
| 52 | Vietnam | 40.4 |
| 53 | Romania | 40.3 |
| 54 | Philippines | 40.0 |
| 55 | Slovakia | 39.7 |
| 56 | Chile | 39.4 |
| 57 | Slovenia | 39.4 |
| 58 | Iran | 39.3 |
| 59 | Maldives | 39.2 |
| 60 | Cyprus | 39.0 |
| 61 | Georgia | 39.0 |
| 62 | Jordan | 38.9 |
| 63 | North Korea | 38.9 |
| 64 | Uruguay | 38.7 |
| 65 | Panama | 38.6 |
| 66 | Colombia | 38.3 |
| 67 | Estonia | 38.1 |
| 68 | Bulgaria | 38.0 |
| 69 | Malta | 37.4 |
| 70 | Latvia | 37.4 |
| 71 | Nigeria | 37.4 |
| 72 | Serbia | 37.3 |
| 73 | Costa Rica | 37.1 |
| 74 | Algeria | 36.8 |
| 75 | Tunisia | 36.7 |
| 76 | El Salvador | 36.6 |
| 77 | Peru | 36.6 |
| 78 | Paraguay | 36.4 |
| 79 | Lithuania | 36.4 |
| 80 | Dominican Republic | 36.3 |
| 81 | Belarus | 36.0 |
| 82 | Kazakhstan | 35.9 |
| 83 | Cuba | 35.8 |
| 84 | Pakistan | 35.7 |
| 85 | Azerbaijan | 35.4 |
| 86 | Bahamas | 35.4 |
| 87 | Jamaica | 35.1 |
| 88 | Kenya | 35.0 |
| 89 | Lebanon | 35.0 |
| 90 | Armenia | 34.9 |
| 91 | Liechtenstein | 34.6 |
| 92 | Uzbekistan | 34.5 |
| 93 | Ecuador | 34.4 |
| 94 | Tanzania | 34.3 |
| 95 | Ghana | 34.1 |
| 96 | Mauritius | 34.1 |
| 97 | Venezuela | 34.0 |
| 98 | Iraq | 33.9 |
| 99 | Nepal | 33.8 |
| 100 | Sri Lanka | 33.8 |
| 101 | Bangladesh | 33.7 |
| 102 | Albania | 33.7 |
| 103 | Bolivia | 33.6 |
| 104 | Ivory Coast | 33.3 |
| 105 | Mongolia | 33.2 |
| 106 | Senegal | 33.1 |
| 107 | Madagascar | 33.0 |
| 108 | Cameroon | 32.9 |
| 109 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 32.9 |
| 110 | Ethiopia | 32.8 |
| 111 | Montenegro | 32.6 |
| 112 | Central African Republic | 32.4 |
| 113 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 32.3 |
| 114 | Zambia | 32.1 |
| 115 | Cambodia | 32.1 |
| 116 | Angola | 32.0 |
| 117 | Zimbabwe | 31.9 |
| 118 | Uganda | 31.9 |
| 119 | Bhutan | 31.8 |
| 120 | Brunei Darussalam | 31.8 |
| 121 | Yemen | 31.7 |
| 122 | Rwanda | 31.7 |
| 123 | Mali | 31.6 |
| 124 | Namibia | 31.5 |
| 125 | Syria | 31.2 |
| 126 | Guatemala | 31.1 |
| 127 | Libya | 31.1 |
| 128 | Moldova | 31.0 |
| 129 | Tajikistan | 31.0 |
| 130 | North Macedonia | 30.9 |
| 131 | Honduras | 30.8 |
| 132 | San Marino | 30.8 |
| 133 | Fiji | 30.7 |
| 134 | Liberia | 30.4 |
| 135 | Andorra | 30.4 |
| 136 | Dominica | 30.3 |
| 137 | Sudan | 30.2 |
| 138 | Turkmenistan | 30.2 |
| 139 | Congo | 30.1 |
| 140 | Mozambique | 29.9 |
| 141 | Niger | 29.9 |
| 142 | Kyrgyzstan | 29.8 |
| 143 | Burkina Faso | 29.7 |
| 144 | Guinea | 29.7 |
| 145 | Barbados | 29.7 |
| 146 | South Sudan | 28.8 |
| 147 | Botswana | 28.8 |
| 148 | Laos | 28.8 |
| 149 | Equatorial Guinea | 28.8 |
| 150 | Seychelles | 28.7 |
| 151 | Afghanistan | 28.3 |
| 152 | Gambia | 28.3 |
| 153 | Nicaragua | 27.8 |
| 154 | Myanmar | 27.8 |
| 155 | Malawi | 27.7 |
| 156 | Papua New Guinea | 27.7 |
| 157 | Cape Verde | 27.6 |
| 158 | Mauritania | 27.3 |
| 159 | Eswatini | 27.2 |
| 160 | Guyana | 27.1 |
| 161 | Trinidad & Tobago | 27.0 |
| 162 | Benin | 26.7 |
| 163 | Burundi | 26.7 |
| 164 | Togo | 26.7 |
| 165 | Chad | 26.3 |
| 166 | Solomon Islands | 26.2 |
| 167 | Guinea-Bissau | 26.1 |
| 168 | Belize | 26.1 |
| 169 | Gabon | 25.9 |
| 170 | Haiti | 25.9 |
| 171 | Grenada | 25.6 |
| 172 | Sierra Leone | 25.3 |
| 173 | Comoros | 25.2 |
| 174 | Samoa | 25.1 |
| 175 | Sao Tome and Principe | 25.0 |
| 176 | Antigua & Barbuda | 24.8 |
| 177 | Somalia | 24.6 |
| 178 | Saint Lucia | 24.5 |
| 179 | Eritrea | 24.1 |
| 180 | Djibouti | 24.1 |
| 181 | Marshall Islands | 24.0 |
| 182 | Suriname | 23.8 |
| 183 | Timor-Leste | 23.6 |
| 184 | Palau | 23.6 |
| 185 | Lesotho | 23.4 |
| 186 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 22.9 |
| 187 | Tonga | 22.7 |
| 188 | Micronesia | 22.3 |
| 189 | Saint Kitts & Nevis | 21.5 |
| 190 | Tuvalu | 21.5 |
| 191 | Vanuatu | 21.4 |
| 192 | Nauru | 20.7 |
| 193 | Kiribati | 19.7 |
The United States’ lead reflects deep global familiarity and influence across entertainment, technology, education, and international leadership.
Strong Performers Across Regions
Western European countries like the United Kingdom (69.2), Germany (67.7), and France (65.8) remain influential, though their scores have seen modest declines in recent years. Countries like Switzerland (63.2) and Canada (63.2) also score highly, reflecting strong reputations for stability, quality of life, and governance.
Diverse Global Landscape
Beyond the top tier, the index reveals a wide range of soft power performance.
Middle-ranking countries like India (48.0) and Brazil (49.2) reflect substantial cultural and regional influence, while smaller states and emerging markets show varied scores further down the list.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
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