In the latest edition of the Global Soft Power Index 2026, published by Brand Finance, Sweden ranks 13th globally and maintains its position as the strongest Nordic nation in soft power. At the same time, the index shows an improved international perception of Sweden in the area of culture and experiences, where the perception of the country as a tourist destination is a central part.
Sweden improves its ranking in the index's main area "Culture & Heritage", where the country climbs two positions to 17th in the world, compared to the previous year. The area includes, among other things, how attractive a country is perceived to be to visit, its cultural expression and international appeal. The improvement indicates that Sweden's attractiveness as a travel destination has been strengthened among international target groups.
Brand Finance has previously highlighted in its methodology that the experience of a country as a tourist destination is one of the most important factors for a country's international reputation, second only to a country's national finances. Tourism's contribution to Sweden's soft power is therefore significant and affects both the overall image of the country and its long-term attractiveness.
Although Sweden's overall ranking in the 2026 index drops marginally compared to the previous year (from 11th to 13th), the development in the area of "Culture & Heritage" is the opposite and shows that the image of Sweden as an attractive country to visit is developing in a positive direction. This shows that Sweden's soft power profile in areas such as culture, lifestyle, nature and experiences has been strengthened from the previous year - factors that greatly affect international awareness, sympathy and willingness to travel.
The development also complements the image of Sweden as a strong knowledge and innovation nation and underlines the strategic role of tourism in Sweden's international competitiveness and reputation.
About the Global Soft Power Index
Brand Finance publishes Global Soft Power Index Based on a survey of more than 150,000 respondents from over 100 countries to collect data on global perceptions of all 193 UN member states, the index is the world’s most comprehensive study of nation brand perceptions, offering an in-depth analysis of the evolving status of soft power as countries navigate significant global changes and challenges.
Soft Power is defined as a nation's ability to influence the preferences and behaviors of various actors in the international arena (states, companies, societies, publics, etc.) through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. Each nation is rated on 55 different measurement points to produce an overall score out of 100 and is then ranked from 1 to 193.
Brand Finance writes in its press release about the Global Soft Power Index 2026:
· Sweden continues to lead Nordic nations amid plateauing perceptions of the region's Soft Power
· Sweden dropped three ranks to 9th for its strong and stable economy and six ranks for its future growth potential. However, Sweden has recorded improvements in Culture & Heritage (+2 ranks to 17th) and Governance (+2 ranks to 4th), the latter being a long-standing area of strength for the Swedish nation brand. Sweden continues to rank 2n.d. globally for being seen as politically stable and well-governed.
