According to the 2011 Country RepTrak by the Reputation Institute – which measures the overall trust, esteem, admiration and good feeling the public holds to a country – Sweden is second best in the world. The best is Canada. Also included in the measurement are attributes such as quality of life, a safety and a strong attention to the environment.

42,000 people all over the world were polled about the most admired countries.

“The study shows that a strong country’s reputation demands a solid performance in three different fields: having an advanced economy, a pleasing environment, and an effective government,” says Nicolas Georges at Reputation Institute in a press release.

The image of Sweden as a country with high taxes is a myth: Sweden ranks 25 of high taxing countries internationally and 17 among countries in Europe. The top ten countries are as follows:
1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. Australia
4. Switzerland
5. New Zealand
6. Norway
7. Denmark
8. Finland
9. Austria and
10. The Netherlands.

We've covered Sweden's image in the world from different angles before:
The image of Sweden abroad
Simon Anholt on managing national identity and Sweden
Sweden's brand an amalgam of Nordic

Reputation Institute is a corporate reputation consulting firm. For more information: www.reputationinstitute.com