The Anholt Nation Brands Index, surveying 40,000 people across 20 countries, shows the U.S. dropped from top 10 to 14th place in 2025, while Canada jumped to 3rd, largely because of its stance against Trump. The speaker argues nationalist branding built on fear and bluster causes long-term economic damage that takes decades to repair.
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So every year, governments and big companies wait for one piece of research as if it were gospel. The Anholt Nation Brands Index. It is a massive survey. 40,000 adults across 20 countries. It drives investment decisions and it shapes diplomacy. It tells you what the world really thinks. And this year, the world had a lot to say. The United States did something no country has done since this index started almost 20 years ago. They fell out of the top 10. They did not slip out. They collapsed. And one country got almost all the benefit. Now, for context, the US used to live at number 1, but after Trump was elected in 2016, they dropped from 1st to 7th. And for the next 8 years, they fluttered between 6th and 10th. But after Trump won again last year, the bottom gave out. The US is in 14th place now. You could practically hear the thunk. And which country benefited? According to the report, the chief beneficiary was Canada. We went from 6th to 3rd. We replaced Italy. Nearly a third of the world says that their view of Canada improved since last year. People around the world said our stance against Trump makes them trust us more. Remember, this is not a small study. This is 40,000 people representing almost 80% of global GDP. This is the world talking. Now Japan and Germany kept the top 2 as they always do, but Canada rocketing into 3rd tells you the world is watching how we act. It tells you that whatever you may think of the Carney government, our new policy choices did not just land at home. They landed around the world. And at a time when we've got to make new trade deals, That's good timing. It also tells you that America's damage is not a one-year hangover. It is generational. In marketing surveys, once a brand falls this far, the climb back can take decades. The people who created this index says it's basically the same for countries. Countries that build their image on fear, on bluster, on picking fights with everyone in the room, that kind of aggressive nationalism carries an economic cost so big it can swallow a country from the inside. This ranking's not a trophy. It's a mirror. It shows a country that held on to decency when others chose to let it slip through their fingers. It shows people who keep believing in fairness, even when the world feels meaner and smaller. And for a moment, The world looked up, saw that in Canada, and said it mattered.
