Sweden has been named as the country with the world’s best reputation, and knocked Canada off top spot, accordng to the 2016 Country RepTrak, the world’s largest annual survey of country reputations.

Tye ranking shows that traditional, objective measures, such as size and economic output have little bearing on the general public’s emotional connection to a nation, said Nicolas Trad, executive partner at the Reputation Institute.

“Being welcoming, safe and beautiful are the top three drivers of a country’s reputation, and nations with a strong reputation are better positioned to welcome more tourists, increase exports, improve diplomacy and attract foreign investment, knowledge and talent,” he said.

The Daily Mail said: “If you’re looking for your next holiday destination 2016’s list of Most Reputable Countries is a good place to start.

“With their spectacular fjords, unspoiled landscapes and friendly reputation the Scandinavian nations rank the highest.

“The bustle of vibrant Stockholm, an untouched coastline and a global status as socially liberal and welcoming helped Sweden nab the number one spot. 

Key findings of the 2016 Country RepTrak include:

• Sweden claimed the top spot after two consecutive years in third place.

• Ireland moved into the top 10, while Belgium dropped out.

• No countries rated as “excellent” (identified by a Pulse score of 80 or higher).

• Since 2015, France has seen the biggest improvement in reputation, up 4.9 points.

• Russia also saw a significant reputation boost of 4.7 points, but it still rates as “poor” with a Pulse score of 39.82, good enough for 65th place on the list, ahead of only Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq.

• Turkey saw the largest drop in reputation, down 7.0 points to 42.73 and 58th place overall.

The Top 10 countries in the 2016 Country

1. Sweden

2. Canada

3.  Switzerland

4. Australia 

5. Norway

6. Finland

7. New Zealand

8. Denmark

9. Ireland

10. Netherland

The ranking measures how countries are perceived and respected worldwide, and was calculated for the annual survey by Boston-based consulting firm the Reputation Institute. The nations were ranked using answers from an online questionnaire filled out by 48,000 residents of G8 states.