New data from Brand Finance reveals world’s 500 most valuable and strongest brands in 2026
LONDON, 20 January 2026 – Nordic brands contribute a combined USD110.8 billion in brand value to the world’s 500 most valuable brands, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy.
LEGO ranks as the fifth strongest brand globally in 2026, achieving a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 94.2 out of 100 and a AAA+ rating, the highest brand strength rating awarded by Brand Finance. It is also the most valuable among Nordic brands featured in the ranking, placing 138th globally, following a 59% increase in brand value to USD17.6 billion.
LEGO’s brand strength is underpinned by its ability to go above generational boundaries. Brand Finance research shows that, on average, familiarity with toy brands falls by 41% between 18-24 year olds and 65-75 year olds. However, LEGO defies this trend, maintaining consistently high familiarity across age groups: 90% of 18-24 year olds are familiar with LEGO (30% higher than the sector average) and familiarity declines only marginally with age (reaching a low of 86% among 55-64 year olds, still more than 40% higher than the sector average). Brand Finance data also reveals that over 57% of all respondents are both familiar with and admire LEGO, compared to the sector average of 17%, reinforcing the brand’s strong equity and enduring global appeal.
Beyond LEGO, Norway’s Equinor ranks 147th globally, with a brand value of USD16.7 billion, followed by Sweden’s IKEA, in 170th place with a brand value of USD14.8 billion. Other Nordic brands featured in the Global 500 2026 ranking include: Spotify, Volvo, Nokia, H&M, Nordea, DNB, Maersk, and Swedbank. While Swedbank ranks 487th globally by brand value, it places 129th for brand strength, demonstrating comparatively smaller brands can outperform their scale and signalling clear potential for growth. DNB shows a similar pattern, ranking 424th globally for brand value but 145th for its brand strength.
Cristobal Pohle Vazquez, Regional Manager, Scandinavia, Brand Finance, commented:
“On a national level, Sweden leads the Nordic region in total brand value, with five brands contributing USD49.1 billion to the Global 500 2026 ranking. Denmark, Norway, and Finland each contribute two brands with a total worth of USD23.5 billion, USD22.7 billion, and USD15.4 billion, respectively. What’s notable is that all four Nordic countries recorded growth in total brand value in 2026. This regional performance underscores the power of Nordic brands globally, driven by sustained investment in innovation and a strong foundation of trust.”
Apple retains its position as the world’s most valuable brand, growing 6% to USD607.6 billion. Behind Apple, Microsoft is the world’s second-most valuable brand, with its brand value up 23% to exceed USD565.2 billion in 2026. Google (up 5% to USD433.1 billion) and Amazon (up 4% to USD369.9 billion) retain third and fourth positions in the Global 500 ranking, underscoring the continued dominance of leading US technology brands.
YouTube has become the world’s strongest brand, with a BSI score of 95.3/100, rising from eighth place in 2025.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
