Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2026: Japan overtakes the UK to rank 3rd globally

New Brand Finance data shows Japan leads globally in Business & Trade, with top rankings for world-loved brands and economic stability

• Business strength: Japan ranks 1^st for ‘products and brands the world loves’ and 2^nd for economic stability
• Trust advantage: Japan ranks 2^nd for safety and high ethical standards
• Sustainability leadership: Japan ranks 1^st for ‘sustainable cities and transport’ and green energy investments
• US holds top spot in Global Soft Power Index despite broad declines; Japan overtakes the UK for 3^rd

TOKYO, 27 January 2026 - Japan ranks 3^rd globally in the Global Soft Power Index (GSPI) 2026, surpassing the UK to strengthen its position among the world’s most influential nations, according to a to new iteration of the Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance. With a score of 70.6/100, Japan’s performance reinforces a model of Soft Power built on long-term credibility, institutional reliability, and everyday trust, rather than short-term visibility.

Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of more than 150,000 respondents from over 100 countries to gather data on global perceptions of all 193 member states of the United Nations. Thanks to the scope of the survey, the Index is the world’s most comprehensive study on perceptions of nation brands, providing an in-depth analysis of the evolving status of Soft Power as nations navigate significant global changes and challenges.

Soft Power is defined as a nation’s ability to influence the preferences and behaviours of various actors in the international arena (states, corporations, communities, publics, etc.) through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. Each nation is scored across 55 different metrics to arrive at an overall score out of 100 and ranked in order from 1^st to 193^rd.

While Japan’s score is marginally down from 71.5/100 in 2025, its improved global ranking reflects sustained confidence in the pillars that increasingly shape international preference and partnership: economic stability, strong governance, advanced national capability, and credible long-term progress.

Japan’s strongest performance continues to come through Business & Trade, where it ranks 1^st globally for ‘products and brands the world loves’ and 2^nd for ‘strong and stable economy’, improving one position from 2025. These results reinforce Japan’s global reputation for quality, resilience, and reliability, with commercial strength translating into broader national appeal.

In Education & Science, Japan ranks 1^st globally for ‘strong educational system’ and 2^nd for ‘advanced in science’, strengthening perceptions of long-term capability, institutional excellence, and global contribution through innovation and expertise.

In Governance, Japan is one of the world’s most trusted nations, ranking 2^nd globally for both ‘safe and secure’ and ‘high ethical standards and low corruption’. Japan also improved to 6^th for ‘politically stable and well-governed’ and 5^th for ‘respects law and human rights’, reinforcing its reputation as a stable and dependable partner on the global stage.

Japan’s cultural appeal remains highly competitive. It ranks 3^rd globally in the Culture & Heritage pillar, with notable improvements in lifestyle and tourism perceptions, rising to 4^th for lifestyle appeal and 8^th for a top travel destination. Japan also recorded meaningful gains in public sentiment, with ‘friendly’ improving to 7^th globally and ‘generous’ rising to 1^st, reflecting strengthening perceptions of openness and goodwill.

In Sustainable Future, Japan ranks 1^st globally for both sustainable cities and transport and investments in green energy and technologies, while also improving to 5^th for supporting global efforts to counter climate change. These improvements reinforce sustainability as a core pillar of Japan’s Soft Power credibility and long-term international influence.

Alex Haigh, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Brand Finance, commented:

“Japan’s ascent to 3^rd place globally, overtaking the UK in the 2026 Global Soft Power Index, reflects the growing importance of credibility, capability and long-term trust in shaping international influence. Its leadership in business, education, governance and sustainability shows that Soft Power is earned through consistent performance and reliability, not short-term visibility. Japan’s broad appeal from innovation and economic stability to culture and goodwill reinforces its position as a nation shaping global preferences and partnerships for the long term.”

Global Insights: US Soft Power decline accelerates as Japan overtakes the UK to take 3^rd place

The Global Soft Power Index 2026 highlights a broad global decline of nation brand perceptions, driven by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension, and social pressures. Audiences worldwide are more cautious and more likely to scrutinise nations’ behaviour, leading to lower scores across the Index and echoing the trust erosion seen during the COVID-19 period.

Despite retaining 1^st place overall, the United States records the steepest overall decline among all nation brands ranked, driven by sharp declines in Reputation (26^th, -11) and key nation brand attributes amid international backlash to “America First” policies. Key declines are observed in friendliness, (-32), generosity, (-68) ease of doing business, (-21) support for climate action (-16), political stability, (-8) human rights, (-10) and ethical standards (-4).  Nevertheless, the US retains its number one position for Familiarity and Influence, underpinned by continued global leadership in arts and entertainment, (1^st) sport, (3^rd) iconic brands, (2^nd) innovation, (3^rd) and space exploration (1^st).

Japan’s rise to 3^rd, now overtaking the United Kingdom (4^th), exemplifies its ability to build Soft Power through a direct experience of the nation brand. Japan has maintained strengths in Business & Trade (1^st), Sustainable Future (1^st), Education & Science (2^nd), and Governance (2^nd), while tourism has boosted Familiarity (6^th, +1) and related attributes, including appealing lifestyle (4^th, +9), visit appeal (8^th, +3), friendliness (7^th, +12), and fun (21^st, +15).

Konrad Jagodzinski, Place Branding Director, Brand Finance, commented:

“The negative shift in the global mood highlights a critical lesson about Soft Power in 2026. Publics are increasingly sensitive to the alignment of values, actions, and outcomes. Nations that fail to demonstrate reliability, credibility, and impact face erosion not only in specific domains but also in broader international reputation and relevance. Soft power is not solely about visibility or size; it is about perception that a nation is delivering on promises implicit in its brand. Nations failing to uphold these promises are penalised by global audiences.”