This article was originally published in the Brand Finance ASEAN 500 2025 report
Soft power, as defined by Harvard Professor Joseph Nye, is the ability to shape preferences through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. For the bustling ASEAN region, soft power has become a vital tool of global impact, enabling member states to project their cultural, economic, and diplomatic strengths on the world stage.
In the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025, ASEAN countries demonstrated a strong collective performance across business, governance, culture, and people-driven attributes, with several nations recording a notable rise in global recognition.
Future growth potential & economic dynamism
ASEAN is increasingly perceived as a region of opportunity. Malaysia, ranked 12th globally, and Indonesia, in 14th place, are among the world’s highest-ranked ASEAN nations for future growth potential, while Vietnam, at 15th, continues to attract attention as an emerging economic force. Together, these results reinforce ASEAN’s reputation as a hub of resilience, innovation, and long-term opportunity.
Culture & Heritage
Culture remains a powerful lever of ASEAN’s global influence. Thailand secures 6th place in global cuisine rankings, while Indonesia (15th) and Vietnam (16th) further showcase the region’s culinary richness. Lifestyle appeal has also risen, underscoring ASEAN’s allure as both a tourism hotspot and a cultural destination.
People & Values
ASEAN’s reputation for friendliness continues to shape its global image. Thailand stands out at 4th place worldwide, while the Philippines strengthens its profile with notable gains in generosity, inclusivity, and fun. Indonesia also recorded a significant leap,climbing from 25th to 13th in global rankings. Malaysia has made commendable progress, advancing seven spots to 32nd place. This rise reflects growing recognition of the country’s welcoming nature, marked by an 11-place jump to 25th in the ‘friendly people’ ranking and a stronger reputation for trustworthiness at 30th place. Together, these achievements underscore ASEAN’s people-driven appeal, rooted in warmth, openness, and integrity.
Governance
Singapore’s rising governance ranking underscores strong global confidence in its political stability and ethical leadership. The nation advanced to 12th place for internationally admired government leaders and 11th for being safe and secure, while maintaining its reputation for high ethical standards and low corruption at 10th place. Malaysia also demonstrated progress, improving significantly in the ‘high ethical standards and low corruption’ attribute, rising to 29th place. These advancements highlight ASEAN’s growing emphasis on transparent, ethical governance and resilient leadership amid global challenges.
Business & Trade
In Business & Trade, Singapore continues to set the standard, ranking 4th globally for ‘ease of doing business’ and 8th for ‘future growth potential’. Its economic stability strengthened notably, climbing five places to 14th, while its reputation for producing well-loved products and brands also improved, rising six places to 17th.
Education & Science
Singapore reinforces its leadership in education and research, gaining 1.1 points and rising one place under the Education & Science pillar. The nation advanced two places to 7th in technology and innovation and climbed to 12th in scientific advancements, cementing its reputation as a hub for knowledge, cutting-edge research, and technological excellence. Malaysia also demonstrated strong progress, rising 11 places to 30th in educational systems, reflecting its commitment to strengthening infrastructure, raising academic standards, and preparing future generations for success in a competitive global environment. Together, these advancements highlight ASEAN’s growing role in shaping global academic progress and cultivating future-ready talent.
Media & Communication Influence
ASEAN countries are also enhancing their presence on the global stage. Vietnam recorded one of the most significant jumps in media influence, while the Philippines also advanced across influential media rankings. These shifts highlight the region’s expanding visibility and credibility in international discourse.
Spotlight on Malaysia: ASEAN Chair of 2025
As the ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia is well-positioned to showcase its rising global influence. Ranked 36th globally in the Global Soft Power Index this year, Malaysia’s performance reflects consistent progress across governance, education, and people-driven attributes.
Malaysia being the Chair of ASEAN in 2025 provides a timely platform to amplify these strengths, positioning the nation not only as a regional convenor but also as a global player shaping the future of diplomacy, business, and cultural exchange.
The road ahead: Turning potential into lasting influence
ASEAN countries stand at a pivotal moment in their soft power journey. While the region’s economic dynamism and cultural richness provide a strong foundation, its long-term influence will depend on how effectively it can translate these strengths into global leadership.
Looking forward, ASEAN will need to deepen its cultural diplomacy to project the diversity of its identities on the world stage, while also investing more heavily in education, science, and technology to cement its place as a knowledge economy hub.
Building trust through stronger governance and ethical standards will be critical, as will expanding media and communication influence to ensure the region’s voice resonates internationally. Equally important will be ASEAN’s role in championing sustainability and climate leadership, leveraging green innovation to align with global priorities.
With these steps, ASEAN is well placed to convert its economic strength and cultural capital into enduring global influence, shaping perceptions not only as a fast-growing region but also as a community that leads with values, vision, and resilience.
Nation Brand Value in ASEAN
Nation brand value represents the monetary worth of a country’s reputation and image, shaped by its economic performance and global standing. For ASEAN, this carries growing importance as the region is increasingly recognised as a driver of growth, cultural influence, and geopolitical weight.
Assessing a nation’s brand value requires analysing its economic strength and influence in the global marketplace. A key component of this evaluation is the Global Soft Power Index (GSPI), as nation brand perceptions drive economic benefits and enhance nation brand value. To assess the financial strength of a nation brand, Brand Finance also utilises publicly available, reputable data sources, including the IMF, World Bank, and UN. This year, Brand Finance has incorporated Oxford Economics as a key data provider in order to offer a more refined and segmented analysis of nation brand values. Moving beyond broad overviews, we have examined over 40 key sectors contributing to GDP across more than 70 leading nations. This approach offers a deeper and more precise understanding of the forces shaping a nation’s brand value. For nation brand managers and policymakers, this translates to a game-changing level of insight: the ability to identify high-potential sectors, target investment effectively, and craft data-driven strategies to elevate your nation's brand globally.