Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2026: Philippines’ global appeal reinforced by culture and public sentiment

New Brand Finance data highlights the Philippines’ strongest perceptions in friendliness and fun, alongside improving cultural influence and business accessibility

• People & Values strength: Philippines ranks 18^th globally for fun and 22^nd for friendliness, reinforcing positive public sentiment
• Cultural momentum: Philippines rises to 42^nd for arts and entertainment influence, and climbs 18 places for its rich heritage
• US holds top spot in Global Soft Power Index despite broad declines; Japan overtakes the UK for 3^rd

MANILA, 27 January 2026 – The Philippines ranks 54^th globally in the Global Soft Power Index (GSPI) 2026 with a score of 40.0/100, down one position from 53^rd in 2025, according to a new iteration of the the Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance.

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 1st to 193^rd.

The Philippines’ results in 2026 highlight a Soft Power profile shaped most strongly by public sentiment and cultural familiarity. The nation ranks 18^th globally for fun and 22^nd for being friendly, reinforcing how positive social perceptions can translate into international preference, cultural affinity, and stronger engagement. These results position the Philippines’ Soft Power as increasingly anchored in how global audiences experience the nation through its warmth, openness, and everyday cultural familiarity.

The Philippines also records notable gains across Culture & Heritage perceptions, strengthening its cultural footprint and identity. It rises to 42^nd globally for being influential in arts and entertainment (up five places from 2025) and improves significantly for its rich heritage, climbing 18 places to 99^th.

This cultural visibility is supported by the growing scale of the creative economy, which rose 9% to around USD32 billion (PHP1.9 trillion) last year, contributing 7.3% to GDP, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The nation also advances eight positions to 51^st for appealing lifestyle, reflecting improving recognition of lifestyle-driven appeal and cultural accessibility as Soft Power drivers.

In Business & Trade, the Philippines improves its standing for commercial engagement. It ranks 39^th globally for ease of doing business, rising four places, supporting perceptions of stronger accessibility and international engagement. The improvement in business accessibility suggests growing recognition of the Philippines as a market that is increasingly easier to engage, invest in, and collaborate with.

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

“Soft Power is increasingly shaped by how a nation is experienced, not just how it is presented. The Philippines’ strong rankings for being a fun and friendly country show how tourism, entertainment, and everyday cultural familiarity can shape preference in ways some traditional metrics might miss. In a year where global perceptions have broadly softened, that kind of human connection becomes a measurable strategic advantage.”

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.”