Romania boosts appeal in business, diplomacy and innovation

• Romania increases its Soft Power score, making notable progress in Business & Trade, International Relations, and Education & Science
• The US retains top position, but reputation declines following divisive presidential campaign, and future direction under President Trump looks uncertain
• The UK drops to 3^rd overtaken by China in the sixth annual survey from Brand Finance measuring how nations are perceived around the world

20 February 2025, BUCHAREST –Romania is up three ranks to 55^th, while the United States and China are the most influential Soft Power nations in the world, according to the new iteration of the Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance. The UK is ranked third, followed by Japan (4^th) and Germany (5^th).

Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of more than 170,000 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.

Romania has also climbed one rank for Reputation, and shown notable advancements in several pillars despite an eight-rank drop in Influence. The nation has made considerable progress in Business & Trade, climbing 20 ranks for its ‘products and brands the world loves’ and nine ranks for being ‘easy to do business with.’ This reflects an increasing global recognition of Romanian products and a more favourable business environment. Romania has also climbed 37 positions for being perceived as ‘influential in diplomatic circles,’ and four ranks for being ‘helpful to countries in need,’ underscoring its growing role as a regional and global player.

Romania is also advancing its competitive edge in Education & Science, driven by a 16-rank increase for being recognised as ‘advanced in technology and innovation." This improvement is closely tied to the country’s burgeoning IT sector, which has solidified its status as a hub of innovation in Eastern Europe.

Mihai Bogdan, Managing Director, Brand Finance Romania, commented,

“Over the past year, Romania has experienced steady growth in Soft Power, with improvement shown across several critical metrics. While the current survey was preceding the most recent developments, the country’s status is a solid base to build upon in order to withstand the regional and global turmoil, and a thorough analysis of the findings would allow for informed decisions towards consolidating Romania’s Soft Power standing”.

The 2025 Index reveals a growing divergence in Soft Power potential between nations, with stronger ones - like China - advancing faster while weaker ones - like Kiribati - fall further behind. The top 10 gained an average of +0.9 points in their Soft Power scores, while the bottom 10 saw a sharp decline of -3.0 points. The same is true across broader segments - within the top 100, scores rose by +0.3 on average, while the remaining 93 countries declined by -1.2, reflecting a widening gap where gains by leading nations often come at the expense of others.

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

“While experts previously posited that all nation brands might experience a gradual score inflation over time, the data now suggests a zero-sum game, with winners and losers. The global public’s capacity to develop familiarity with and admiration for nation brands seems finite, favouring prominent countries and those making deliberate efforts to stand out. Less familiar nations struggle to capture attention and affection in this highly competitive environment.”

The United States maintains its position at the top of the ranking with an all-time highest Global Soft Power Index score of 79.5 out of 100. Once again, it leads in the Familiarity and Influence Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), while its Reputation has taken a hit, falling four positions to rank 15^th globally. Governance has declined four spots to 10^th, likely due to internal political tensions and the polarising nature of the presidential campaign, which was underway during the time of polling.

For the first time, China has surpassed the UK to rank 2^nd with a score of 72.8 out of 100 - its highest ever position. Since 2024, China has recorded statistically significant growth across six of the eight Soft Power pillars, and in two-thirds of measured attributes. However, the United Kingdom’s drop to third place signals a period of stagnation in its nation brand perceptions, and thus the need to bolster its Soft Power strategy.