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. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
China has surpassed the United Kingdom to become the second most influential soft power country in the world, according to the new edition of Global Soft Power Index published by Brand Finance on Thursday.
The United States remains the top-ranked nation brand, the UK is ranked third, followed by Japan and Germany.
The index is 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.
China achieved a score of 72.8 out of 100, its highest position ever. Since 2024, China has recorded statistically significant growth across six of the eight soft power pillars, and in two-thirds of measured attributes, stemming from efforts including Belt and Road projects, an increased focus on sustainability, stronger domestic brands, and post-pandemic reopening to visitors.
The UK's drop to third place reflects a period of stagnation in its nation brand perception. While scores remain relatively stable, a lack of progress across key pillars, especially in business and trade where it ranks sixth, and governance where it ranks third, suggests that the UK should bolster its soft power strategy.
David Haigh, chairman of Brand Finance, attributed China's result to its heavy investment in enhancing its soft power. "Now we're seeing the result as it ranks higher than the UK for the first time in the six years Brand Finance has released the Global Soft Power Index," he said.
"The 2025 rankings reflect China's sustained efforts to enhance its economic attractiveness, showcase its culture, and boost its reputation as a safe and well-governed nation. The UK needs to keep up and the establishment of the UK Soft Power Council is a step in the right direction."
Soft power is defined as a nation's ability to influence others in the international arena 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 one to 193.
The 2025 index reveals a growing divergence in soft power potential between nations, with stronger ones advancing faster while weaker ones fall further behind, according to Brand Finance. 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 US maintains its position at the top of the ranking with an all-time highest index score of 79.5 out of 100. It leads in the familiarity and influence key performance indicators, three out of eight soft power pillars, and ranks highest in 12 out of the 35 nation brand attributes.
In the reputation category, the US falls four positions to rank 15th globally. Governance, a key pillar that underpins a nation's reputation, has revealed a notable decline, down four spots to 10th, likely due to internal political tensions and the polarizing nature of the presidential campaign, which was underway during the time of polling, according to Brand Finance.
"At the end of his first term, (US President) Donald Trump's confrontational politics weakened US soft power, costing it the top spot in the 2021 Index," Haigh said.
"Now, he returns for a second term as the US sees a drop in perceptions of its political stability and good governance for the third consecutive year. As he dismantles traditional soft power mechanisms such as foreign aid and free trade, uncertainty and unpredictability loom over US soft power and global reputation, with potential implications for future rankings."
