8 March 2022

What are Australia’s top 3 attributes?


The Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index (NBI) measures the power and appeal of a country’s “brand image” by examining global perceptions of a nation’s identity. The survey ranks the perceptions of 60 nations around the world based on six key measures: exports, governance, culture, people, tourism, and immigration/investment.

In 2022, Australia’s performance ranks highly across the board.

Let’s look at the top three areas where Australia really excels.

1. Australian People

Australia’s consistently top-performing attribute is our People. In 2022, we ranked third behind Canada and Italy consecutively.

According to the NBI, the general assessment of a nation’s people and friendliness is measured by:

  • whether respondents would feel welcome when visiting the country
  • the appeal of the people on a personal level
  • whether respondents would want to have a close friend from that country
  • how willing respondents would be to hire a well-qualified person from that country
  • the impressions they have of the people in that country.

Overall, Australians are perceived to be “hard-working,” “skillful,” “fun,” “honest” and “tolerant” according to the study.

Australia’s Nation Brand is helping to shine the spotlight on more Australians and their achievements, across every industry. It gives Aussie businesses and organisations a unified voice to position Australia as a welcoming choice for international investment, tourism, education and business.

2. Australian Governance

The study shows that Australia’s reputation for good Governance has risen to fifth place in 2022.

How the NBI measures Governance:

  • the perceived competency and honesty of a government
  • treatment of citizens and respect for their rights
  • global behaviour in the areas of international peace and security
  • environmental protection
  • the role a nation plays in the reduction of world poverty
  • individual perceptions of the government.

It’s well known that Australia is founded on strong institutions. Our regulatory environment, rule of law and lack of corruption are all highly rated in World Bank rankings.

In Australia, fair and effective governance is seen as the foundation for economic growth and a free society. Good governance generates confidence among major investors. It also makes Australia a secure base for multinationals that want to expand or set up new operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Australia’s Nation Brand is here to help businesses be recognised as quintessentially Australian, and distinguish themselves in the international marketplace as trusted partners with a stable future.

Source: https://www.austrade.gov.au/benchmark-report/strong-foundations

3. Australian Immigration/Investment

Australia has also shown improved performance in Immigration and Investment, rising two places in this index to rank sixth in the world.

How the NBI measures countries for Immigration and Investment:

  • a country’s power to attract talent and capital
  • whether people would consider studying, working, or living in a country
  • perceptions of the country’s economic prosperity, equality of opportunity, and high quality of life
  • perceptions of the country’s economic and business conditions.

Australia is one of the most trusted economies. It has some of the greatest manufacturing standards and higher-education institutions in the world. Our transparent and dependable institutions give businesses the confidence their investments will be protected. We are one of only nine countries to hold a AAA credit rating. Australia’s openness for trade and investment is central to our long-term success.

Despite concerns about the potential damage of international border closures during the pandemic; the study shows that perceptions of Australia’s immigration and investment environment are both “modern” and “forward-thinking”.

Additionally, people are drawn to Australia’s lifestyle from all over the world - whether it’s for study or for work. Our state capitals are renowned as some of the world’s most liveable cities, but they are also affordable. On global cost-of-living indices, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are more affordable than Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, New York, London, Los Angeles and San Francisco.* It’s no wonder that Australia is a magnet for global talent and investors looking for fresh opportunities.

Australia’s Nation Brand is designed to help showcase all of these attributes - and position us a world-leading destination for investment and immigration.

Looking to leverage Australia’s Nation Brand?

Head to Australia’s Nation Brand Toolkit to explore, view and make the most of the assets.

Source: 2022 Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brand Index
* Mercer, 2021, Cost of Living Index; Austrade