Switzerland held its position as the No. 1 country in the world, according to the 2018 Best Countries report, a rankings and analysis project by US News & World Report, Y&R's BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

In its third year, the rankings evaluate 80 countries across a range of criteria, from economic influence and power to citizenship and quality of life, to capture how nations are perceived on a global scale.

For the first time, respondents were asked their opinions of major world leaders. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel are viewed as the most respected globally, while US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin saw the highest disapproval ratings. Among top business leaders, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google's parent company Alphabet, was the most respected.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin saw the highest disapproval ratings

"For the countries that rose to the top of this year's rankings, it is once again clear that military vigour and economic power are no longer the key determinants to a country's brand success. The Best Countries rankings continue to show us that just as brands must focus on a wide range of attributes to raise profiles and win over audiences, nations that are multidimensional and that reflect a wider range of qualities, such as innovation and compassion, have the brand appeal that propels them on the global stage," said David Sable, Y&R Global CEO.

2018 Best Countries Rankings

*See the full rankings here

Overall

1. Switzerland
2. Canada
3. Germany
4. United Kingdom
5. Japan
6. Sweden
7. Australia
8. United States
9. France
10. Netherlands

To Start a Business

1. Thailand
2. Malaysia
3. Mexico

To Headquarter a Corporation

1. Switzerland
2. Canada
3. Luxembourg

Most Powerful

1. United States
2. Russia
3. China

For Women

1. Denmark
2. Sweden
3. Norway

For Education

1. United Kingdom
2. United States
3. Canada

For Comfortable Retirement

1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. Switzerland

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