Canada is Ranked No. 1

Ever think the grass would be greener on the other side of the border? Before grabbing your passport, check out the Reputation Institute’s latest country rankings and find out where your country stands in relation to its neighbors.

The Reputation Institute conducted more than 48,000 interviews to measure the public’s perception of 55 countries based on three dimensions: effective government, appealing environment and advanced economy.

As of July 15, Canada is ranked No. 1. This should come as no surprise; in the last five years, Canada has consistently placed within the top two countries. The top 10 countries include Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, Finland, New Zealand, Denmark, Netherlands and Belgium.

The Reputation Institute notes other trends from countries around the world. Under the Obama administration, the United States improved its reputation by 20 percent. Japan is ranked highest of all countries in Asia and Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland have all improved their reputations due to improvements in their economies. Both Brazil and Russia’s reputations declined this year.

Despite the research and work put in by the Reputation Institute, it’s important to remember these rankings are based on public perception, which may not be the best indicator of reality. In any case, take these rankings with a grain of salt or,if you’re felling patriotic, a jug of maple syrup.