Spain has cemented its position among the world’s most respected countries, according to the RepCore Nations 2026 report produced by Reputation Lab. In this year’s edition, Spain has climbed two places to 12th in the international ranking, an impressive achievement given that this progress has come amid a growing deterioration in international reputation.

The result keeps Spain near the top of a table dominated by stable democracies capable of inspiring high levels of admiration, respect and trust on the international stage. Reputation has become a strategic asset for countries, and a good result gives them significant competitive advantages in attracting tourism, investment and talent.

A one-point improvement in the RepScore indicator, for example, equates on average to a 7.2% rise in tourism revenue, and a 1% increase in foreign direct investment.

Exceptionally solid profile
The strength of Spain’s reputation is underpinned by its exceptionally solid profile. Spain scored above the average for the world’s leading economies across all 22 indicators analysed to produce the report and ranking. Among these, the highest-rated factors were lifestyle, leisure, culture and gastronomy, safety, respect for human rights and sporting success.

This 12th-place in the rankings represents a major opportunity for Spanish companies, brands, products and services to leverage Spain’s reputation as a competitive advantage. While Spain’s reputation has improved, the average score for the world’s 60 largest economies has fallen overall by 0.86 points over the past year. Specifically, 43 declined, 14 improved and only three remained stable.

International visibility and perceived quality
The new Made-in Score indicator, introduced in this edition, reveals that Spain has considerable scope to enhance the international visibility of its businesses, and the perceived quality of its products and services. This indicator shows that a country’s reputation directly influences confidence in its products and services, as well as consumers’ willingness to pay more for them.

RepCore Nations adapts the RepCore model, which is developed to measure corporate reputation, to the national context. The analysis evaluates the level of admiration, respect and trust a country inspires, and explains it via 22 rational attributes spanning economic, political, social, cultural and environmental dimensions.

^{Photo: Reputation Lab}