Scotland’s global reputation has held steady in 2024, securing 15th place in the prestigious Anholt Nation Brands Index® (NBI) survey. The 2024 data reveals Scotland continues to garner significant international recognition despite minor shifts in rankings across certain countries.
Scotland’s Steady Reputation
Scotland’s performance in the 2024 NBI shows impressive consistency. With a score of 65.1, Scotland ranks 15th among the 50 countries surveyed, maintaining its position from the 2022 report (65.3). This stability places Scotland among the top 20 nations globally in terms of reputation, underscoring its strong international presence. The NBI tracks Scotland’s overall reputation, reflecting how it is viewed across six key dimensions: exports, governance, culture, people, tourism, and immigration and investment.
Looking at the broader picture, Scotland has steadily improved since joining the survey in 2008. While the country’s reputation remained stable between 2008 and 2012, it began to show growth after 2012. The chart below illustrates how Scotland’s score has increased gradually over the years, with noticeable improvements from 2012 to 2024.
Changes in Rank by Region
The country’s reputation fluctuated differently across regions. The highest scores came from India (71.9), the United Kingdom (69.2), and Mexico (69.0), demonstrating Scotland’s strong influence in countries with historical ties. However, a noticeable drop was seen in Scotland’s score from China, which fell sharply from 71.2 in 2022 to 63.8 in 2024. In contrast, Scotland received its lowest scores from Japan (54.0), South Korea (59.7), and Russia (60.2), indicating areas where Scotland’s reputation might need more nurturing.
- Top 3 highest NBI scores for Scotland:
- India: 71.9
- United Kingdom: 69.2
- Mexico: 69.0
Notably, the United Kingdom rated Scotland the highest, as expected, but Scotland’s rank improved within the UK—moving up from 4th place in 2022 to 2nd place in 2024.
The Demographic Breakdown
How different demographic groups perceive Scotland reveals interesting trends. Men scored Scotland’s reputation slightly higher (65.4) than women (64.8). Age also played a role: individuals aged 30 to 44 rated Scotland most highly (66.5), while younger individuals (18-29) gave Scotland a score of 64.3.
This trend also extended to occupation, with business professionals or executives rating Scotland more positively (69.3) than people in other fields (63.5). The highest scores came from those who had visited Scotland or engaged with Scottish media, reinforcing the idea that exposure to the country positively impacts its reputation.
Table 1 below illustrates Scotland’s reputation across different demographic groups.
| Demographic Group | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 15 | 65.4 |
| Female | 15 | 64.8 |
| Age 18-29 | 17 | 64.3 |
| Age 30-44 | 15 | 66.5 |
| Age 45+ | 14 | 64.6 |
| Occupation: Business/Exec | 14 | 69.3 |
| Occupation: Other | 15 | 63.5 |
| Visited Scotland: Yes | 15 | 67.5 |
| Visited Scotland: No | 15 | 60.9 |
| Visited a Scottish Website: Yes | 15 | 68.3 |
| Visited a Scottish Website: No | 15 | 60.8 |
This breakdown highlights that Scotland’s reputation is most positively perceived by those with higher exposure to the country, whether through travel or media engagement.
Familiarity with Scotland: A Mixed Bag
Familiarity with Scotland has remained relatively unchanged since the 2022 survey, with 68% of respondents indicating some level of recognition. However, Scotland’s ranking for familiarity dropped slightly from 24th in 2022 to 25th in 2024, showing a marginal dip in recognition. The highest levels of familiarity came from the United Kingdom (96%), Sweden (83%), and Poland (84%).
Interestingly, France reported one of the lowest familiarity levels, with only 49.8% of respondents recognizing Scotland. This lower familiarity may explain some of the country’s relatively lower rankings in France compared to other countries, which tend to give out higher scores overall.
Figure 4 below demonstrates the changes in familiarity with Scotland across the 20 core panel countries between 2022 and 2024.
A Look at Favourability
When it comes to favourability, Scotland holds a steady 13th place with a score of 5.0 out of 7.0, matching its position from 2022. The United Kingdom rated Scotland most favourably (5.5), followed by Australia (5.3). In contrast, Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia were less favourable, although they still scored Scotland above the midpoint.
This consistent favourability score suggests that Scotland’s reputation, while fluctuating in certain regions, remains largely positive worldwide.
