Vietnam climbs up three spots to rank 47th out of 105 countries in Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Index Report 2021. (Photo: Brand Finance)

Vietnam was the only country among 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to see improvement this year.

Its overall score was 33.8 out of 100 points, 2.5 points higher than last year, putting it ahead of the Philippines (53rd), Cambodia (89th) and Myanmar (90th).

Among other ASEAN countries, Singapore was at 20th, Thailand 33rd, Malaysia 39th, and Indonesia 45th.

According Brand Finance, the improvement was largely owing to the fact that Vietnam has objectively managed the COVID-19 pandemic extremely well.

“Vietnam was spared a year of lockdowns and besieged hospitals, and has one of the lowest COVID-19 infection and death rates in the world,” the report said. “Not only is the response to the pandemic impressive – given its shared border with China – but Vietnam also experienced one of the highest economic growth rates globally in 2020 – one of a handful of countries with positive growth in 2020.”

The Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index is a comprehensive research study on perceptions of 100 nation brands from around the world. It surveys the general public as well as specialist audiences, with responses gathered from over 75,000 people across more than 100 countries./.

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