The World's Most Respected Country Is... Canada?!

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-564025p1.html" target="_blank">Helga Esteb</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/editorial" target="_blank">Shutterstock.com</a> / Wikimedia Commons
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-564025p1.html" target="_blank">Helga Esteb</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/editorial" target="_blank">Shutterstock.com</a> / Wikimedia Commons

If Rodney Dangerfield's taught us anything, it's that respect is a huge part of maintaining a happy life, whether it's between individuals or entire nations. Also, that everybody's gonna get laid. That first lesson's the only one pertinent to international discourse, though, so it behooves us all to know just where our country stands on the Global Respect-o-meter.

Fortunately, this information is tracked by the aptly-named Reputation Institute, which just published the results of its 2015 Country Reptrak Survey, examining how countries are perceived across the globe. An online panel of more than 48,000 people representing the G8 countries ranked 55 different nations according to 16 attributes such as technology, efficient use of public resources, social and economic policies, institutional environment, and international participation.

And now for the harsh truth: Canada, our big, maple-flavored neighbor to the north, took the number one spot with an overall score of 78.1. In fact, Canada's consistently gotten top honors since this annual study began, reclaiming its throne this year from Switzerland (2014's winner). Meanwhile, Northern Europe made a strong showing with Norway grabbed second place with 77.1 points, and Sweden holding its 2014 position in third with 76.6 points. The United States, by comparison, failed to even make the top 20.

As the Reputation Institute explains in its webinar analysis of the report, though, a nation's reputation tends to correspond less with its size or power than with the overall happiness of its citizens -- an idea that totally makes sense once you stop waving your flag and think about it.

Here's the full top 10:

10. Belgium (72.3)
9. Netherlands (73.7)
8. Denmark (74.5)
7. New Zealand (75)
6. Finland (75.1)
5. Australia (76.3)
4. Switzerland (76.4)
3. Sweden (76.6)
2. Norway (77.1)
1. Canada (78.1)


Gianni Jaccoma is a staff writer for Thrillist, and he wishes we'd finally stop ragging on Canada already. Follow his maple-flavored tweets @gjaccoma, and send your news tips to news@thrillist.com