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Germany supplants US as the country with the best global reputation

Story highlights
  • US falls to No. 6 in survey that ranks the world's best nation brands
  • "Trump effect" is behind the big drop, developer of brand survey says

(CNN) America's brand has taken a major hit in the age of Trump.

At least that's according to a survey that ranks the world's best nation brands.

The United States lands with an overall No. 6 ranking in the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index, which measures 50 nations in multiple categories, including governance, exports, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment. The United States was the overall No. 1 in 2016, but Germany took the top spot this year.

The source of America's big drop? President Donald Trump, says Simon Anholt, a political consultant who developed the brand survey more than a decade ago.

"We are witnessing a 'Trump effect,' following President Trump's focused political message of 'America First,' " Anholt said in a statement.

Anholt noted that despite the big drop in the overall ranking, Americans interviewed for the survey actually had a more positive assessment of their country than they did last year.

And this year isn't the first time that the United States has experienced such a big drop in the survey. Anholt said the nation saw a "similar fall in global perception" after the re-election of President George W. Bush in 2004. The US fell to No. 7 then.

The West dominates the Top 10

Germany ranked first this year thanks to big gains in the governance, people and culture categories.

The UK, which took a hit last year after the Brexit vote, regained enough ground to hang on to No. 3 in the survey, and Anholt said that showing indicates the United States should be able to bounce back, too.

"Previously, America has never stayed outside the top ranking for more than a year at a time," he said. "It will be interesting to see whether this holds true in the 2018 ranking."

France came in at No. 2, while Canada and Japan tied for fourth place. The rest of the Top 10 is Italy at No. 7, Switzerland at No. 8, Australia at No. 9 and Sweden at No. 10.

No non-Western countries managed to crack the Top 10.

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