A country's identity is built over lifetimes, and it is perhaps not surprising that little changed in the results of this subranking. When it comes to cultural influence, Europe continues to be the clear leader. Italy , celebrated for its culinary traditions, classical art and designer clothing, is once again No. 1. France , Spain , the United States and the U.K. round out the top five, as they did last year. Japan, Brazil, Australia and Switzerland all made the top 10 again, and Singapore jumped significantly in the rankings to earn the No. 9, spot. Sweden, on the other hand, fell from No. 10 to No. 14 this year. No. 9, Australia , No. 8 and Brazil , No. 7, shuffling order from last year.

While the U.S. may not always be associated with sophisticated living, its $ 717 billion media and entertainment industry is the largest in the world, representing a third of the global industry. Brazil , a football powerhouse with the largest economy in Latin America, is the only South American country to crack the top 10 – the next highest Latin American country is Mexico , at No. 24. Japan and Singapore are once again the only Asian countries to place in the top 15.

Countries that had a once great empire or power over a large territory didn’t necessarily have a strong lingering influence. Portugal , which once ruled land from South America to Africa, came in at No. 23, while Russia came in at No. 28.