Canada's positive perception on the world stage is increasing according to a new poll that ranks the top "nation brands," or the public image of a country.

The 2021 Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index (NBI) collected over 60,000 interviews online in 20 panel countries, ranking the top 60 countries by how they're viewed abroad.

The NBI has been ranking countries' reputations since 2005, and while Canada has always been a top-ten contender, we've been gaining ground in recent years.

This year's rankings are somewhat of a reversal from last year, as countries get back on their feet, repairing their reputations by kickstarting their lockdown-ravaged economies and tourism sectors.

Our influential, welcoming, low-crime country ranked quite well, moving up in this year's list to the #2 nation brand.

Some big shakeups can be seen in the 2021 NBI rankings, including gains for Canada. Image via Anholt-Ipsos.

Canada had landed in third place on the NBI for the past couple of years, though this year the country has bumped up one spot in global reputations, snatching the second-place spot away from the United Kingdom, which has slipped to fifth place in the rankings.

Canada moved up one spot in this year's 2021 NBI rankings. Image via Anholt-Ipsos.

Canada climbed from a ranking of 67.86 in 2020 to 70.64 in 2021, though this slight increase proved enough to push the maple leaf flag up to its new record of second place.

Though it wasn't enough to claim the overall top position, Canada still ranked first across the poll's governance, people, and immigration and investment indices, and still scored high in factors like exports, tourism, and culture.

Only Germany ranked better, holding onto its top spot for the fifth year in a row.

And while people see a rosy picture of Canada from abroad, our neighbour to the south is not looking as hospitable.

The United States' ranking declined sharply in 2020, falling from sixth to 10th place. And though their pandemic recovery and rising tourism have helped bring them back up to #8, the States still have some catching up to do. It was only just five years ago that the U.S. held the top ranking on this list.