Northern Ireland's international reputation: new analysis reveals key drivers of global appeal

Date published: 13 November 2025

Topics: Business, economy and trade

New research published today by NISRA statisticians in The Executive Office examines what shapes Northern Ireland's international reputation across investment, study, tourism, familiarity and favourability.

Key findings

The analysis, based on the 2024 Anholt Nation Brands Index surveying approximately 10,000 respondents across 20 countries, reveals:

Investment appeal

Northern Ireland ranked 26th out of 50 nations for investment in business.
Willingness to "Work & Live" in Northern Ireland is the strongest driver (14.4%), followed by perceptions of "Educational Qualifications" (11.5%) and "Equality in Society" (10.6%).
These three attributes from the Immigration and Investment dimension account for over one-third (36.5%) of investment appeal.

Study appeal

Northern Ireland ranked 23rd out of 50 nations for educational qualifications.
"Quality of Life" is the primary driver (12.4%), followed by perceptions of Northern Ireland as a "Vibrant City" (7.8%) and a good place to "Invest in Business" (7.6%).
52.4% of global respondents agreed Northern Ireland offers a high quality of life.

Tourism appeal

Northern Ireland ranked 24th out of 50 nations for tourism desirability.
"Natural Beauty" is the strongest driver (16.3%), followed by "Work & Live" (12.8%) and "Historic Buildings" (7.4%).
Two-thirds of respondents recognised Northern Ireland's natural beauty, with the country ranking 20th globally for this attribute.

Familiarity with Northern Ireland

58% of respondents reported familiarity with Northern Ireland, placing it 41st out of 50 nations.
Interest in Northern Ireland's goods and services ("Buy Products") is the strongest driver of familiarity (14.8%), followed by "Science & Technology" (8.5%) and perceptions as a "Creative Place" (6.8%).

Favourability towards Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland scored 4.62 out of 7 for favourability, ranking 25th out of 50 nations.
"Buy Products" (10.7%), "Competent & Honest" governance (8.9%), and "Creative Place" (8.0%) are the top drivers.

Cross-cutting insights

Attributes related to Northern Ireland's exports drive both familiarity and favourability:

Younger (under 40), employed individuals in higher-level occupations are more likely to view Northern Ireland positively across all outcomes.
Germany is the only country where Immigration and Investment attributes impact all five outcomes.
Whilst Natural Beauty is Northern Ireland's best-known strength, it only significantly drives tourism appeal.

About the publication

The International Reputation in Focus research series comprises six reports examining Northern Ireland's global brand through the Nation Brands Index framework. The series includes:

A policy brief summarising findings across all outcomes.
Individual analytical reports on drivers of investment appeal, study appeal, tourism appeal, familiarity, and favourability.

Each report uses Shapley value regression analysis to identify which perceptions most influence international attitudes, with breakdowns by country and demographic groups to inform targeted cultural relations and branding strategies.

Further information

Read the full reports: