The latest survey confirms that NATO reputation Norway is significantly stronger than in neighboring Finland and Sweden. The findings highlight the deep trust Norwegians have in NATO compared to the more cautious views in the other Nordic countries.
Reputation and Trust Analytics, a Sweden-based research firm, conducted this extensive study across Norway, Finland, and Sweden. They asked thousands of people to rate NATO on a five-point scale across several reputation categories.
Norway’s average score was 3.59, classified as “good,” while Finland and Sweden scored 3.21 and 3.14 respectively, falling into the “moderate” category.
Looking closer at the survey, NATO earned its highest score in Norway for leadership, with a strong 3.92 rating. Finland’s best mark came in financial performance at 3.35, and Sweden gave its highest score to NATO’s workplace conditions at 3.48.
On the lower end, Finland rated NATO’s governance at just 2.96, and Sweden rated NATO’s financial performance at 2.85, both seen as “poor.”
Riku Ruoholahti, development director at Reputation and Trust Analytics, attributes this divide to each nation’s history with global security alliances. Norway has been a NATO member since 1949, establishing a firm connection. Finland and Sweden only joined recently after decades of military nonalignment.
Finland became a NATO member in April 2023. Sweden followed in early 2024. These new memberships likely explain the more cautious opinions in those countries.
Trust in NATO aligns with the reputation data. Norwegians rated their trust in NATO at 3.84 and expressed strong confidence in NATO’s willingness to defend member countries during crises, with a score of 4.18.
Finnish trust was lower at 3.18, with crisis support rating 3.08. Swedish respondents scored these categories slightly below Finland.
The survey included 3,037 people in Finland, 3,162 in Sweden, and 2,427 in Norway. All participants were aged 15 to 65. The data was weighted by gender, age, and region to match national populations accurately.
