Carnival revellers pose for a picture as they attend the start of the carnival season in Cologne
Carnival revellers pose for a picture as they attend the start of the carnival season in Cologne November 11, 2014. In many parts of Germany, at 11:11am on November 11, people mark the official start of carnival, a season of controlled raucous fun that reaches a climax during the days before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

"Germany is the best country in the world," a recent survey claims. This is the second time in 10 years that the European leader claimed the top spot in the list.

The United States is pushed down to the second position as Germany emerges as the top country in the world. The Anholt-GfK-produced annual Nation Brands Index interviewed more than 20,000 people in 20 countries. The survey was about how a country was viewed by outsiders. The U.S.A had topped the chart for the last five years until the European country claimed the top spot. The UK retained the third position in the list that it had claimed in 2013 as well. The Independent reported that France was fourth and Canada fifth in the list.

There were 23 attributes which were kept into consideration while the survey asked people to rank fifty countries, both developed and developing ones. The attributions included its governance, people, culture, tourism, immigration and exports. According to Simon Anholt - the co-producer of the report, Germany's top position in the list may have a lot to do with its win in the 2014 World Cup. The survey was carried out in July 2014, soon after Germany had an extra-ordinary performance in the football tournament. There was a huge rise in Germany's score for "sport excellence."

However, it is not only sports which helped Germany claim its dominance in the world. It has strengthened its position in Europe with "steady political stewardship" and a "robust economy," according to Anholt. Germany scored quite high in "social equality," "investment climate" and "honest and competent government." The U.S. scored significantly lower in the "global peace and security" category. Countries like Egypt and Russia gave lower score to the U.S. in the category than what they had given in the previous years.

Russia is the only country in the list that suffered a swift fall in global reputation. Its score in "peace and security" suffered the biggest drop in a single attribute. Interestingly, Germany and the U.S. are the only countries in Top 10 that changed its position in the list since 2013. Every other country in Top 10 has retained its position since 2013. Italy is still at the seventh position and Australia at the ninth. Here is the Top 10 countries according to the survey.

1. Germany

2. United States

3. United Kingdom

4. France

5. Canada

6. Japan

7. Italy

8. Switzerland

9. Australia

10. Sweden

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au