Reputation&Trust Conducted in the Nordic Countries: NATO’s Reputation in Norway Is Significantly Higher Than in Finland and Sweden
NATO’s reputation is strong in Norway, but only moderate in Finland and Sweden. According to Reputation&Trust conducted in the three Nordic countries, Finns and Swedes also trust the military alliance significantly less than Norwegians and would be less willing to support it in a crisis.
Luottamus&Maine-tutkimuksessa arvioitiin Naton mainetta Suomessa, Ruotsissa ja Norjassa. Suurelta yleisöltä kerättiin arviot asteikolla 1–5, ja näiden keskiarvojen perusteella muodostettiin kokonaisarvosanat. Keskiarvot tulkittiin seuraavasti: erinomainen tulos ≥ 4,00, hyvä tulos = 3,50–3,99, kohtalainen tulos = 3,00–3,49, heikko tulos < 3,00 ja erittäin heikko tulos < 2,50.
NATO’s overall reputation was rated as good in Norway (average 3.59) and as fair in both Finland (3.21) and Sweden (3.14). Among the various aspects of reputation assessed, the military alliance received the highest ratings in Norway for leadership (3.92), in Finland for economic performance (3.35), and in Sweden for employment (3.48). The weakest areas were economic performance in Norway (3.25, moderate) and Sweden (2.85, weak), as well as governance in Finland (2.96, weak).
“The survey likely reflects the historical differences among the three Nordic countries. Norway has been a member of NATO since the alliance’s founding in 1949, and Norwegians are accustomed to viewing the alliance as an integral part of their country’s defense and security structures. Finland and Sweden, on the other hand, have only recently joined NATO after a long period of self-reliance and neutrality, which partly explains their citizens’ more skeptical attitude toward the organization,” says Riku Ruokolahti, Development Director at Reputation and Trust Analytics.
Significant differences in willingness to support NATO during a crisis
In addition to NATO’s reputation, Reputation&Trust assessed citizens’ trust in the alliance as well as the willingness of Finns, Swedes, and Norwegians to support it in a crisis. In Norway, trust received a score of 3.84 (good) and crisis support a score of 4.18 (excellent). The scores were significantly lower in Finland (trust: 3.18, crisis support: 3.08) and Sweden (trust: 3.11, crisis support: 3.07), placing both countries at a moderate level.
“It is understandable that there are significant differences between a long-standing member state and two new members in terms of trust and crisis support. These dimensions reflect not only citizens’ perceptions of NATO but also how willing people are to act in support of the alliance,” explains Ruokolahti, Director of Development at Reputation and Trust Analytics.
“Although levels of trust and support in times of crisis are clearly lower in Finland and Sweden than in Norway, they are still moderate. In other words, a small majority of Finns and Swedes trust NATO and are prepared to support it. It will be interesting to see how these attitudes develop over time.”
This is how we conducted the study
The aim Reputation&Trust was to assess NATO’s reputation among the general public. Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire in Finland from February 24 to March 17, in Sweden from February 24 to March 24, and in Norway from February 26 to March 24, 2025.
The organization was evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ Reputation&Trust, in which the organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different sub-areas. The areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).
The study included 3,037 Finns, 3,162 Swedes, and 2,427 Norwegians. The study’s target group consisted of Finns (excluding the Åland Islands), Swedes, and Norwegians aged 15–65. The sample was weighted to be representative of each country’s population by gender, age, and region of residence.
For more information:
Riku Ruokolahti, Director of Development, Reputation and Trust Analytics Oy riku.ruokolahti@reputationandtrust.com, +358 400 512 200
