Reputation&Trust of the Defense Industry in the Nordic Countries: High Marks for Innovation, Low Scores for Transparency in Governance
According to Reputation&Trust conducted in Finland, Sweden, and Norway, the reputation of companies operating in the defense industry among the general public is mostly moderate or good. Among the various dimensions of reputation, the sector receives its highest ratings for financial performance and innovation, while the defense industry is rated lowest in terms of operational openness and transparency.
Luottamus&Maine Puolustusteollisuus 2025 -tutkimuksessa arvioitiin Suomessa (9 organisaatiota), Norjassa (5) ja Ruotsissa (9) toimivien puolustusteollisuusorganisaatioiden mainetta. 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.
The overall reputation of the defense industry is strong in Finland (average 3.56) and Norway (3.59), while in Sweden it remains at a moderate level (3.44). Among the different aspects of reputation, the defense industry receives the highest ratings for financial performance (Finland 3.79, Norway 3.91, Sweden 3.71) and innovation (Finland 3.66, Norway 3.86, Sweden 3.76).
“The study reflects how important Nordic citizens consider national defense to be amid growing geopolitical tensions—and the defense industry as part of that. The results are surprisingly similar across the three countries, although Sweden stands out slightly with its lower ratings,” says Riku Ruokolahti, Development Director at Reputation and Trust Analytics.
Lowest ratings for the administration
Most aspects of the defense industry’s reputation scored well (above 3.50), but the sector received its lowest reputation scores in the area of governance. In Finland, the score was 3.21 and in Norway 3.09—both moderate results—while in Sweden the score was 2.99, which is a poor result.
“The governance dimension measures whether the public perceives the industry as operating openly, transparently, and fairly in its business practices. The relatively low scores likely reflect the traditional perception of the defense industry as a closed and uncommunicative sector,” says Riku Ruokolahti.
This is how we conducted the study
The aim of the Reputation&Trust 2025 survey was to assess the reputation of selected defense industry organizations operating in the Nordic countries 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.
Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different sub-areas. These 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.
More information
Riku Ruokolahti, Director of Development, Reputation and Trust Analytics Oy
riku.ruokolahti@reputationandtrust.com
+358 400 512 200
