So which is the first country that you look to compare yours against?

The UK, but it's probably a misnomer to say we compare ourselves to them, more that what happens there has an impact here a lot of the time, and that because most Gibraltarians (and British expats, obviously) follow UK media as if they lived there, it's quite funny how my Facebook feed is filled with identical stuff to what UK people talk about. Some guy was investigated by the Police for some anti-Semitic/anti-Muslim (I can't remember which, sorry!) during the most recent Gaza war (sound familiar?), for example.

Beyond that, we generally don't compare ourselves to others because we recognise that being as small as we are and our constitutional position being so unusual that comparisons are pretty pointless. It depends on the subject though, sometimes we'll be compared to other BOTs like the Falklands on geopolitical issues and the Caymans on things like tax. Or places like Andorra and San Marino purely on the basis that they most closely resemble ourselves as microstates.

All the stereotypes persist though, Spain (which here is seen mainly through the lens of Andalucía for obvious reasons) is seen as impoverished and having huge problems with unemployment - also as a source of cheap, spacious housing for our people who can't afford to live in Gib itself. Germans are ultra precise hard workers (although their tourists are adorable/hilarious which I think softens their image). Scandinavians are Ayrans with perfect cushy societies. Eastern Europe is a shithole etc. I don't think there's much difference between how we see the world and how not only Brits but all Western Europeans do, broadly.

Most Gibraltarians see themselves as the same as Brits until they actually go to the UK and have a bit of a culture shock (happened to me), but there are more similarities than differences in the end I'd say.