Apple has been evaluated as the world’s most valuable brand by a new survey, replacing Google in branding agency Millward Brown’s BrandZ 2011. The internet search company has spent the last four years at the top of the study.

The technology company’s brand is now estimated at $153.3 billion, an 84% increase from the 2010 report. Apple’s market capitalisation is currently $321.69 billion, meaning its brand is worth almost half the company’s overall value.

Six of the top ten most valuable brands are technology and telecoms companies, and brands in that sector make up a third of the top 100. Facebook has entered the list for the first time, with a 246% increase in its brand value to $19.1 billion, but tech brands also saw some declining numbers – Blackberry has lost a fifth of its value since the 2010 study, and Nokia’s brand value has declined by 28%.

The total value of the brands on the list reflects the continuing recovery of the global economy, up 17% to $2.4 trillion, with year-on-year growth shown in all product sectors. BRIC economies are also strongly represented on the list, with 17 entries in the top 100, and China’s power in driving brands is shown in the preponderance of fast food brands – global brands director for Millward Brown Peter Walshe told Reuters that the high positioning of companies such as McDonald’s was due to increased fast food consumption in China and other developing markets.