For the primary time, Singapore has topped the 2025 World Expertise Competitiveness Index (GTCI)—a rating by the French enterprise college INSEAD that measures how nations develop, entice, and retain expertise.
The town-state—the one Asian nation on this yr’s high 10—dethroned Switzerland, which had held first place because the record’s inception in 2013.
Switzerland slid to second place on this yr’s record, intently adopted by different European nations reminiscent of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The U.S. got here in ninth (slipping from third place in 2023), its lowest rating because the index was based.
The GTCI index considers 77 indicators, starting from mushy expertise to synthetic intelligence. It spans 135 nations, which collectively characterize over 97% of worldwide GDP and 93% of the world’s inhabitants.
Singapore pushes ahead
Based on the 2025 GTCI report, Singapore clinched first place because of the fixed evolution of its instructional system, and its give attention to nurturing an adaptive and resilient workforce.
The nation ranked first on the “generalist adaptive expertise” metric, which measures staff’ socio-emotional flexibility, technological adaptability, and innovation-driven outputs.
“Economies that domesticate adaptable, cross-functional and AI-literate workforces are typically higher positioned to transform disruption into alternative and maintain long-term competitiveness,” stated Paul Evans, Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD and co-editor of the report, in a press assertion dated Nov. 26.
“This yr’s outcomes underscore that expertise competitiveness will not be solely a operate of earnings degree, however of strategic coverage orientation, institutional high quality and efficient mobilisation of human capital sources,” he added.
How different nations carried out
Europe continued to dominate the rankings, making up seven of the GTCI’s high 10.
Some nations had been additionally recognised within the GTCI report “for his or her capability to get higher expertise outcomes with fewer sources.” They included prosperous nations reminiscent of South Korea, and lower-middle earnings nations like Tajikistan, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Low-income nations like Rwanda had been additionally acknowledged for demonstrating robust foundations for expertise improvement.
This yr’s index marked a first-time collaboration between INSEAD and the Portulans Institute, a non-profit analysis outfit primarily based in Washington, D.C.
And extra so than ever, in figuring out their world competitiveness, nations’ adaptive capabilities have come to the fore, stated Rafael Escalona Reynoso, the CEO of Portulans Institute.
“What issues most as we speak are adaptive capabilities: the flexibility to collaborate, suppose throughout disciplines, innovate below stress and navigate fast-moving, tech-driven environments. These are the talents that more and more outline a rustic’s competitiveness,” he stated.
