The Most Innovative Countries in the World in 2022. Since 2000, global investment in research and development (R&D) has tripled to $2.4 trillion.
R&D spend is also casting a wider global net. In 1960, the U.S. made up nearly 70% of global R&D spending, and by 2020 this had fallen to 30%. From job creation and public health to national security and industrial competitiveness, R&D plays a vital role in a country’s economic growth and innovation, impacting nearly every corner of society—either directly or indirectly.
Along with R&D spend, other key ingredients play an important role in driving progress and innovation. These include technological adoption, scientific research, and venture capital activity, among others.
The above infographic ranks the world’s most innovative economies using data from the UN’s WIPO Global Innovation Index.
What Defines an Innovative Economy?
Innovation is inherently challenging to quantify, but the Global Innovation Index is a longstanding attempt to do just that.
The framework used for the index was designed to create a more complete analysis, comprising of 81 indicators across seven categories to calculate a country’s score:
| 7 Categories | Example Indicators |
|---|---|
| 🧳 Business Sophistication | Business R&D spend, net inflows of foreign direct investment |
| 📈 Market Sophistication | Size of economy’s GDP, intensity of local market competition |
| 🛣️ Infrastructure | Road, hospital, school construction, energy efficiency |
| 👩🏫 Human Capital & Research | Government funding per pupil, quality of scientific and research institutions |
| 🏛️ Institutions | Political stability and safety, ease of starting a business |
| 💡 Creative Outputs | Most valuable brands, industrial design applications, trademark applications |
| 👨💻 Knowledge and Technology Outputs | Patent applications, increase in labor productivity, spending on software |
As the above table shows, the framework aims to identify indicators that foster an innovative environment and breakthrough technologies.
It’s worth noting that each country’s overall innovation score is a mix of these categories, and countries with similar scores can be strong in different areas.
The 50 Most Innovative Countries in 2022
Switzerland ranks at the top for the 12th year in a row—above the U.S., South Korea, and Israel.
For many, this may come as a surprise. However, the country’s intellectual property rules are considered world-class, and they are complemented by strong collaboration between universities and industry. In addition, the country attracts top talent thanks to its high quality of living.
At second is the United States, which is a top spender on R&D at over $700 billion per year. Globally, four of the five top R&D spending companies are in America: Amazon ($42.7 billion), Alphabet ($27.6 billion), Microsoft ($19.3 billion), and Apple ($18.8 billion).
| 11 | 🇨🇳 China | 55.3 |
| 12 | 🇫🇷 France | 55.0 |
| 13 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 53.6 |
| 14 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 51.8 |
| 15 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 50.8 |
| 16 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 50.2 |
| 17 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 50.2 |
| 18 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 50.2 |
| 19 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 49.8 |
| 20 | 🇮🇸 Iceland |
49.5 |
| 21 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 49.1 |
| 22 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 48.8 |
| 23 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 48.5 |
| 24 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 47.2 |
| 25 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 47.1 |
| 26 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 46.9 |
| 27 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 46.2 |
| 28 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 46.1 |
| 29 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 44.6 |
| 30 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic |
42.8 |
| 31 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 42.1 |
| 32 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 42.1 |
| 33 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 40.6 |
| 34 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 39.8 |
| 35 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 39.5 |
| 36 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 38.7 |
| 37 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 38.1 |
| 38 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 37.5 |
| 39 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 37.4 |
| 40 | 🇮🇳 India | 36.6 |
| 41 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 36.5 |
| 42 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 35.6 |
| 43 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 34.9 |
| 44 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 34.5 |
| 45 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 34.4 |
| 46 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 34.3 |
| 47 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 34.3 |
| 48 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 34.3 |
| 49 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 34.1 |
| 50 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 34.0 |
Europe
With 15 of the top 25 economies in the world, Europe is a powerhouse for fostering innovative ecosystems.
The continent is also a leader in social progress, equality, and life satisfaction. The region scores 30 on inequality according to the Gini Index compared to 41 for America.
Middle East and Central Asia
As the highest ranked in the region, Israel (#16) is the sole country globally that spends over 5% of GDP on R&D. Overall, it is a global leader in patent applications and information and communication technology (ICT) services exports.
For context, the country’s density of start-ups per capita is 16 times that of Europe.
Africa
The highest ranked in Africa is the island nation of Mauritius (#45).
Underscoring its rank is the strength of its institutions and market sophistication. Meanwhile, the government is accelerating investment in tech incubators, research-business collaboration, and tax incentives for R&D investment.
