Singapore tops 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index, US ninth

Singapore has topped the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) for the first time, driven by its education system, good governance and timely steps to maintain an adaptable and innovation-ready workforce in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The 11th edition of the index, jointly published by business school INSEAD and D.C.-based think tank Portulans Institute, measures how countries develop, attract and retain talent across all income groups. News - CNBC

The theme of this year's report was 'resilience in the age of disruption'. It ranks 135 countries globally across 77 indicators, including soft skills and AI talent density, based on six pillars.

“In this era of rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and profound societal change, reliable talent metrics are more important than ever,” said Rafael Escalona Reynoso, CEO of the Portulance Institute.

“While historians can give us a better perspective, we really do feel like we are living in a time of heightened disruption and anxiety,” said Lily Fang, Dean of Research and Innovation at INSEAD. Geopolitical uncertainty poses huge challenges to global trade and market resilience, while artificial intelligence brings great opportunities as well as unimaginable risks to enhance human potential.

The top 10 countries in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) are:
1. Singapore
2. Switzerland
3. Denmark
4. Finland
5. Sweden
6. Netherlands
7. Norway
8. Luxembourg
9. United States
10. Australia

Notably, Switzerland has dropped one spot in the GTCI for the first time in its history, losing its top spot to Singapore. However, the country remains in the top five in several areas, including Internet Access in Schools (1st), Government Effectiveness (2nd), and AI Skills Migration (4th). Seven of the top 10 positions are occupied by high-income European countries.

Additionally, the United States, which ranked third in the 2023 report, has slipped to ninth place this year, its weakest position since 2013. The report said that while the US scores strongly in enabling and developing talent, the country has slipped to ninth place due to slight declines in the categories of ‘openness’ and ‘lifelong learning’.

“Economics that create an adaptable, cross-functional and AI-savvy workforce are better able to turn disruptions into opportunities and maintain long-term competitiveness,” said Paul Evans, emeritus professor at INSEAD and co-editor of the report.