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Global Competitiveness
Introduction
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What is competitiveness?
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GCR 2014-2015, French
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GCR 2014-2015: German
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GCR 2014-2015: Spanish
The Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 assesses
the competitiveness landscape of 144 economies, providing insight into
the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. The report remains the
most comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide,
providing a platform for dialogue between government, business and civil
society about the actions required to improve economic prosperity. Competitiveness is defined as the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. The level of productivity, in turn, sets the level of prosperity that can be earned by an economy.
The different aspects of competitiveness are captured in 12 pillars, which compose the Global Competitiveness Index. This
35th edition emphasizes innovation and skills as the key drivers of
economic growth. While these increasingly influence competitiveness and
the global economy tentatively recovers from the economic
crisis, significant risks remain, resulting from a strained
geopolitical situation, rising income inequality and the potential
tightening of financial conditions. It is therefore crucial to address these structural challenges to ensure more sustainable
and inclusive growth. More than ever, cooperative leadership among
business, government and civil society is needed to re-establish
sustainable growth and raise living standards throughout the world.
Browse the report readerJoin the conversation: Forumblog | Facebook I Twitter
What
is the biggest source of violence in our world? With the brutal
conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere constantly in the news, many
people would probably say war. But that turns out to be spectacularly
wrong.
Getting it right
matters if we are to find cost-effective solutions to this and other
global problems. Obviously, everyone would like to stop wars and
violence, just as we would like to end poverty, hunger and global
warming, while providing education to all. But, given...
Post date:
September 19, 2014
As
the latest G20 meeting of finance ministers starts in Cairns,
Australia, the Legion of Gloom is at it again. Their conventional wisdom
is that “the system” – global governance structures ranging from the
World Trade Organization and the G20 to the major central banks – is
badly broken and in desperate need of repair. In fact, the global
economic order has worked remarkably well since 2008.
True, the first year of the Great Recession was more severe than the first year of the Great...
Post date:
September 19, 2014
After
more than five years of exceptionally low interest rates, the United
States Federal Reserve is getting closer to the point of managing a
lift-off of policy interest rates from close to zero. As of today,
lift-off is expected to take place by around mid-2015.
But this is not set in stone. The Fed has repeatedly emphasized that
the timing will depend on the state of the US economy. If things look
better, policy rates may increase earlier. Conversely, weaker than
expected data may mean that interest rates move up later.
In our view, based on our most recent economic...
Post date:
September 18, 2014
Shadow
banking, what is it good for? At the epicentre of the global financial
crisis, shadow banking has become the focus of intense regulatory
scrutiny. All reform proposals implicitly take a stance on its economic
value.
According to the prevailing regulatory
arbitrage and neglected risks views, it doesn’t have any – shadow
banking is about evading capital requirements, exploiting “too big to
fail” and marketing risky securities as safe to unwitting investors. The
right response is to bring shadow banking into the...
Post date:
September 18, 2014
Though
the world’s eyes are on Scotland’s referendum on independence from the
United Kingdom, Scotland is not alone in seeking to redraw national
boundaries. There are independence movements in many other parts of the
world; indeed, 39 new states have joined the United Nations since 1980.
Many more aspirants are waiting in the wings, and would likely be
encouraged by a Scottish “yes” vote.
The Scottish pro-independence campaign is based on...
Post date:
September 17, 2014
A
new kind of inequality – or divergence – is emerging in modern society
between individuals and businesses who incorporate purpose into their
work, and those who don’t. Impact investing has entered the mainstream
mindset, but for many, putting it into practice has proven difficult.
Impact investing has become a hot topic over the past year: the G7
established an impact investing task force, the White House announced a
related policy agenda and the Pope organized discussions on the subject
at the Vatican. For the past decade, I have been studying the rise of
impact investing from...
Post date:
September 16, 2014
The
Chinese economy has grown rapidly and created tremendous wealth.
Nominal GDP has grown 7.5 times between 2000 and 2013. Total household
income has about doubled between 2005 and 2012 alone and stands to more
than triple between 2012 and 2030. By 2030, the upper middle class will
make up more than half of urban households. However, this rapid growth
puts a tremendous strain on resources. China’s growth demands a strong
supply of raw materials, water, energy, and food, among others. One
potential remedy to resource supply constraints and consequently high
resource prices and volatility...
Post date:
September 12, 2014
As
I meet technology leaders in various parts of the world, it’s clear
that a significant number of emerging technologies are gaining momentum
on a global scale. With faster innovation cycles they have the potential
to be the next market disruptors. To assess the coming wave of
technology over the next three years, KPMG recently surveyed 768
technology business leaders – from technology-industry start-ups,
mid-sized to large enterprises, venture capital firms and angel
investors – to identify the emerging/disruptive technologies and
barriers to the adoption of tech innovation. The key...
Post date:
September 12, 2014
A
selection of the top photographs taken during the second day of the
Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2014 in Tianjin, China.
Post date:
September 11, 2014
This
is the transcript of Professor Klaus Schwab’s address at the Opening
Plenary of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2014.
A cordial welcome to all of you – and particularly to Your Excellency Li Keqiang, premier of the People’s Republic of China.
For me, to stand here is always a very special moment. It has now
been 35 years since the first time I came to China. And during all these
years, the World Economic Forum has developed a very special
relationship, partnership and friendship with this great country and its
people – thank you.
The world has...
Post date:
September 10, 2014
Thomas Piketty’s recent book Capital in the Twenty-First Century attests
to growing concern about rising inequality. His book lends further
weight to the already overwhelming body of evidence concerning the
soaring share of income and wealth at the very top.
Piketty’s book, moreover, provides a different perspective on the 30 or so years that followed t
As
an economic policy adviser and someone who teaches policies for
competitiveness, I often wonder which policies governments of the
Eurasian region should pursue individually vs collectively to enhance
their competitiveness?
Having contributed to the World Economic Forum’s scenario work on the
South Caucasus and Central Asia, my view on this question is clear:
work together, not alone. In fact, the question is not only “which”
policies to pursue alone or together, but rather “how” to move from
alone to together.
Einstein wrote: “We cannot solve our problems with the same...
Post date:
September 10, 2014
Why
has China’s e-commerce industry developed so fast? I get asked this in
almost every country I visit, usually closely followed by the question:
“Could the same happen here?” To try to answer, I focus on the following
six points:
1. First and foremost, China manufactures too much of almost everything
This has created an enormous supply of product that manufacturers,
distributors and retailers are looking to get rid of at a marginal
price, ideally into a part of China that they are not focused on.
Chinese mom and pop retailers, distributors and the...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
more than 30 years the World Economic Forum has studied and benchmarked
competitiveness, widely accepted as the key driver for sustaining
prosperity and improving the well-being of a nation’s citizens.
Now the Forum is building a competitiveness repository to showcase
examples of successful competitiveness programmes that rely on
public-private collaboration. Here are 10 examples from around the
world.
Austria: TheKPlus Competence Centre Programme, jointly funded by
government and private enterprise, was created in the late 1990s in
recognition of the increasing...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Why
has China’s e-commerce industry developed so fast? I get asked this in
almost every country I visit, usually closely followed by the question:
“Could the same happen here?” To try to answer, I focus on the following
six points:
1. First and foremost, China manufactures too much of almost everything
This has created an enormous supply of product that manufacturers,
distributors and retailers are looking to get rid of at a marginal
price, ideally into a part of China that they are not focused on.
Chinese mom and pop retailers, distributors and the...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
more than 30 years the World Economic Forum has studied and benchmarked
competitiveness, widely accepted as the key driver for sustaining
prosperity and improving the well-being of a nation’s citizens.
Now the Forum is building a competitiveness repository to showcase
examples of successful competitiveness programmes that rely on
public-private collaboration. Here are 10 examples from around the
world.
Austria: TheKPlus Competence Centre Programme, jointly funded by
government and private enterprise, was created in the late 1990s in
recognition of the increasing...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Why
has China’s e-commerce industry developed so fast? I get asked this in
almost every country I visit, usually closely followed by the question:
“Could the same happen here?” To try to answer, I focus on the following
six points:
1. First and foremost, China manufactures too much of almost everything
This has created an enormous supply of product that manufacturers,
distributors and retailers are looking to get rid of at a marginal
price, ideally into a part of China that they are not focused on.
Chinese mom and pop retailers, distributors and the...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
more than 30 years the World Economic Forum has studied and benchmarked
competitiveness, widely accepted as the key driver for sustaining
prosperity and improving the well-being of a nation’s citizens.
Now the Forum is building a competitiveness repository to showcase
examples of successful competitiveness programmes that rely on
public-private collaboration. Here are 10 examples from around the
world.
Austria: TheKPlus Competence Centre Programme, jointly funded by
government and private enterprise, was created in the late 1990s in
recognition of the increasing...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Why
has China’s e-commerce industry developed so fast? I get asked this in
almost every country I visit, usually closely followed by the question:
“Could the same happen here?” To try to answer, I focus on the following
six points:
1. First and foremost, China manufactures too much of almost everything
This has created an enormous supply of product that manufacturers,
distributors and retailers are looking to get rid of at a marginal
price, ideally into a part of China that they are not focused on.
Chinese mom and pop retailers, distributors and the...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
more than 30 years the World Economic Forum has studied and benchmarked
competitiveness, widely accepted as the key driver for sustaining
prosperity and improving the well-being of a nation’s citizens.
Now the Forum is building a competitiveness repository to showcase
examples of successful competitiveness programmes that rely on
public-private collaboration. Here are 10 examples from around the
world.
Austria: TheKPlus Competence Centre Programme, jointly funded by
government and private enterprise, was created in the late 1990s in
recognition of the increasing...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Rising income
and wealth inequality in many countries around the world has been a
long-term trend for three decades or more. But the attention devoted to
it has increased substantially since the 2008 financial crisis: with
slow growth, rising inequality bites harder.
The
“old” theory about inequality was that redistribution via the tax
system weakened incentives and undermined economic growth. But the
relationship between inequality and...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Every
year, the World Economic Forum recognises a group of companies whose
innovations have the power to change industries and societies. Here is a
full list of the Technology Pioneers of 2015.
Life Sciences & Health
Guardant Health – Guardant Health is a diagnostics company focused on
changing the way cancer is managed. The company’s proprietary technology
enables comprehensive real-time monitoring of cancer through a simple
blood test. Current treatment often requires biopsies, which are risky
and costly and consequently cannot be used to capture genetic changes
that...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Italy
is now in a triple-dip recession. But it didn’t get there by itself.
Yes, the economy’s long slide reflects Italian leaders’ failure to
confront the country’s loss of competitiveness; but it is a failure that
is widely shared in Europe.
When
the financial crisis erupted in the fourth quarter of 2007, Italy’s
GDP plummeted by 7%, then picked up by 3%, dropped again by 5%,
rebounded by a measly 0.1% and lately, during the first half of...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
stagnating eurozone economy requires policy action. This column argues
that EZ leaders should agree a coordinated 5% tax cut, extension of
budget deficit targets by three or four years, and issuance of long-term
public debt to be purchased by the ECB without sterilisation.
The mantra is that once again it is up to the ECB to save the
eurozone. Quantitative easing is the last policy tool available to
jumpstart the eurozone economy. The longer the ECB waits before starting
to buy government bonds, the further away will the recovery be. This
analysis, however, overestimates the...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
“Bonjour
Monsieur, comment pourrais-je vous aider?” asks the obsequious
concierge at my Paris hotel. I immediately wonder what happened to the
city’s infamous haughtiness – especially toward American tourists. If
the French capital is no longer Europe’s rudest city, we can perhaps
thank the growth of online rating tools, such as TripAdvisor.
Travel websites have been around since the 1990s, when Expedia, Travelocity and other holiday booking...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
challenge of ensuring adequate, nutrient-rich food for an expanding
global population is a daunting one, especially given constraints on key
resources like water and agricultural land. As it stands, the two
leading approaches to enriching and enlarging the world’s food supply
are genetic engineering and industrial processing with additives and
chemicals. Now, a third solution is emerging: vertical farming.
Academic studies have found...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Each
and every generation must contend with profound political, economic,
social and above all, technological transformations. They not only
change long-held assumptions about our future economic prospects but
also create new expectations about human advancement and social
progress. Yet the breadth and velocity of technological innovation
appears equally inspiring and empowering as well as disruptive and
ominous. Context, culture and circumstance all play a role in creating a
positive or negative reaction.
For example, on one hand, a new era of industry advances in data analytics,...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Why
has China’s e-commerce industry developed so fast? I get asked this in
almost every country I visit, usually closely followed by the question:
“Could the same happen here?” To try to answer, I focus on the following
six points:
1. First and foremost, China manufactures too much of almost everything
This has created an enormous supply of product that manufacturers,
distributors and retailers are looking to get rid of at a marginal
price, ideally into a part of China that they are not focused on.
Chinese mom and pop retailers, distributors and the...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Reducing
income disparities has always ranked high among the top objectives of
policy-makers as a measure to achieve and spread economic prosperity
throughout the population. This objective has become even more important
because the Great Recession we experienced in recent years has resulted
in record-high unemployment rates and an increase in income
disparities. In many countries, social protests have ensued.
Delocalization of economic activity, technological change and skills
mismatches in fast-changing economic environments are just some of the
factors behind the rise of income...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Last
June, a UN task force in charge of developing the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) released a zero draft. While the final
framework is expected to be adopted by the UN in 2015, the latest draft
shows how the SDGs are incorporating and upscaling many of the older
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
At the centre of this political process is a more encompassing vision
of sustainable development: “Poverty eradication, changing
unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and protecting and
managing the natural resource base of economic and social development
are...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
In
recent years, many studies have highlighted the stark competitiveness
divide that exists and persists between a highly productive and
internationally competitive North, and a lagging South and East Europe.
However, new results coming from the World Economic Forum’s Global
Competitiveness Report 2014-15, suggests that Europe’s divide may be
taking on a different complexion altogether.
Unsurprisingly, given the structural nature of many of the factors
driving competitiveness, this year’s report continues to show a
stubbornly high gap between the highly competitive Nordic countries...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
more than 30 years the World Economic Forum has studied and benchmarked
competitiveness, widely accepted as the key driver for sustaining
prosperity and improving the well-being of a nation’s citizens.
Now the Forum is building a competitiveness repository to showcase
examples of successful competitiveness programmes that rely on
public-private collaboration. Here are 10 examples from around the
world.
Austria: TheKPlus Competence Centre Programme, jointly funded by
government and private enterprise, was created in the late 1990s in
recognition of the increasing...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
reception in the United States, and in other advanced economies, of
he Great...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
an economist whose job it is to measure countries’ success (or
otherwise) in laying the foundations for long-term prosperity, the
concept of green shoots for me takes on a different meaning to those
most often reported in the press as harbingers of better times.
Increases in gross domestic product, falls in joblessness and upticks in
new housing starts are of course good and welcome, but taken alone
these indicators offer us little insight into how the US economy will be
doing in five or ten years’ time.
This is the purpose of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
According
to the latest World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, in
order to keep up the positive economic momentum of recent years and
boost competitiveness, Latin America and the Caribbean need to implement
further structural reforms and strengthen investment in infrastructure,
skills development and innovation.
The report, which covers 144 economies and ranks them on 12 key
measures that influence competitiveness, finds that productivity in
Latin America and the Caribbean remains low. But there are still success
stories. Here are the top 10 performers in the region....
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
sub-Saharan African region has provided something of a silver lining in
an otherwise broadly felt global economic downturn in recent years,
according to the latest edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global
Competitiveness Report, which assesses 144 economies. Sub-Saharan
economies continued to register impressive growth rates of close to 5%
in 2013 – with rising projections for the next two years – below only
emerging and developing Asia.
Yet significant risks remain. More than half of the 20 lowest-ranked
countries in the report are sub-Saharan, and many markets have...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
Global Competitiveness Report 2014-15 assesses the competitiveness of
144 economies based on 12 “pillars” which include institutions,
infrastructure, health and education, labour market efficiency,
technological readiness, innovation and business sophistication.
Click through our gallery and find out how different countries compare across the various pillars.
Video: What is the Global Competitiveness Report?
Author: Margareta Drzeniek, Director, Lead Economist, Head of Global Competitiveness Risks at the World Economic Forum.
Post date:
September 8, 2014
For
the sixth consecutive edition, Switzerland tops the rankings of the
World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report. Since 1979, this
annual study has helped to pinpoint the reasons behind the differing
fortunes of the countries studied – 144 economies in the 2014-2015
edition. For example, it helps explain Switzerland’s remarkable
resilience throughout the Great Recession. Since 2007, the country
experienced only a brief episode of recession in 2009. During that same
period, Greece – ranked 81st in the report – has not seen a single year
of growth and GDP shrank by some 25...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Some
argue that growth across Africa is fundamentally a result of rising
commodity prices and that if these prices were to collapse, so too would
Africa’s growth rates (Lipton 2012). Others lament the so-called
de-industrialization of Africa. They worry that without a vibrant
manufacturing sector, unemployment will remain high and the economies of
Africa will not catch up with the more advanced countries of the world
(Rodrik 2014).Finally, some warn that youth unemployment could lead to
social unrest in sub-Saharan Africa (Filmer and Fox, 2014).
...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Large
parts of the Middle East and North Africa continue to be affected by
geopolitical conflict and turbulence. Yet, according to the latest
edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness
Report 2014-15, some North African economies are slowly stabilizing and
are starting to focus on economic reform that will improve the business
environment and help restore investor confidence.
At the same time, the annual study of 144 economies shows some small,
energy-rich economies continuing to build on their resource-driven
wealth to undertake structural reforms that will help...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
Global Competitiveness Report 2014-15 assesses the competitiveness of
144 world economies based on 12 “pillars” which include institutions,
infrastructure, health and education, labour market efficiency,
technological readiness, innovation and business sophistication. Scroll
through the gallery above to find out this year’s top 10 countries.
See how well different countries perform on our latest Global Competitiveness Index:
Author: Margareta Drzeniek, Director, Lead Economist, Head of Global Competitiveness Risks at the World Economic Forum.
All images...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
The
competitiveness landscape in the Asia-Pacific region remains one of
stark contrasts. According to the latest edition of the World Economic
Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2014-15, the region is home to
three of the 10 most competitive economies in the world, and a further
three feature in the top 20. However, at the other end of the regional
spectrum, five countries rank below the 100 mark in this study of 144
economies. The Asian Tigers continue to perform strongly as measured by
the report’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), but with the steady
decline of South Korea, now...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Economic
recovery across Europe is mixed, with many countries now recording
stronger growth, while others continue to suffer from weak growth driven
by protracted internal demand, high unemployment and financial
fragmentation.
According to the latest edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global
Competitiveness Report, six European countries are ranked among the
global top 10 most competitive economies. However, many countries in
Southern and Central and Eastern Europe ranked poorly, highlighting the
persistent divide between Northern Europe and the less competitive south
and eastern...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
An
increasing number of US companies are making plans to shift their
headquarters to Europe. These so-called “inversions” would reduce these
companies’ total tax bill by allowing them to escape from the
US’s uniquely unfavourable corporate tax rules. So what should US
policy-makers do?
President
Barack Obama’s administration is seeking to block corporate inversion
through administrative measures that may not hold up in US courts. It...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
Relapse
is the rule in the post-crisis global economy. In the United States,
Japan and Europe, GDP growth faltered again in the first half of 2014.
These setbacks are hardly a coincidence. Persistent sluggish growth
throughout the developed world has left major economies unusually
vulnerable to the inevitable bumps in the road.
Sure, there are excuses – there always are. A contraction in the US economy in the first quarter of the year was...
Post date:
September 8, 2014
La
recuperación económica en toda Europa está mezclada, pues muchos países
ahora registran un fuerte crecimiento, mientras que otros siguen
sufriendo un crecimiento débil impulsado por prolongadas demandas
internas, altas tasas de desempleo y fragmentación financiera.
De acuerdo con la última edición del Informe de Competitividad Global
del Foro Económico Mundial, seis países europeos aparecen entre las 10
economías globales más competitivas. No obstante, muchos países del sur,
centro y este de Europa han obtenido resultados deficientes, lo cual
resalta la persistente brecha entre...
Post date:
September 3, 2014
Post date:
September 2, 2014
The Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 looks at the competitiveness of 144 economies.
The Global
Competitiveness Report 2014 - 2015 assesses the competitiveness
landscape of 144 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their
productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most
comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide.
It is
being launched at a time when the global economy seems to be finally
leaving behind the worst and longest-lasting financial and economic
crisis of the last 80 years. However, this resurgence is moving at a
less decisive pace than it has after previous downturns, and heightened
risks looming on...
Post date:
August 28, 2014
One
puzzle of the world economy is that for 200 years, the world’s rich
countries grew faster than poorer countries, a process aptly described
by Lant Pritchett as “Divergence, Big Time.” When Adam Smith wrote The
Wealth of Nations in 1776, per capita income in the world’s richest
country – probably the Netherlands – was about four times that of the
poorest countries. Two centuries later, the Netherlands was 40 times
richer than China, 24 times richer than India, and ten times richer than
Thailand.
...
Post date:
August 21, 2014
On
August 15, Narendra Modi delivered his first Independence Day speech as
India’s Prime Minister. Though he continued the tradition of addressing
the country from the ramparts of Delhi’s historic Red Fort, the speech
broke with convention. Shunning a written text, Modi extemporized for an
hour, mapping out an explicit vision for India, including an economic
model that constitutes a clean break from India’s past.
Since 1991, India has...
Post date:
August 20, 2014
The
18th-century German military strategist Carl von Clausewitz defined
war as the continuation of politics by different means, and, like the
ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, believed that securing peace meant
preparing for violent conflict. As the world becomes increasingly
tumultuous – apparent in the revival of military struggle in Ukraine,
continued chaos in the Middle East, and rising tensions in East Asia –
such thinking could not be more relevant.
...
Post date:
August 18, 2014
Nearly
30 years ago, Pittsburgh had an unemployment rate of over 17% and was
losing thousands of jobs monthly; the steel industry on which it
depended had been devastated in the late 20th century by slowing demand,
higher costs and intense competition. Now, the city boasts
lower-than-national-average unemployment rates.
While still employing 100,000 manufacturers as America’s
second-largest market for industrial metal employment, Pittsburgh
successfully reinvented itself by attracting and creating new
industries, even earning a new moniker, “Roboburgh”, for its success
in...
Post date:
August 15, 2014
More
than ever, cities are the lifeblood of the global economy, and
increasingly determining the wealth of nations. Productive policy
innovation is taking place in cities, more often than in the halls of
national governments or international forums such as the UN, EU and G20.
The closer it is to the citizen, the more flexible and practical
policy-making becomes. Also, the more experimental it becomes,
contributing to all-round learning and adaptation. Cities emulate one
another and adopt best international practice better than nations do.
Competitiveness hinges on the productivity...
Post date:
August 15, 2014
Countries
around the world need to devolve power to cities and be more open to
foreigners if they are to benefit from new patterns of urbanization,
says Razeen Sally, associate professor at the National University of
Singapore in this World Economic Forum video.
Here are some more quotes from the clip, and you can watch the full video at the top of this page:
“The hundred biggest cities in the world account for about 40%
of world output. We see ever tighter connections across borders through
trade, through foreign investment and the movement of people. It’s
these...
Post date:
August 14, 2014
Although
having a population of only 530,000 people, Leipzig has leapt from
economic stagnation to the forefront of European cities.
In 1989 Leipzig was the epicentre of the largest public demonstration
in Germany that lead directly to the fall of the Berlin Wall but
suffered terribly in the transition from communism. Some 96% of the jobs
in the uncompetitive industrial sector are said to have disappeared
within six months after German reunification. While the city of Jena had
an optics industry and Dresden had a micro-electronics industry that
survived, Leipzig had to begin again...
Post date:
August 13, 2014
Many
organizations rely on prosocial behaviours – choices that benefit
others but have a personal cost – to achieve their objectives. For
instance, foundations rely on charitable contributions for funding,
governments partly rely on voluntary compliance for tax revenue, and
employers rely on voluntary referrals for hiring. Because such prosocial
behaviours have positive externalities by definition, increasing such
behaviour can improve welfare. What are the most effective policies to
encourage prosocial behaviour?
While there is a...
Post date:
August 13, 2014
Recently,
a number of studies, descriptive employment statistics, and statements
by US politicians have raised concerns about the strength of US
manufacturing. For example, in a January 2014 Journal of Economic
Perspectives article, Martin Baily and Barry Bosworth expressed concern
about the recent absolute decline in US manufacturing employment, as
well as the long-recognized decreasing share of manufacturing within
overall US employment. They also argued that productivity growth in
manufacturing can be attributed solely to the unusual performance of
computer...
Post date:
August 12, 2014
Fears
that immigration takes jobs away from natives and imposes significant
costs on taxpayers continue to shape electoral campaigns and policy
discourses in several countries. In a recent referendum, the Swiss
population rejected the free movement of workers from the EU. In
Germany, there are mounting fears that millions of poor immigrants from
new EU member states would flock to the country, attracted by the
generous welfare state.
The UK Prime Minister David Cameron has argued in favour of
significant restrictions on labour mobility within the EU to limit
inflows to the UK. And...
Post date:
August 11, 2014
In
the movie Groundhog Day, a television weatherman, played by Bill
Murray, awakes every morning at 6am to relive the same day. A similar
sense of déjà vu has pervaded economic forecasting since the global
economic crisis began a half-decade ago. Yet policy-makers remain
convinced that the economic-growth model that prevailed during the
pre-crisis years is still their best guide, at least in the near future.
Consider the mid-year update of...
Post date:
August 8, 2014
Summer
is conference season – a critical time for building brands, making
connections and shaping industries. Indeed, though people increasingly
learn and interact online, we retain a fundamental need to engage in
person. At conferences, such engagement is guided by a few basic
principles. Understanding them – being “conference literate” – is
critical to making the most of a conference, whether as an organizer,
speaker or attendee.
Perhaps...
Post date:
August 6, 2014
Euphoria
abounds in much of Africa nowadays, and rightly so. Seven of the
world’s 10 fastest-growing countries are there. Recognizing the
potential and importance of the continent, US President Barack Obama is
currently convening a US-Africa Leaders Summit.
But,
amid all of the good news, there is a risk of overlooking the bad.
According to a recent report on the UN Millennium Development Goals, the
number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who...
Post date:
August 6, 2014
Conclusive
evidence is still missing that signing bilateral investment treaties
and other international investment agreements helps developing host
countries attract more FDI – and yet, the number of such agreements has
mushroomed. What is more, developing countries have witnessed a wave of
litigation – and yet they increasingly agreed to stricter FDI-related
provisions in international investment agreements, in particular with
regard to investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms and
pre-establishment national treatment of foreign investors.
...
Post date:
August 5, 2014
The
dream that the 21st century will be the African century is powerful and
intoxicating. It is also becoming reality. As African officials gather
in Washington DC for the first US-Africa Leaders Summit, it is worth
considering the basis – and the limits – of the continent’s progress.
While
conflict and poverty remain serious problems in many African regions,
our continent is not only more stable than ever before; it is also
experiencing...
Post date:
August 5, 2014
According
to Online and Underground, a survey launched earlier this spring by the
New Cities Foundation, Ericsson and the International Association of
Public Transport (UITP), 77% of surveyed subway systems provide their
customer with some level of internet access, either in stations (73%) or
on board trains (58%). Over the next three years, 68% of surveyed
subway systems plan on extending broadband connectivity in their
existing stations.
Extending into one of the last internet-free urban reaches,
underground connectivity is arguably an unnecessary or unwelcome
over-saturation. In...
Post date:
August 4, 2014
The
recent creation of a new international development bank by Brazil,
Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the so-called BRICS – is just
the latest challenge to America’s global leadership. But, from an
international business perspective, the United States remains in a
strong position.
Perhaps
the best indication of America’s enduring stature is the dollar’s
dominance in international financial transactions. Last year’s Foreign
Direct...
Post date:
July 30, 2014
Poor
countries export raw materials such as cocoa, iron ore, and raw
diamonds. Rich countries export – often to those same poor countries –
more complex products such as chocolate, cars, and jewels. If poor
countries want to get rich, they should stop exporting their resources
in raw form and concentrate on adding value to them. Otherwise, rich
countries will get the lion’s share of the value and all of the good
jobs.
Poor countries could...
Post date:
July 29, 2014
The
decade that preceded the 2008 financial crisis was marked by massive
global trade imbalances, as the United States ran large bilateral
deficits, especially with China. Since the crisis reached its nadir,
these imbalances have been partly reversed, with America’s trade
deficit, as a share of GDP, declining from its 2006 peak of 5.5% to 3.4%
in 2012, and China’s surplus shrinking from 7.7% to 2.8% over the same
period. But is this a temporary adjustment, or is long-term rebalancing
at hand?
...
Post date:
July 28, 2014
In
recent years, China and India have both emerged as global economic
superpowers, with China leading the way. But with Chinese growth slowing
and the need for structural change becoming increasingly acute, will
the economic-reform efforts of India’s new prime minister, Narendra
Modi, enable the country to catch up?
Since the 1980s, China has experienced unprecedented economic growth, fuelled by abundant low-cost labour, high saving and...
Post date:
July 28, 2014
Thomas
Piketty and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil have something in common.
The bestseller of the former and the social unrest associated with the
latter are two recent and vivid reminders of the salience and resurgence
of income and wealth inequality.
Several explanations for increasing income
inequality have been proposed, including skill-biased technological
change brought about by computers and modern telecommunications, the
expansion of global goods and labour markets, and changes in countries’
skill and age distributions. Yet...
Post date:
July 24, 2014
Current high public debt burdens are due to three main forces:
Bond-financed fiscal stimulus measures applied in response to the global
economic crisis (and the earlier crisis in Japan)
Lower revenues and higher welfare payments due to sluggish growth and
rising unemployment, particularly in countries that adopted strong
austerity measures
Measures adopted to bail out banks
In some countries, the deflation tendency is
most probably due to inadequate demand in the market and falling wages.
If demand was adequate, but supply was deficient, rising inflation...
Post date:
July 18, 2014
The
recent political developments in India have set in motion a range of
changes aimed at galvanizing the bureaucracy, alleviating the concerns
of industry and improving public sentiment. So far, signals sent out by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi have helped reignite belief among
corporations and ordinary citizens that the country is back on the road
to sustained high growth.
I have been looking with particular interest at announcements that
show Modi wants to boost Indian entrepreneurship. The most significant
announcement so far has been the setting up of a Ministry of...
Post date:
July 18, 2014
The
original concept behind the BRIC acronym (which represents Brazil,
Russia, India and China) was to identify the countries with the greatest
growth potential in the first half of the 21st century, based on
features such as population, demography, growth rates and the embracing
of globalization. The theory was that China would become the most
important global exporter of manufactured goods (which is the case
today), India the most significant exporter of services (which did not
transpire) and Russia and Brazil would dominate as exporters of raw
materials.
The five members of the...
Post date:
July 15, 2014
Outside
my window there are three trees, two poplars and a small fruit tree.
Right now, two crows are flitting from branch to branch. At first
glance, it looks like a touching pastoral scene: plants and animals,
movement and rustling leaves. But there is more.
As I watch, I notice that one of the birds is trying to land on the
branch on which the other is perched. Every time it approaches, the
other makes aggressive movements towards it; there is something
attractive about that branch, and it does not want company.
The same dynamic can be seen in human nature, and several...
Post date:
July 3, 2014
Flexible
immigration procedures are essential for skilled workers to move easily
between countries and businesses. However, all around the world,
there’s a certain tension between the needs of governments seeking to
manage immigration, and businesses wanting to hire the most talented
people. As the global competition for talent intensifies, new policies
for resolving this tension have emerged, including preferential visa
regimes for certain types of workers and quotas.
One region that lags behind in tackling these issues is Africa. While the free movement of labour is a principle...
Post date:
June 26, 2014
China’s
real-estate sector has been a source of serious concern for several
years, with soaring property prices raising fears of overheating in the
housing market. But, with price growth easing, it seems that the
government’s campaign to rein in property risk is finally taking hold.
The danger now is that the housing market will collapse – bringing
China’s economic prospects down with it.
In its effort to control rising housing prices, China’s government
has pursued nine distinct policies, not all of which have served their
purpose. Though policies like limits on mortgages for first...
Post date:
June 24, 2014
Recent
research shows that start-up rates increase by as much as 20% when
entrepreneurship lessons are provided in schools. As we educate the next
wave of business owners, we should give young people first-hand
experience of the link between entrepreneurship and innovation.
Today’s digital natives are the most adept at using technology, but
at the same time they are less certain of the innovative processes that
created them. The younger generation need to learn how to create value
in the digital economy, and embrace the opportunities that abound in
science and engineering. This can...
Post date:
June 24, 2014
Different
languages, religions, histories and geographies have long divided
countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). But
change is afoot. The free-trade zone and the ASEAN Economic Community
planned for 2015 will create unprecedented regional integration that
benefits millions of businesses and people.
As one of world’s fastest growing regions, ASEAN is seeing tremendous
opportunities from increasing regional integration, the rise of new
technologies and the march of the Millennial generation, which by 2020
will account for 65% of the global workforce, and 60...
Post date:
June 19, 2014
Education
is undoubtedly a critical driver of economic growth and social
mobility. But efforts to expand access to education have typically
focused on the primary level, while neglecting tertiary schooling. And
initiatives that have emphasized post-secondary learning have placed
relatively little emphasis on educational quality. This has to change.
The influence of higher education on social mobility is particularly
pronounced in low-income countries, where the scarcity of skilled human
capital gives tertiary-educated workers a significant wage premium. The
problem is that many of...
Post date:
June 18, 2014
As
Europe slowly emerges from the worst financial and economic crisis of
the past 80 years, the need to focus on long-term strategies to increase
competitiveness has never been greater. Following the vision set by
European Union (EU) institutions in 2010, all European stakeholders need
to work together to implement the Europe 2020 strategy, thereby
building a smarter, inclusive and sustainable economy to support robust
economic growth and the generation of jobs.
In assessing the state of Europe’s competitiveness, The Europe 2020 Competitiveness Report: Building a More Competitive...
Post date:
June 10, 2014
International
investors, representatives of international and regional organisations,
and African leaders from government and civil society, who attended the
World Economic Forum on Africa in Abuja, Nigeria last month are seeking
to translate the region’s economic promise and youthful demographics
into employment opportunities and poverty reduction.
Sub-Saharan Africa is a rare bright spot in a still-sluggish world
economy, with the International Monetary Fund projecting 6% output
growth this year. A decade of expansion has been driven by peace, better
economic governance,...
Post date:
June 10, 2014
The
2014 edition of the The Europe 2020 Competitiveness Report, published
this week, tracks Europe’s progress on its competitiveness agenda. The
report includes an index which ranks the competitiveness of European
Union member states. Here are the top 10 countries on this year’s list.
1. Finland ranks 1st in this edition of the Europe 2020
Competitiveness Index, supported by its stronger performance in laying
the foundations for smart growth since the 2012 edition. This is driven
by a large focus on education and training (1st in this pillar), which
has provided...
Post date:
June 10, 2014
They’re
calling it a “TsuNaMo”. More than a victory for the Bhartiya Janata
Party (BJP), they’re calling it a victory for Narendra Modi. And Modi
himself is calling it a victory for India. Whatever we call it, India
has voted against the incumbents, and the desire for change could not be
greater.
In his first hundred days, however, the BJP leader will be under
pressure to demonstrate that he can leverage his electoral mandate and
deliver a realistic programme for growth over the next five years.
Just a fortnight before the election results were announced, the World Economic...
Post date:
May 20, 2014
As
the world progresses out of the global financial crisis, all eyes are
on Asia. The region has consistently outpaced the rest of the world in
terms of actual, and forecast, economic expansion. As education improves
and wealth increases, rapid consumption drives growth even further.
The upshot of all of this is that Asian cities are booming. By 2030,
more than 55% of its population will live in urban areas, according to
the Asian Development Bank. There are currently 14 megacities in Asia
Pacific (cities of more than 10 million people) – this is set to reach
20 by 2020, which will...
Post date:
May 20, 2014
Six
European countries feature in the top 10 – with others in the top 20 –
of the global rankings in the World Economic Forum’s Global
Competitiveness Report 2013-2014, which assesses the competitiveness of
148 economies around the world. The performance of the 10 most
competitive economies in Europe are found below:
1. Switzerland once again retains its 1st place thanks to a
strong performance across the board. The country’s most notable
strengths are related to innovation and labour market efficiency as well
as the sophistication of its business sector. Switzerland’s top...
Post date:
January 23, 2014
The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 assesses
the competitiveness landscape of 148 economies, providing insight into
the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. The Report series
remains the most comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness
worldwide.
TheGlobal
Competitiveness Report 2013-2014assesses the competitiveness landscape
of 148 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their
productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most
comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide.
Download full Report
Country rankings: PDF | Excel
Country highlights
Sustainable Competitiveness
Data Platform
See our Partner Institutes
Press releases:
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Post date:
September 3, 2013
Competitiveness
will feature prominently in the programme of the 2013 World Economic
Forum on East Asia, taking place this week in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar’s
capital. And rightly so: competitiveness is a critical driver of both
prosperity and integration.
The Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 paints a mixed picture of
ASEAN’s competitiveness. In the ranking of 144 economies, Singapore
comes in second overall behind Switzerland. Cambodia, ASEAN’s worst
performer, places 85th among the 144 economies studied (Myanmar and Lao
PDR are not included). This profound competitiveness...
Post date:
June 6, 2013
The Arab
World Competitiveness Report 2013 is a World Economic Forum - EBRD
collaboration which analyses and benchmarks countries' competitiveness
in the Arab world. Read the full news release for more information.
This
joint Report attempts to contribute to understanding the key factors
determining future prosperity and economic growth in the Arab world. It
offers policy-makers and business leaders an important tool in improving
economic policies and implementing institutional reforms. The findings
of this Report will provide a key basis for discussions at the World...
Post date:
May 20, 2013
On
a biennial basis, The Africa Competitiveness Report highlights areas
requiring policy action and investment to ensure Africa lays the
foundation for inclusive and sustained growth.
The Africa
Competitiveness Report 2013 comes at a time of growing international
attention on Africa as an investment destination and increasing talk of
an African economic renaissance. It is the fourth report in this series
to leverage the knowledge and expertise of the three partnering
organizations – the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group and
the World Economic Forum – to present a...
Post date:
May 7, 2013
The
travel and tourism (T&T) industry has been one of fastest-growing
sectors globally over the past ten years, and this upward trend is
expected to continue in the future. The number of international
travelers reached 1 billion in 2012 and has almost doubled over the past
20 years. It is estimated that the T&T sector directly contributes
about 9.3 percent of GDP and 3.4 percent of employment worldwide. In
addition to its direct economic impact, a strong T&T industry helps
to boost productivity and to connect countries by prompting hard and
soft infrastructure upgrades, which...
Post date:
April 19, 2013
Despite
improvements since 2009, consumer confidence remains below 2007 levels.
Uncertainty prevails, with the Eurozone crisis, the US fiscal cliff and
China’s rising inflation – all contributing to a dip in confidence
towards the end of 2012. Against this backdrop, tourism had a record
year in 2012, with increased global mobility driving international
arrivals of over 1 billon, coupled with expenditure of US$ 1.2 trillion.
This highlights the resilience of the sector and reinforces its
importance as a key contributor to GDP.
Downturns in consumer confidence have historically...
Post date:
March 11, 2013
Kathleen Matthews addresses the future of travel and tourism
In 2013, travel and tourism are going places. More than most
industries, we are the beneficiary of a demographic dividend, as the
rising middle class families of China, India, Brazil and other emerging
economies have money in their pockets and are able to realize their
life-long dream to see the world.
This social and economic trend is not lost on governments, which now
recognize that travel is trade and that it can boost exports and create
new jobs. That’s why we’re starting to see some real...
Post date:
March 8, 2013
Giulia Carbone explains why the tourism industry needs to address ecological threats
Tourism needs a healthy and pristine environment. No other industry
relies as heavily on unspoilt scenery and natural diversity to attract
the crowds. When nature suffers, travel companies suffer, too. The
question is how to create synergies between the tourism industry and
conservation efforts, allowing both to thrive while minimizing negative
impact.
For many conservation projects, ecotourism seems the perfect way to
raise funds. Travellers in search of pristine natural beauty can...
Post date:
March 7, 2013
Geoffrey Lipman discusses how we are becoming more environmentally responsible tourists
Someone famously said that “an elephant is a very hard thing to
define, but if you see one coming down the street you know what it is”.
It’s rather the same about sustainability, travel and tourism – we’ve
stopped describing it and started to engage it.
Twenty years ago at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit – when the modern
approach to sustainable development was set out in Agenda 21 – the focus
was on preserving the planet’s resources. For our sector, it was very
much about ecotourism that...
Post date:
March 6, 2013
Under
the theme “Reducing Barriers to Economic Growth and Job Creation”, The
Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 assesses 140 economies
worldwide based on the extent to which they are putting in place the
factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and
tourism sector. Read the full news release for more information.
The
2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) reveals that
Switzerland, Germany and Austria lead the world in terms of travel and
tourism competitiveness, with Spain, the United Kingdom, the United
States, France, Canada...
Post date:
March 6, 2013
Thorsten
Groth on the measures that should be taken to make Europe more
competitive. Read the World Economic Forum’s Rebuilding Europe’s
Competitiveness report.
History shows that sustained prosperity is best achieved through a
winning combination of distinct competitiveness strengths. Currently,
however, Europe as a whole faces a competitiveness deficit compared to
other advanced countries, as well as a competitiveness divide within
Europe. Fundamentally, these competitiveness challenges have caused many
problems such as stagnating economic growth, rising...
Post date:
January 24, 2013
Michael
Bradshaw asks whether Russia, for all its economic growth, is too
dependent on natural resources. Read the World Economic Forum’s report:
Scenarios for the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation’s economic growth story has had more twists and turns in it than a Danish thriller.
Almost
two decades after transitioning from a planned to a market economy, and
following a decade of buoyant growth, the country was hit hard by the
financial and economic crisis of 2008 and 2009. Oil prices collapsed and
Russia’s financial sector suffered greatly...
Post date:
January 22, 2013
Europe’s
competitiveness deficit, together with the competitiveness divide that
has developed within its own borders, has jointly led to stagnation or
declining growth, rising unemployment and fiscal instability.
With
a series of reforms under way and more yet to come, Rebuilding Europe’s
Competitiveness highlights five key enablers that will be pivotal to
making these measures work. These are: strong collaboration across
stakeholders, political consistency, political leadership, sense of
urgency as well as strong and clear communication plans.
The Report shows that, when...
Post date:
January 17, 2013
For
more than three decades, the World Economic Forum has been working on
the topic of national competitiveness, in an effort to understand and
measure what drives national productivity and prosperity.
Being competitive requires countries to have in place a mix of
factors such as solid infrastructure, a healthy and educated workforce,
efficient markets, and a propensity for technological adoption and
innovation. Over the years, we have continued to integrate the latest
thinking and priorities into our work, with a goal of supporting
national and regional efforts towards...
Post date:
January 3, 2013
The
Forum:Blog has prepared a special series on “Resilient Dynamism, the
main theme of 2013’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Guillaume
Amigues, Community Manager for Europe at the World Economic Forum,
offers a positive and realistic view on the future potential of Europe.
Future generations may see this period in Europe’s history as
transformational for the continent. Monetary union and the very survival
of the euro were under imminent threat thanks to the debt crisis.
But as Standard & Poor’s raises its credit rating for Greece, and European bailout funds...
Post date:
December 21, 2012
Professor
Klaus Schwab is Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic
Forum. His e-book, The Re-Emergence of Europe, was published on 14
December and available free of charge
at http://www.weforum.org/re-emergence-europe
The eurozone will not break up. The price of departure is simply too
great for any one country. Indeed, when Mario Draghi announced on 6
September that the European Central Bank (ECB) would undertake unlimited
purchases of government bonds, the continent crossed the bridge to its
future.
Europe’s leaders must see that the drawbridge has been...
Post date:
December 14, 2012
The
Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 assesses the competitiveness
landscape of 144 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their
productivity and prosperity. The Report series remains the most
comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness worldwide. Access
the data platform to visualize and download the data.
This year’s
report findings show that Switzerland tops the overall rankings in The
Global Competitiveness Report for the fourth consecutive year. Singapore
remains in second position with Finland, in third position, overtaking
Sweden 4th). These and...
Post date:
September 6, 2012
History
has shown that those countries with a winning combination of
competitiveness strengths tend to be the ones that are best prepared to
ride out economic crises and provide rising and sustainable living
standards to their citizens.
Five years into the most significant
economic downturn since the Great Depression, then, it is dispiriting to
note that short-termism and political deadlock have taken such root in
national and regional discussions that competitiveness divides across
the world are actually being reinforced rather than narrowing.
A country that does not...
Post date:
September 5, 2012
Travel
and tourism (T&T) is an increasingly important driver of economic
prosperity and social progress. It is estimated that the T&T sector
accounts for about 9 percent of GDP and employment worldwide. For ASEAN,
the sector has long been considered as critical for the creation of the
ASEAN Economic Community. The potential of T&T in the region is
indeed enormous. The region is blessed with a wealth of natural and
cultural heritage. It possesses a long tradition of tourism, and is
strategically located at the heart of Asia. The extraordinary diversity
of ASEAN countries further enhances their attractiveness. Yet, despite
the many benefits of T&T, numerous obstacles continue to hinder its
development. Using a unique methodological framework, The ASEAN Travel
& Tourism Competitiveness Report 2012 identifies the obstacles to
address and the strengths to leverage for ASEAN to unleash the potential
of T&T.
Click here to read the full report
Travel
and tourism (T&T) is an increasingly important driver of economic
prosperity and social progress. It is estimated that the T&T sector
accounts for about 9 percent of GDP and employment worldwide. For ASEAN,
the sector has long been considered as critical for the creation of the
ASEAN Economic Community. The potential of T&T in the region is
indeed enormous. The region is blessed with a wealth of natural and
cultural heritage. It possesses a long tradition of tourism, and is
strategically located at the heart of Asia. The...
Post date:
May 25, 2012
The scale and frequency of weather shocks,
combined with long-term economic forecasts of climate change effects and fossil
fuel costs, are having a political as well as an economic impact. Many
developing country governments are changing their approach to infrastructure
and industrial planning, choosing to design more sustainable, resilient
pathways to economic growth. They are developing comprehensive national
investment programmes in clean energy, energy efficiency, water management,
climate-resilient agriculture, smart grids and low-carbon transport systems.
This strategic shift has been termed “greening the economy” or making a “green
growth” transition. Currently, significant private investment is not being
attracted to these plans due to a range of perceived risks and the relative
novelty of the market. What public-private partnerships can support developing
countries to create large-scale, investment-grade blueprints for their green
growth strategies? What new financing mechanisms can use targeted public funds
to address key risks and leverage a step change in private capital flow into
green infrastructure projects?
The scale and frequency of weather shocks, combined
with long-term economic forecasts of climate change effects and fossil fuel
costs, are having a political as well as an economic impact. Many developing
country governments are changing their approach to infrastructure and
industrial planning, choosing to design more sustainable, resilient pathways to
economic growth. They are developing comprehensive national investment
programmes in clean energy, energy efficiency, water management,
climate-resilient agriculture, smart grids and low-carbon transport systems.
This strategic shift has...
Post date:
February 16, 2012
This
year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the World Economic
Forum’s Community of Global Growth Companies (GGCs). During the past
five years, we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of
economic leaders.
Recognizing their importance, the Community
engages those players that, in addition to showing consistently high
growth rates, act as disruptors of traditional industries through their
new technologies and innovative business models. GGC members come from
both fast growing emerging markets and established economies.
As of August 2011, the Community...
Post date:
September 29, 2011
This
year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the World Economic
Forum’s Community of Global Growth Companies (GGCs). During the past
five years, we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of
economic leaders.
Recognizing their importance, the Community
engages those players that, in addition to showing consistently high
growth rates, act as disruptors of traditional industries through their
new technologies and innovative business models. GGC members come from
both fast growing emerging markets and established economies.
As of August 2011, the Community...
Post date:
September 29, 2011
This
year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the World Economic
Forum’s Community of Global Growth Companies (GGCs). During the past
five years, we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of
economic leaders.
Recognizing their importance, the Community
engages those players that, in addition to showing consistently high
growth rates, act as disruptors of traditional industries through their
new technologies and innovative business models. GGC members come from
both fast growing emerging markets and established economies.
As of August 2011, the Community...
Post date:
September 29, 2011
This
year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the World Economic
Forum’s Community of Global Growth Companies (GGCs). During the past
five years, we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of
economic leaders.
Recognizing their importance, the Community
engages those players that, in addition to showing consistently high
growth rates, act as disruptors of traditional industries through their
new technologies and innovative business models. GGC members come from
both fast growing emerging markets and established economies.
As of August 2011, the Community...
Post date:
September 26, 2011
This
year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the World Economic
Forum’s Community of Global Growth Companies (GGCs). During the past
five years, we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of
economic leaders.
Recognizing their importance, the Community
engages those players that, in addition to showing consistently high
growth rates, act as disruptors of traditional industries through their
new technologies and innovative business models. GGC members come from
both fast growing emerging markets and established economies.
As of August 2011, the Community...
Post date:
September 26, 2011
The
report Redefining the Future of Growth: The New Sustainability
Champions, prepared with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), highlights
innovative business practices from companies originating and operating
in emerging markets. By focusing on a group of 16 exemplary companies
called the New Sustainability Champions, the report shows how those
businesses create unconventional and profitable solutions that
positively impact economic growth and enhance overall sustainability in
their regions.
The
report Redefining the Future of Growth: The New Sustainability
Champions, prepared with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), highlights
innovative business practices from companies originating and operating
in emerging markets. By focusing on a group of 16 exemplary companies
called the New Sustainability Champions, the report shows how those
businesses create unconventional and profitable solutions that
positively impact economic growth and enhance overall sustainability in
their regions.
Taking into account criteria covering sustainability, innovation, scalability, geography and...
Post date:
September 12, 2011
Switzerland
tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report
2011-2012. Singapore overtakes Sweden for second position. Northern and
Western European countries dominate the top 10 with Sweden (3rd),
Finland (4th), Germany (6th), the Netherlands (7th), Denmark (8th) and
the United Kingdom (10th). Japan remains the second-ranked Asian economy
at 9th place, despite falling three places since last year.
Switzerland
tops the overall rankings in The Global
Competitiveness Report 2011-2012. Singapore overtakes Sweden for second position. Northern and Western European
countries dominate the top 10 with Sweden (3rd), Finland (4th), Germany (6th), the
Netherlands (7th), Denmark (8th) and the United Kingdom (10th). Japan remains the
second-ranked Asian economy at 9th place, despite falling three places since last
year.
The United
States continues its decline for the third year in a row, falling one more
place to fifth position. In addition to the macroeconomic vulnerabilities that...
Post date:
September 7, 2011
The
Gender Gap Index 2006 covers 115 countries, representing over 90% of
the world’s population.The country comparisons are meant to serve a dual
purpose: as a benchmark to identify existing strengths and weaknesses;
and as a useful guide for policy, based on learning from the experiences
of those countries that have had greater success in promoting the
equality of women and men.
The
World Economic Forum convenes global leaders from business,
policy-making and civil society to find creative and sustainable
solutions to the challenges facing our world today. One particular
societal and economic challenge is the persistent gap between women and
men in their access to resources and opportunities.This gap not only
undermines the quality of life of one half of the world’s population but
also poses a significant risk to the long-term growth and well-being of
nations: countries that do not capitalize on the full potential of...
Post date:
June 23, 2011
This
Report reveals those countries that are role models in dividing
resources equitably between women and men, regardless of their level of
resources. The World Economic Forum places a strong emphasis on a
multi-stakeholder approach in order to engage leaders to design the most
effective measures for tackling global challenges.
Over
the last year, the world has seen the biggest recession in almost a
century. It is clear that recovery will require, among other things, the
best of talent, ideas and innovation. It is therefore more important
now than ever before for countries and companies to pay heed to one of
the fundamental cornerstones of economic growth available to
them—the skills and talent of their female human resource pool.
As consumers, voters, employees and employers, women will be integral to
global economic recovery. However, it is not only the financial and...
Post date:
June 23, 2011
A close look at Indonesia's booming economy and whether its growth is sustainable
The
Indonesia Competitiveness Report 2011 is being released at the occasion
of the 20th annual World Economic Forum on East Asia and at a critical
juncture for Indonesia’s economic future. It is natural to predict a
bright future for the country—and for the region as a whole, which is
expected to contribute some 50 percent to global GDP growth in the next
five years. Yet, as this Report describes, a number of challenges
remain, which must be addressed in order to ensure that Indonesia
sustains the...
Post date:
June 3, 2011
The
Africa Competitiveness Report 2011, the third report jointly published
by our organizations, comes out at a time when Africa’s recovery from
the global economic crisis has been faster than it has in many other
parts of the world. Indeed, Africa has seen what can be termed an
“economic resurgence” over the past decade: between 2001 and 2010, gross
domestic product growth on the continent averaged 5.2 percent
annually—a rate also expected in 2011, and higher than the global
average of 4.2 percent.
Questions remain, however, as to how sustainable this growth will be over the longer...
Post date:
May 3, 2011
The
2009-2010 Global Competitiveness Report is published against the
backdrop of the deepest global economic slowdown in generations.What
began as a financial cri- sis in a handful of industrialized economies
continues to spill over into the real economy, engendering massive
contractions in consumer demand, rising unemploy- ment, and mounting
protectionist pressures worldwide.
This year’s Report features a
total of 133 economies, thus providing the most comprehensive assessment
of its kind.The Report contains a detailed profile for each of the
economies featured in the study as well...
Post date:
March 30, 2011
This
year’s Global Competitiveness Report is being released at a time of
multiple shocks to the global economy. The subprime mortgage crisis and
the ensuing credit crunch, combined with rising inflation worldwide and
the consequent slowdown in demand in many advanced economies, has
engendered significant uncertainty about the short-term outlook for the
world economy. Global growth is slowing, and it is not yet clear when
the effects of the present crisis will subside.
This Report remains our flagship...
Post date:
March 30, 2011
Global Economic
Outlook: Recovery Is Gaining Pace and Confidence Is GrowingWhile
emerging economies have recovered strongly, developed countries are also
on the reboundWith additional public sector stimulus unlikely, the
private sector should fuel growth through investmentThe G20 agenda must
be sensitive to the concerns of countries that are not membersMore
information on the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
2011: http://www.weforum.orgDavos, Switzerland, 29 January 2011 – The
global economy is rebounding, led by developing economies including
China and India, with developed ...
Post date:
January 29, 2011
Saturday 29 January, 09.00 - 10.30
Nordic economies have consistently ranked among the
most competitive globally – how can their policy innovations be applied in
other countries?
This workshop will address the following dimensions:
- Investment and education strategies- Innovations in gender policy- Tax and labour policies
Key Points
The Nordic
countries rank high in competitiveness. The Nordic
countries responded to economic crises in the 1970s and 1980s decisively and
effectively. Democracy,
transparency and a high level of trust in government ...
Post date:
January 29, 2011
In
the aftermath of the past years’ financial and economic events, one
learning point is apparent: new companies from around the world are
playing an increasingly important role in shaping the global
economy. The World Economic Forum takes great pride in having identified
this trend at an early stage and in creating the Community of Global
Growth Companies (GGCs) that brings together top emerging companies
from around the globe.
The Forum established this Community in 2007, with the purpose of identifying those players that in addition to showing...
Post date:
January 20, 2011
An assessment of the landscape of the most critical talent shortages
When
we decided to support the Forum’s Talent Mobility project in early
summer 2009, we recognized the complexity of the human capital
environment and shared a desire to address at least some of its aspects
in an interdisciplinary way, reflecting the nature of the observed
challenges. Today we are richer in research, systematic input gathering,
contributions of more than 80 experts and practitioners and outstanding
commitment of involved parties. The impact of talent mobility on both
developed and developing countries has been summarized and systematized.
The landscape of the most critical...
Post date:
December 22, 2010
Particularly in the wake of the global economic crisis, we need to rethink our values, redesign our systems, and rebuild our
institutions to make them more proactive and strategic, more inclusive, more reflective of the new geo-political and geoeconomic
circumstances, and more reflective of inter-generational accountability and responsibility.
The
Global Redesign Initiative was a global, multistakeholder dialogue on
the future of international cooperation. Set up in the midst of the
global financial crisis, its purpose was to stimulate thinking and
debate about how the international community and its institutions and
organizations in their widest sense can be adapted to contemporary
challenges. The distillation of this process has helped the Forum's many
communities to develop proposals that seek to highlight potential
responses to the challenge of adapting to a new global business and
social environment.
Post date:
December 20, 2010
Le
Rapport sur la Compétitivité du Monde Arabe 2010 révèle que la crise
économique mondiale a amplifié l’écart de compétitivité entre les pays
du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe (CCG) et le reste de la région du
monde arabe. Le rapport, publié en amont du Forum Economique Mondial sur
le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du Nord, souligne que le Qatar, l’Arabie
Saoudite et le Koweït dépassent les autres économies au même niveau de
développement, en termes de compétitivité. Dans le classement global de
139 économies de pays, ils se classent respectivement 17ème, 21ème et
35ème.
Post date:
November 23, 2010
The
Arab World Competitiveness Review 2010 finds that the global economic
crisis has further widened the competitiveness gap between the countries
of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the rest of the Arab world
region. The review, published ahead of the 2010 World Economic Forum on
the Middle East and North Africa, sees Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
outperforming other economies at a similar level of development in terms
of competitiveness. In the overall ranking of 139 economies, they place
17th, 21st and 35th.
United Arab Emirates is the only economy from the region that...
Post date:
November 23, 2010
Post date:
November 18, 2010
The
World Economic Forum’s Europe 2020 Competitiveness Report is the second
in a series of publications that measure Europe’s performance in
becoming smart, inclusive and environmentally sustainable. It takes a
global approach, assessing highly advanced countries around the world as
well as the EU’s individual member states and candidate countries.
The
goal of the report is to provide a platform for constructive dialogue
between government, business, civil society and European institutions in
order to achieve a knowledge-driven, inclusive and sustainable Europe.
The report aims to...
Post date:
November 11, 2010
African businesses can become far more competitive, but African
governments and their international partners will need to improve access
to finance, resist pressure to erect trade barriers, upgrade
infrastructure, improve healthcare and educational systems, and
strengthen institutions.
African
businesses can become far more competitive, but African governments and
their international partners will need to improve access to finance,
resist pressure to erect trade barriers, upgrade infrastructure, improve
healthcare and educational systems, and strengthen institutions.
Post date:
November 10, 2010
With the resolute support of the Government of Colombia, the 2010 World
Economic Forum on Latin America in Cartagena welcomed 550 global and
regional leaders to construct “New Partnerships for a Sustainable
Recovery”.
Leaders
examined regional governance and international cooperation towards
trade integration, enhanced security and environmental performance.
Regional leaders from different sectors also focused on specific
problems affecting Latin America, which include the international
community’s initiatives to rebuild Haiti and reconstruction efforts in
Chile after earthquakes in both countries.
Post date:
November 4, 2010
“Rethinking Asia’s Leadership Agenda” was the theme of the 2010 World
Economic Forum on East Asia, which was the first regional meeting of the
Forum ever to be held in Vietnam.
East
Asia’s lead in the global economic recovery has been underscored by
increasing regional economic cooperation, robust domestic consumption
and coordinated government stimulus measures. Alongside the remarkable
economic momentum and progress of China and India, ASEAN’s market of 580
million consumers is moving towards economic integration by 2015.
Post date:
November 3, 2010
Tourism
competitiveness is an important economic indicator. It is a major
element in economic stimulation packages. Tourism is among the largest
employers in most countries and also a fast-lane vehicle into the
workforce for young people and women. Encouraging travel boosts consumer
and business confidence, it strengthens two-way trade and promotes
export income.
Under
the theme “Reducing Barriers to Economic Growth and Job Creation”, The
Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 assesses 140 economies
worldwide based on the extent to which they are putting in place the
factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and
tourism sector. Read the full news release for more information.
The
2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) reveals that
Switzerland, Germany and Austria lead the world in terms of travel and
tourism competitiveness, with Spain, the United Kingdom, the United
States...
Post date:
November 2, 2010
The
importance of financial systems to economic growth has become even more
pronounced in recent years; yet, there is still surprisingly little
agreement about how to define and measure their development. To address
this gap, the World Economic Forum has undertaken an ongoing initiative
that aims to provide business leaders and policy-makers with a common
framework for identifying and discussing the key factors in the
development of global financial systems and markets.
Previous Financial Development Reports:
The Financial Development Report 2011The Financial Development Report 2010The Financial Development Report 2009
The
Financial Development Report measures and analyses the factors enabling
the development of financial systems in a number of economies around
the world. It aims to provide a comprehensive means for countries to
benchmark various aspects of their financial systems and establish
priorities for improvement. It is published annually so that countries
can benchmark themselves and track their progress over time.
The
Report does not attempt to inform current or short-term events, such as
the latest developments affecting the eurozone. Rather, it aims to serve
decision-makers in...
Post date:
October 24, 2010
The
Trade & Investment programme supports implementation of practical
trade and investment reforms while building a platform for delivery on
long-term trade and investment priorities. The E15 initiative gathers over 200 experts to prioritise and develop policy proposals. The Enabling Trade project drives trade facilitation implementation in key economies. The Enabling Trade Index monitors global progress. Finally, the Global Agenda Council on Global Trade & FDI provides guidance on emerging issues.
Click here to read more about the E15 Initiative.
Browse the report reader
Download full Report
Heatmap
Country rankings PDF | Excel
Enabling Trade Index data in Excel
Data platform
See our Partner Institutes
Press release
Join the conversation: Forumblog | Facebook ...
Post date:
October 23, 2010
This
year marks the 13th edition of the Global Information Technology
Report, which provides a comprehensive assessment of networked
readiness, or how prepared an economy is to apply the benefits of
information and communications technology (ICT) to promote economic
growth and well-being. Using updated methodology that was introduced in
2012, the report ranks the progress of 148 economies in leveraging ICT
to increase productivity, economic growth and the number of quality
jobs. The rankings also show how far some countries have gone in
bridging the digital divide – not only in terms of...
Post date:
October 21, 2010
Switzerland comes out top of the rankings
Switzerland
tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011
released by the World Economic Forum. The United States falls two
places to fourth position, overtaken by Sweden (2nd) and Singapore
(3rd). The Nordic countries continue to be well positioned in the
ranking, with Sweden, Finland (7th) and Denmark (9th) among the top 10,
and with Norway at 14th. Sweden overtakes the US and Singapore this
year to be placed 2nd overall. The United Kingdom, after falling in the
rankings over recent years, moves back up by one place to 12th position.
The...
Post date:
October 21, 2010
The
Global Gender Gap Report 2013 benchmarks national gender gaps of 136
countries on economic, political, education- and health-based criteria.
The Global Gender Gap Index was developed in 2006, partially to address
the need for a consistent and comprehensive measure of gender equality
that can track a country’s progress over time. The index points to
potential role models by revealing those countries that – within their
region or income group – are leaders in dividing resources more
equitably between women and men than other countries, regardless of
the...
Post date:
October 19, 2010
Global Competitiveness: Strategies for Small Economies
Idea-
and technology-driven growth is critical for smaller economies seeking
to break the constraints of internal demand and to benefit from effects
of scale.
What are the ideas and technologies that can make a small economy globally competitive?
Key Points
• Contrary to popular perceptions, the number and role of small economies are increasing relative to larger economies.
• Small states can work cooperatively with larger countries on sensitive issues without a perception of threats.
• ...
Post date:
September 14, 2010
Conservative
estimates place the magnitude of corruption at as much as 5% of annual
GDP in some of Asia's most dynamic economies, causing business losses in
the millions, higher crime rates and severe social suffering. How can
regional leaders step up the fight against corruption and create better
incentives for corporate governance?
Key Points
• Corruption has been exacerbated by the increasing complexity and opacity of global supply chains
• Illicit trade is inextricably intertwined with corruption: it is enabled by corruption, and the money...
Post date:
June 6, 2010
The Lisbon Strategy failed to make the European Union "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy" by 2010.
In
light of macroeconomic imbalances, how can competitive pressures be
leveraged to deliver the structural reforms needed to enable future
growth across Europe?
Key Points
• Europe 2020 should encourage countries to change existing structures to remove barriers to progress.
• Education should be more geared to the business world, as in the United States.
• Labour market flexibility has been successful and future...
Post date:
May 10, 2010
The
economic crisis has led to a reassessment of the systems governing
global cooperation, financial architecture and macroeconomic policies.
What
are the regional implications of these global adjustments, and how can
Africa's economies contribute to global growth in the next decade?
What
are the key drivers of Africa's competitiveness in the long run, and
how are government and business using the crisis as an opportunity to
redesign a sustainable roadmap for Africa's future growth?
This session is on the record.
Key Points
• Enhancing...
Post date:
May 5, 2010
Annual Meeting of
the New Champions 2009The New Champions of CompetitivenessDalian,
People’s Republic of China 10-12 SeptemberHow countries outperform
others in terms of maximizing productivity and growth, given their
available resources, has been measured by The Global Competitiveness
Report for over three decades.How have some countries managed to improve
their productive potential, and what strategies are they using to
reinforce their longer-term competitiveness amid the global economic
downturn?Key Points• The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010
evaluates countries on the ...
Post date:
September 11, 2009
