Innovation does not seem to be the privilege of the big and rich countries. United States rank 8th, Japan 9th, Germany 19th, China 27th, Russia 49th by the international innovation index. Innovation is more likely to open out in places like Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland. This outcome should not come as a surprise, considering other data pertaining to science and technology prestigious awards or to world-class universities.
International Innovation Index | ||||
Rank | Country | Overall Score ¹ | Innovation | Innovation |
| 1 | Singapore | 2.45 | 2.74 | 1.92 |
| 2 | Korea, Republic of | 2.26 | 1.75 | 2.55 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 2.23 | 1.51 | 2.74 |
| 4 | Iceland | 2.17 | 2 | 2.14 |
| 5 | Ireland | 1.88 | 1.59 | 1.99 |
| 6 | Hong Kong SAR | 1.88 | 1.61 | 1.97 |
| 7 | Finland | 1.87 | 1.76 | 1.81 |
| 8 | United States | 1.8 | 1.28 | 2.16 |
| 9 | Japan | 1.79 | 1.16 | 2.25 |
| 10 | Sweden | 1.64 | 1.25 | 1.88 |
| 11 | Denmark | 1.6 | 1.55 | 1.5 |
| 12 | Netherlands | 1.55 | 1.4 | 1.55 |
| 13 | Luxembourg | 1.54 | 0.94 | 2 |
| 14 | Canada | 1.42 | 1.39 | 1.32 |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 1.42 | 1.33 | 1.37 |
| 16 | Israel | 1.36 | 1.26 | 1.35 |
| 17 | Austria | 1.15 | 1.38 | 0.81 |
| 18 | Norway | 1.14 | 1.48 | 0.7 |
| 19 | Germany | 1.12 | 1.05 | 1.09 |
| 20 | France | 1.12 | 1.17 | 0.96 |
| 21 | Malaysia | 1.12 | 1.01 | 1.12 |
| 22 | Australia | 1.02 | 0.89 | 1.05 |
| 23 | Estonia | 0.94 | 1.5 | 0.29 |
| 24 | Spain | 0.93 | 0.83 | 0.95 |
| 25 | Belgium | 0.86 | 0.85 | 0.79 |
| 26 | New Zealand | 0.77 | 0.79 | 0.69 |
| 27 | China | 0.73 | 0.07 | 1.32 |
| 28 | Cyprus | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.56 |
| 29 | Portugal | 0.6 | 0.92 | 0.22 |
| 30 | Qatar | 0.52 | 0.86 | 0.13 |
| 31 | Hungary | 0.51 | 0.8 | 0.18 |
| 32 | Czech Republic | 0.41 | 0.88 | -0.1 |
| 33 | Slovenia | 0.37 | 0.47 | 0.24 |
| 34 | South Africa | 0.33 | 0.15 | 0.47 |
| 35 | Bahrain | 0.27 | 0.78 | -0.26 |
| 36 | Slovakia | 0.21 | 0.72 | -0.31 |
| 37 | Chile | 0.21 | 0.36 | 0.04 |
| 38 | Italy | 0.21 | 0.16 | 0.24 |
| 39 | Malta | 0.2 | -0.21 | 0.59 |
| 40 | Lithuania | 0.16 | 0.71 | -0.4 |
| 41 | Tunisia | 0.14 | 0.57 | -0.3 |
| 42 | Greece | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.23 |
| 43 | Latvia | 0.12 | 0.38 | -0.14 |
| 44 | Thailand | 0.12 | -0.12 | 0.35 |
| 45 | Mauritius | 0.06 | 0.48 | -0.36 |
| 46 | India | 0.06 | 0.14 | -0.02 |
| 47 | Kuwait | 0.06 | 0.46 | -0.35 |
| 48 | Croatia | -0.03 | 0.21 | -0.26 |
| 49 | Russian Federation | -0.09 | -0.02 | -0.16 |
| 50 | Saudi Arabia | -0.12 | 0.57 | -0.79 |
| 51 | Trinidad and Tobago | -0.12 | -0.42 | 0.2 |
| 52 | Poland | -0.12 | 0.22 | -0.44 |
| 53 | Bulgaria | -0.13 | 0.23 | -0.48 |
| 54 | Philippines | -0.15 | -0.76 | 0.48 |
| 55 | Oman | -0.15 | 0.27 | -0.56 |
| 56 | Jordan | -0.15 | -0.04 | -0.26 |
| 57 | Mexico | -0.16 | 0.11 | -0.42 |
| 58 | Turkey | -0.21 | 0.15 | -0.55 |
| 59 | Lesotho | -0.22 | -1.01 | 0.59 |
| 60 | Kazakhstan | -0.23 | -0.51 | 0.07 |
| 61 | Romania | -0.29 | 0.22 | -0.77 |
| 62 | Costa Rica | -0.39 | -0.57 | -0.18 |
| 63 | Panama | -0.43 | -0.48 | -0.34 |
| 64 | Ukraine | -0.45 | -0.13 | -0.73 |
| 65 | Egypt | -0.47 | -0.46 | -0.43 |
| 66 | Botswana | -0.47 | -0.5 | -0.4 |
| 67 | Albania | -0.49 | -0.58 | -0.34 |
| 68 | Azerbaijan | -0.54 | -0.48 | -0.54 |
| 69 | Sri Lanka | -0.56 | -0.61 | -0.46 |
| 70 | Morocco | -0.57 | -0.55 | -0.54 |
| 71 | Indonesia | -0.57 | -0.63 | -0.46 |
| 72 | Brazil | -0.59 | -0.62 | -0.51 |
| 73 | Viet Nam | -0.65 | -1.09 | -0.16 |
| 74 | Colombia | -0.66 | -0.95 | -0.3 |
| 75 | Armenia | -0.66 | -0.75 | -0.52 |
| 76 | Macedonia, FYR | -0.68 | -0.13 | -1.17 |
| 77 | Georgia | -0.72 | -0.48 | -0.88 |
| 78 | Ethiopia | -0.75 | -1.16 | -0.27 |
| 79 | Jamaica | -0.75 | -0.72 | -0.72 |
| 80 | El Salvador | -0.77 | -0.59 | -0.88 |
| 81 | Kyrgyzstan | -0.78 | -0.54 | -0.95 |
| 82 | Honduras | -0.79 | -0.64 | -0.85 |
| 83 | Moldova | -0.8 | -0.24 | -1.28 |
| 84 | Pakistan | -0.82 | -1.04 | -0.51 |
| 85 | Algeria | -0.83 | -0.87 | -0.7 |
| 86 | Paraguay | -0.89 | -0.63 | -1.07 |
| 87 | Mongolia | -0.9 | -0.71 | -1.01 |
| 88 | Nigeria | -0.95 | -0.91 | -0.9 |
| 89 | Uruguay | -0.95 | -0.76 | -1.06 |
| 90 | Uganda | -0.96 | -1.05 | -0.78 |
| 91 | Burkina Faso | -0.97 | -1.25 | -0.59 |
| 92 | Argentina | -0.97 | -0.96 | -0.9 |
| 93 | Tajikistan | -0.99 | -1.04 | -0.86 |
| 94 | Guatemala | -0.99 | -0.94 | -0.96 |
| 95 | Kenya | -1.01 | -0.91 | -1.02 |
| 96 | Bolivia | -1.02 | -1.08 | -0.87 |
| 97 | Syrian Arab Republic | -1.03 | -0.99 | -0.98 |
| 98 | Nepal | -1.05 | -1.23 | -0.77 |
| 99 | Senegal | -1.06 | -1.11 | -0.91 |
| 100 | Peru | -1.06 | -1.18 | -0.85 |
| 101 | Namibia | -1.07 | -1.12 | -0.92 |
| 102 | Ecuador | -1.11 | -1.21 | -0.91 |
| 103 | Madagascar | -1.16 | -1.15 | -1.06 |
| 104 | Nicaragua | -1.18 | -1.22 | -1.02 |
| 105 | Zambia | -1.28 | -1.4 | -1.03 |
| 106 | Benin | -1.28 | -1.55 | -0.89 |
| 107 | Cameroon | -1.32 | -1.77 | -0.74 |
| 108 | Venezuela | -1.37 | -1.5 | -1.1 |
| 109 | Burundi | -1.54 | -1.82 | -1.12 |
| 110 | Zimbabwe | -1.63 | -1.63 | -1.48 |
| ¹ 2009 overall innovation index calculated by the Manufacturing Institute. | ||||
| ² Include fiscal, education, trade, intellectual property, immigration and other policies supporting R&D; and an innovation supportive environment, e.g. workforce quality, infrastructure, business surroundings. | ||||
| ³ Includes outputs of R&D, e.g. investment, patents, publications, knowledge transfer, commercialisation of innovation; businesss performance in terms of hi-tech exports, labour productivity or market capitalisation; and public impact of innovation, e.g. employment improvement, economic growth, business migration. | ||||
Sources: see Manufacturing Institute.
