Singapore Tops 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index, Overtaking Switzerland as U.S. Falls to Ninth

Singapore has risen to first place in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) for the first time, driven by strong education outcomes, effective governance and proactive measures to build an AI-ready, adaptable workforce. Published in its 11th edition by INSEAD in partnership with the Portulans Institute, the index evaluates how economies grow, attract and retain talent across income groups and ranks 135 countries on 77 indicators spanning six pillars.

This year’s report, titled “resilience in the age of disruption,” highlights the urgency of reliable talent metrics amid rapid technological change and geopolitical uncertainty, Portulans Institute CEO Rafael Escalona Reynoso said. INSEAD’s dean of research and innovation, Lily Fang, noted that while historians will offer perspective, today’s combination of disruption and anxiety makes such measures particularly vital as artificial intelligence brings both opportunity and risk.

The top ten economies in the 2025 GTCI are led by Singapore, followed by Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, the United States and Australia. Switzerland, which had held the top spot until this year, still records multiple top-five results across specific indicators, including internet access in schools (1st), government effectiveness (2nd), and AI skills migration (4th). High-income European nations continue to dominate the rankings, occupying seven of the top ten positions.

Several Nordic economies climbed the chart since 2023: Denmark moved up one place to third, Finland rose two spots to fourth, and Sweden advanced four places into the top five. By contrast, the United States slipped from third in 2023 to ninth in 2025, its weakest showing since 2013, with relatively small declines in openness and lifelong learning cited as contributing factors.

Singapore’s ascent reflects broad-based gains across the framework: the city-state places in the top ten across four of the six pillars and recorded a notable improvement in talent retention, advancing seven places. The report highlights Singapore’s strengths in formal education and in developing “Generalist Adaptive Skills,” encompassing soft skills, digital literacy and innovation-oriented thinking. Paul Evans, emeritus professor of organisational behaviour at INSEAD and co-editor of the report, said economies that cultivate adaptable, cross-functional and AI-literate workforces are better placed to turn disruption into opportunity and sustain long-term competitiveness.