Close
    HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeCenters & Initiativesback to Research & KnowledgeWorld Competitiveness Centerback to Centers & Initiatives
    https://imd.widen.net/content/bng0bvoxhh/svg/World-Competitiveness_Origami.svg.webp
    - IMD Business School - IMD Business School World Competitiveness Centers - IMD Business School
    World Competitiveness Center

    Dedicated to the advancement of knowledge on world competitiveness

    World Competitiveness Center

    Dedicated to the advancement of knowledge on world competitiveness

    For over 35 years, the IMD World Competitiveness Center has pioneered research on how nations and enterprises compete to lay the foundations for future prosperity. We are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge on world competitiveness by offering benchmarking services for economies and companies using the latest and most relevant data on the subject.

    Featured research and insights

    Our thought-provoking content provides insights into what makes nations competitive and gives context to some of the most pressing issues of our time.

    Singapore city skyline silhouette - IMD Business School
    Can you pay people not to take bribes?

    Singapore has just handed its ministers a hefty raise, partly in the name of clean government. Forty-five years of data from Hong Kong suggest the ide

    - IMD Business School
    Latest: Spotlight on Latin America and the Caribbean
    A WCC regional report
    - IMD Business School
    Transparency and public trust: latest smart city trends

    IMD Smart City Index 2026

    Read more

    Featured publication

    World Competitiveness Yearbook

    The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook is the leading annual report on the competitiveness of economies and has been published by IMD since 1989. It benchmarks the performance of 69 economies based on more than 330 criteria measuring different facets of competitiveness.

    Report - IMD Business School
    Order online
    Our latest rankings and indexes

    Discover our latest research and results on how economies compete to lay the foundations for sustainable value creation.

    20250530-WCR2025-media-page_top-b - IMD Business School
    World Competitiveness Ranking

    The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking is based on 341 competitiveness criteria selected as a result of comprehensive research using economic literature, international, national, and regional sources, and feedback from the business community, government agencies, and academics.

    More info
    - IMD Business School
    World Digital Competitiveness Ranking

    The IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking assesses the capacity and readiness of an economy to adopt and explore digital technologies as a key driver for economic transformation in business, government, and wider society.

    More info
    - IMD Business School
    World Talent Ranking

    The IMD World Talent Ranking assesses the extent to which nations develop, attract, and retain talent for enterprises operating in those economies.

    More info
    - IMD Business School
    Smart City Index

    The Smart City Index offers a balanced focus on the economic and technological aspects of smart cities and the “humane dimensions” of smart cities (quality of life, environment, inclusiveness).

    More info
    - IMD Business School
    Sustainable Trade Index

    The IMD World Competitiveness Center and the Hinrich Foundation combined their expertise in 2022 to build the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index, to stimulate discussion among policymakers, business executives, and civil society leaders striving to advance sustainable and mutually beneficial global trade.

    More info
    Publication dates of the 2026 rankings
    31st March

    IMD Smart City Index

    (SCI)

    18th June

    IMD World Competitiveness Ranking

    (WCY)

    13th October

    Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index

    (HISTI)

    11th November

    IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking

    (WDCR)

    February 2027

    IMD World Talent Ranking

    (WTR)

    News
    News Stories
    20240717-2024WCR-Article-top-banner-1440x1120 - IMD Business School
    Singapore creating best long-term value, says latest IMD research on competitiveness

    However, AI – global executives’ top concern when surveyed – could destabilize any economy in the world

    More info
    News Stories
    Healthy man running exercise in the morning in Marina Bay Sand park - IMD Business School
    Asian and European cities inspire action for improving urban quality of life

    The 2024 IMD Smart City Ranking finds European and Asian cities consistently and increasingly dominating the Top 20

    More info
    News Stories
    Arturo Bris - IMD Business School
    The future of the world economy: the price of our values

    What does the future of the world economy look like? In his keynote address, Arturo Bris, Professor of Finance and Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC) unpacked the three key trends that have emerged globally; technology, sustain…

    More info
    Academic articles

    Read our latest academic articles, which are regularly published in the world’s leading business and management journals.

    Discover more of our research

    Research Policy
    Institutional and capability enablers of firm-level emissions abatement under the EU Emissions Trading System
    By Panayiotis C. Andreou, Sofia Anyfantaki, Christos Cabolis and Konstantinos Dellis
    May 2026, vol. 55, no. 4, 105432, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2026.105432
    Read more
    The World Economy
    Are software automation and teleworker substitutes? Preliminary evidence from Japan
    By Richard Baldwin and Toshihiro Okubo
    April 2024, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 1531-1556, https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13496
    Read more
    Journal of Global Mobility
    The macro-contextual drivers of the international mobility of managers and executives
    By Arturo Bris, Shlomo Ben-Hur, José Caballero and Marco Pistis
    May 2023, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 252-273, https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-07-2022-0035 https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-07-2022-0035
    Read more
    Explore the World Competitiveness Center
    - IMD Business School
    Ranking

    Discover our latest rankings and indexes: Competitiveness Ranking, Digital Competitiveness Ranking and Talent Ranking, Smart City Index, and Sustainable Trade Index

    Learn more
    - IMD Business School
    Research & Insights

    We contribute to research on competitiveness and lead joint research projects with industries and governments worldwide.

    Discover our research & insights
    - IMD Business School
    Partnerships

    The World Competitiveness Center has an extensive network of partner institutes and data suppliers that make our work possible.

    Find out more
    - IMD Business School
    About

    The World Competitiveness Center advances knowledge on world competitiveness by offering benchmarking services for economies and companies.

    Learn more