Switzerland has come top for the first time in the 33-year history of IMD’s World Competitiveness Ranking, in a year that reflected the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic…
The mission of World Competitiveness Center
We are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge on world competitiveness by offering benchmarking services for countries and companies using the latest and most relevant data on the subject.
For more than 30 years, the IMD World Competitiveness Center has pioneered research on how nations and enterprises compete to lay the foundations for future prosperity.
The competitiveness of nations is probably one of the most significant developments in modern management, and IMD intends to remain the leader in this field.
The Center cooperates with a network of partners in 58 countries. It provide governments and the business and academic communities with the following publications and services:
- World Competitiveness Rankings (Competitiveness, Digital Competitiveness and Talent)
- Workshops/Mega Dives on competitiveness
- Special country/regional competitiveness reports
- World Competitiveness Online database
- Smart City Index (by the Smart City Observatory)
To keep pace with the dynamic reality of competitiveness, we are committed to furthering our cutting-edge research and to broadening our portfolio of activities.
Publication dates of the rankings
- 17 June 2021 at 10am CEST: release of IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2021
- 29 September 2021: release of IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2021
- 28 October 2021: release of Smart City Index 2021 by the Smart City Observatory (SCO)
- 9 December 2021: release of IMD World Talent Ranking 2021
Competitiveness determines how countries, regions and companies manage their competencies to achieve long-term growth, generate jobs and increase welfare. Competitiveness is therefore a way towards progress that does not result in winners and losers - when two countries compete, both are better off.
Latest news
World Competitiveness Ranking 2021
Innovation, digitalization, welfare benefits and social cohesion are key to economic performance in 2021 ranking which see Switzerland (1st), Sweden (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Singapore (5th)
Top-performing economies are characterized by varying degrees of investment in innovation, diversified economic activities, and supportive public policy, according to the experts at the World Competitiveness Center.



