China Ranks Among The Top 10 In The Global Innovation Index 2025 For The First Time

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On September 16, 2025, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index 2025 Report (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"). Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore ranked among the top five, while the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and China secured positions six through ten. Switzerland retained its top position for the 15th consecutive year, and China entered the global top 10 for the first time. Over the past 18 years, China has climbed 25 places, becoming the first middle-income economy to break into the top ten.

Since its inaugural launch in 2007, the Global Innovation Index (GII) has been published annually. Based on a set of 78 indicators, it provides metrics for measuring innovation performance and ranks the innovation ecosystems of approximately 140 economies. The 2025 GII is calculated as the average of two sub-indices: the Innovation Input Sub-Index, which includes five key pillars—Institutions, Human Capital and Research, Infrastructure, Market Sophistication, and Business Sophistication; and the Innovation Output Sub-Index, comprising two pillars—Knowledge and Technology Outputs, and Creative Outputs.

The shifts in rankings of the top fifteen countries in the GII from 2021 to 2025 are shown in the figure below

From a regional perspective, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania (SEAO) remain a key driver of global innovation, with six economies from the region ranking among the top 25 globally. Among them, the Republic of Korea (4th) and Singapore (5th) continue to lead, demonstrating strong performance in corporate Research and Development (R&D), education, and innovation infrastructure. In addition to entering the top ten in the overall ranking, China has also made significant progress in both innovation input and output. China's innovation input ranking rose to 19th globally, while its innovation output ranking climbed to 5th globally, achieving a "dual improvement" in both dimensions.