Singapore has been ranked fifth in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII), marking its third consecutive year in the top five. The country also secured second place in the South-east Asia, East Asia, and Oceania (SEAO) region. In addition, it achieved first place in 10 out of 78 indicators, the highest number of top-ranked indicators among all economies assessed.
Strong performance in innovation inputs
The GII, published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), evaluates 139 economies using 78 indicators from both public and private sources. It is divided into two broad areas: innovation inputs and innovation outputs. Inputs measure the factors that enable innovation, such as institutions, human capital, infrastructure, and market sophistication. Outputs reflect the results of innovation, including knowledge, technology, and creative outputs.
Singapore has maintained its global lead in innovation inputs for the 15th year in a row. It topped the institutions pillar, ranked second in the human capital and research pillar, and came third in the business sophistication pillar. Key strengths included government effectiveness, stable policies for business, and foreign direct investment inflows.
Improvement in innovation outputs
The 2025 ranking also highlighted Singapore’s progress in innovation outputs, where the country climbed two positions to ninth, its best result in over a decade. It advanced to seventh place in knowledge and technology outputs and rose four spots to 15th in creative outputs. These improvements were attributed to growth in high-tech manufacturing, unicorn valuations, cultural and creative exports, as well as gains in intangible asset intensity and brand value among leading firms.
Tan Kong Hwee, Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), said the results reflect the combined efforts of government, businesses, and research communities in strengthening Singapore’s innovation ecosystem. “Singapore maintained its leading position in innovation inputs, but more significantly, we improved two positions to 9th in innovation outputs – our highest rank in over a decade. This indicates that we have enhanced our innovation capability to realise tangible benefit for the economy. The GII provides encouragement and affirmation as we plan for the next bound of the Singapore IP Strategy (SIPS) 2030,” he said.
Building for the future
The improved ranking underlines Singapore’s continued investment in innovation-driven growth and its focus on translating research and development into commercial and creative outcomes. With the next phase of the Singapore IP Strategy 2030 underway, the country is expected to keep strengthening its position as a leading hub for innovation in the region.
