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| Global Competitiveness Report | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Competitiveness Report |
| Publisher | World Economic Forum |
| First | 2004 |
| Discipline | International development |
| Country | Switzerland |
Global Competitiveness Report The Global Competitiveness Report is an annual assessment produced by the World Economic Forum that benchmarks national competitiveness across dozens of countries, informing dialogues among leaders such as Klaus Schwab, Christine Lagarde, Larry Fink, and institutions like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It is frequently cited by policymakers from United States, China, Germany, India, and Japan as well as officials from regional bodies including the European Commission, African Union, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The report synthesizes quantitative data from sources including the United Nations, International Labour Organization, and World Health Organization with executive-survey results to derive rankings used by investors such as BlackRock and development agencies like United States Agency for International Development.
The report compiles indicators drawn from multilateral agencies such as United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Telecommunication Union, and World Trade Organization alongside proprietary instruments utilized by think tanks like the Brookings Institution and Chatham House. Prominent national capitals including London, Beijing, Washington, D.C., New Delhi, and Brasília consult the publication; multilateral lenders such as the Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank reference its findings in strategy papers. Business executives from firms like Apple Inc., Siemens, Toyota Motor Corporation, and HSBC use the indicators to guide investment decisions, while academics at Harvard University, London School of Economics, Stanford University, and University of Oxford employ its datasets in comparative research.
Originating from earlier competitiveness initiatives in the 1990s, the report evolved through collaborations with institutions including IMD, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, and PwC before formalization by the World Economic Forum in the 2000s. Over successive editions it integrated metrics from landmark agreements and events such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the G20 Summit; chapters have discussed impacts of crises like the 2008 financial crisis, the European sovereign debt crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders and contributors have included economists associated with Joseph Stiglitz, Michael Porter, and Paul Krugman schools of thought, and the report’s methodology has been updated in dialogue with organizations such as OECD and UNCTAD.
The framework combines data from statistical agencies like the United Nations Statistics Division and specialized bodies such as the International Energy Agency and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies with executive responses gathered via surveys administered by partners including Kantar Public and Gallup. Core pillars draw on variables used by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Columbia University, and National Bureau of Economic Research; indicators reference infrastructure measures like those tracked by International Civil Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization, human capital proxies aligned with curricula standards from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, and financial inclusion metrics similar to datasets from Financial Stability Board and Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Statistical techniques include principal component analysis and robustness checks employed in studies published in journals such as The Economist, Financial Times, and Journal of Development Economics.
Rankings segment countries into clusters—examples include cohorts represented at forums like Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Mercosur, and Gulf Cooperation Council—and list leading economies such as United States, Singapore, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. Emerging market entries frequently highlighted include China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico, while small states referenced often include Luxembourg, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and Ireland. Regional annexes reference datasets from African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Pacific Islands Forum to provide subnational and cross-border comparisons.
Major editions have underscored themes championed at summits like the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, focusing on technological adoption measured against indices from International Telecommunication Union and World Intellectual Property Organization, supply-chain resilience highlighted after disruptions such as the Suez Canal obstruction and shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, and sustainability aligned with goals from the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit. Discussions reference digital transformation exemplified by companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms, workforce shifts seen at firms such as Tesla, Inc. and Foxconn, and energy transitions related to projects by Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and Ørsted.
Scholars and commentators from institutions such as Amnesty International, Transparency International, Human Rights Watch, and universities including University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge have criticized aspects of the report for reliance on perception-based surveys, comparability across heterogeneous states examined in works by Daron Acemoglu and Angus Deaton, and potential conflicts of interest given funding links with corporations such as Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company. Debates often invoke cases like Greece debt crisis or policy disputes within bodies such as the European Commission to question causal claims drawn from rank changes.
Despite critiques, the publication influences policy dialogues at summits including the United Nations General Assembly, World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, and G20 Summit, informing national planning in capitals like Canberra, Ottawa, Seoul, and Wellington. Development ministries, finance ministries, and central banks such as the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, People's Bank of China, and Reserve Bank of India cite it when assessing competitiveness reforms, while multinationals and sovereign wealth funds like Norway Government Pension Fund Global and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority use the rankings in strategic decisions. The report’s data are incorporated into academic curricula at institutions including INSEAD, Wharton School, and Kellogg School of Management and inform civil-society advocacy by groups such as Oxfam.
Category:International rankings