Singapore tops list in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index
Singapore tops the list in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index prepared by INSEAD and Portulans Institute.
Calvin Chan Wai Meng | E+ | Getty Images
Singapore to be at the top in 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) for the first time, underpinned by strong education systems, robust governance and a proactive approach to sustaining an adaptable, innovation-ready workforce in the age of artificial intelligence.
Created by the INSEAD business school in partnership with the D.C.-based think tank Portulans Institute, the index, in its 11th edition this year, measured how countries grow, attract and retain talent across all income groups.
This year’s report, themed “resilience in an age of disruption”, ranked 135 economies globally in six pillars based on 77 indicators such as soft skills and AI talent density.
Portulans Institute CEO Rafael Escalona Reynoso said this report “comes at a time when rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and deep societal transitions make reliable talent measurements more important than ever.”
While historians may offer us more perspective, it certainly feels like we are living in a time of maximum confusion and anxiety.
Lily Tooth
Dean of Research and Innovation, INSEAD
“While historians have given us more perspective, it certainly feels like we are living in a time of maximum turmoil and anxiety,” said Lily Fang, INSEAD’s dean of research and innovation. “Geopolitical uncertainty poses major challenges to the resilience of global trade and markets, while artificial intelligence offers both incredible opportunities to expand human potential and unfathomable risks.”
Here are the top 10 countries in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index:
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- Denmark
- Finland
- Swedish
- Holland
- Norway
- Luxembourg
- United States
- Australia
In particular, Switzerland fell from its top position for the first time in GTCI history, leaving Singapore behind. However, the country records multiple top five results across the study’s framework, including internet access in schools (1st), government effectiveness (2nd) and migration of AI skills (4th).
High-income European countries continue to lead the rankings, accounting for seven of the top ten places.
Switzerland, Denmark and Finland follow each other closely in the top 10 and “suggest a common focus on enabling and retaining talent through favorable conditions and access to opportunities,” according to the report. These three countries consistently rank highly for talent activation and retention.
Many Scandinavian countries have finished in the top 10 since the last GTCI in 2023. This year, Denmark rose one place from 4th to 3rd in the rankings. 2023 reportFinland jumped two places, from 6th to 4th, and Sweden jumped 4 places, from 9th in 2023, to 4th this year.
Meanwhile, the United States fell from third place in 2023 to ninth place in this year’s report; This is its weakest indicator since 2013.
Although the United States received strong scores in areas such as talent activation and development, “slight declines in the openness and lifelong learning categories” pushed the country down to ninth place in 2025, according to the report.
Singapore takes the lead
Singapore’s rise marks a major turning point in talent competition for both the country and the wider region, the report said.
According to the report, the city-state “ranks in the top ten in four of the six pillars and has made notable improvements in its ability to retain talent, rising seven places.” The Southeast Asian country is also a global leader in talent activation and retention, supported by the country’s regulatory structure and high standards of living.
The country also ranked first globally in formal education and “Generic Adaptive Skills”, which includes soft skills, digital literacy and innovation thinking.
A key factor in Singapore’s leap forward this year is the sharp improvement in its ability to retain talent; It jumped seven places from 38th in 2023 to 31st this year. The report highlighted gains in physician density, personnel rights, personal security and many other areas.
“Economies that cultivate adaptable, cross-functional, and AI-literate workforces tend to be better positioned to turn disruptions into opportunities and maintain long-term competitiveness,” says Paul Evans, professor emeritus of organizational behavior at INSEAD and co-editor of the report.
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