Switzerland has retained the top spot as the most innovative country in the world 2024, according to the Global Innovation Index (GII).
The GII is an annual ranking conducted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which assesses the innovation performance of 133 economies worldwide.
Sweden, the United States, Singapore, and the United Kingdom were ranked second, third, fourth and fifth respectively.
These countries excel in technological advancements, funding for R&D, and policy frameworks conducive to innovation.
Nigeria was ranked 113th globally and 15th Africa in the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII).
Mauritius leads the African continent, ranking 55th globally, followed by South Africa (69th), Kenya (96th), and Ghana (101st).
This ranking points to gaps in research and development (R&D), infrastructure, and policies fostering innovation.
Other sub-Saharan countries like Rwanda (104th) and Côte d’Ivoire (112th) have made modest progress, indicating that smaller economies are implementing focused innovation strategies more effectively.
Here is a list of the most innovative countries in the world 2024:
1 Switzerland
2 Sweden
3 United States of America
4 Singapore
5 United Kingdom
6 Republic of Korea
7 Finland
8 Netherlands
9 Germany
10 Denmark
11 China
12 France
13 Japan
14 Canada
15 Israel
16 Estonia
17 Austria
18 Hong Kong, China
19 Ireland
20 Luxembourg
21 Norway
22 Iceland
23 Australia
24 Belgium
25 New Zealand
26 Italy
27 Cyprus
28 Spain
29 Malta
30 Czech Republic
31 Portugal
32 United Arab Emirates
33 Malaysia
34 Slovenia
35 Lithuania
36 Hungary
37 Türkiye
38 Bulgaria
39 India
40 Poland
41 Thailand
42 Latvia
43 Croatia
44 Viet Nam
45 Greece
46 Slovakia
47 Saudi Arabia
48 Romania
49 Qatar
50 Brazil
51 Chile
52 Serbia
53 Philippines
54 Indonesia
55 Mauritius
56 Mexico
57 Georgia
58 North Macedonia
59 Russian Federation
60 Ukraine
61 Colombia
62 Uruguay
63 Armenia
64 Iran
65 Montenegro
66 Morocco
67 Mongolia
68 Republic of Moldova
69 South Africa
70 Costa Rica
71 Kuwait
72 Bahrain
73 Jordan
74 Oman
75 Peru
76 Argentina
77 Barbados
78 Kazakhstan
79 Jamaica
80 Bosnia and Herzegovina
81 Tunisia
82 Panama
83 Uzbekistan
84 Albania
85 Belarus
86 Egypt
87 Botswana
88 Brunei Darussalam
89 Sri Lanka
90 Cabo Verde
91 Pakistan
92 Senegal
93 Paraguay
94 Lebanon
95 Azerbaijan
96 Kenya
97 Dominican Republic
98 El Salvador
99 Kyrgyzstan
100 Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
101 Ghana
102 Namibia
103 Cambodia
104 Rwanda
105 Ecuador
106 Bangladesh
107 Tajikistan
108 Trinidad and Tobago
109 Nepal
110 Madagascar
111 Lao People’s Democratic Republic
112 Côte d’Ivoire
113 Nigeria
114 Honduras
115 Algeria
116 Zambia
117 Togo
118 Zimbabwe
119 Benin
120 United Republic of Tanzania
121 Uganda
122 Guatemala
123 Cameroon
124 Nicaragua
125 Myanmar
126 Mauritania
127 Burundi
128 Mozambique
129 Burkina Faso
130 Ethiopia
131 Mali
132 Niger
133 Angola