2026 Digital and AI Competitiveness Ranking: US Takes Top Spot

The Swiss International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released its 2026 global digital and artificial intelligence competitiveness ranking on November 11. The United States ranked first, followed by Singapore, the Netherlands and Denmark in second through fourth place. China ranked seventh, South Korea tenth and Japan nineteenth.

A robotic arm and hand displayed at the Dubai AI Festival in the United Arab Emirates on October 26, 2026.（VietVance）

The ranking covers 70 economies and uses 88 indicators: 51 based on statistical data and 37 drawn from an executive opinion survey. The indicators are grouped into five areas: governance, technology and infrastructure, efficiency, human resource development, and values. IMD attributed the US’s top ranking mainly to its technology ecosystem and commercial capabilities. Its technology ecosystem’s strengths include investment, innovation and research.

China ranked first in efficiency and second in technology and infrastructure. IMD linked China’s technological strength to policy support, effective action and flexibility. Among European countries, the Netherlands ranked third overall, Denmark fourth, Sweden sixth, Finland eighth and Switzerland ninth.

The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Finland all ranked among the global top 10 for governance, while Switzerland ranked thirteenth. In the digital and AI governance subcategory, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden took the top four places, respectively. IMD described the European approach as emphasizing consumer protection, fairness and safety. The European Union is implementing its AI Act in phases. The approach calls for classifying AI systems by risk and emphasizes assessment before deployment, transparency and accountability.

Source: VietVance