The 10 Most Innovative Nations — Plus China

The state of innovation is strong around the world, a new report says, despite trade battles and an economic slowdown. There's been a bit of reshuffling this year in the new Global Innovation Index; Switzerland tops the list for the ninth time, Sweden rose to second place, and the US ranks third. The nations to watch, however, are China and India. After ranking 17th last year, its first time in the Top 20, China now is No. 14, per Forbes. India made the biggest improvement, ranking 52nd after a rise of five spots. "The rise in the GII by economic powerhouses like China and India has transformed the geography of innovation," said the director of the World Intellectual Property Organization, which produces the index, "and this reflects deliberate policy action to promote innovation." The UN says the purpose of the index is to inform policy makers about innovation activity, which WIPO calls a "main driver of economic and social development."

The nations are given a score on a scale of 1 to 100, based on assessments of factors such as spending on education and creative output. At the top for 2019 are:

1. Switzerland, 67.24
2. Sweden, 63.65
3. US, 61.73
4. The Netherlands, 61.44
5. UK, 61.3
6. Finland, 59.83
7. Denmark, 58.44
8. Singapore, 58.37
9. Germany, 58.19
10. Israel, 57.43

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