China has officially entered the United Nations’ list of the world’s most innovative countries, making the top 10 for the first time.
The Global Innovation Index, which evaluates 139 economies using 78 indicators ranging from patent filings to private-sector investment, placed Switzerland at the top of the list where it has remained since 2011. Sweden ranked second, the United States third, while China secured the 10th position.
The report highlights that China is rapidly closing the gap with traditional innovation leaders and is on course to become the world’s largest R&D spender. It noted, however, that the global outlook for innovation is more uncertain. R&D growth worldwide is expected to slow to 2.3% this year, compared to 2.9% last year, the weakest rate since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
Patent activity underscores China’s momentum. In 2024, the country accounted for roughly a quarter of all international patent applications, maintaining its position as the largest single contributor. By contrast, the United States, Japan, and Germany together responsible for 40% of global applications, saw slight declines. Since patent ownership is widely viewed as a key indicator of industrial capability and economic strength, China’s surge signals a structural shift in global competitiveness.
Germany, which slipped to 11th place, should not view the drop as a long-term decline, argued GII co-editor Sacha Wunsch-Vincent. WIPO Director General Daren Tang also weighed in, stressing that Germany’s challenge lies in broadening its innovative base: “The challenge for Germany is how…, alongside its strong, decades-long status as a really powerful engine of industrial innovation, to become a powerhouse of digital innovation.”
The rest of the top 10 rankings featured South Korea, Singapore, Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark—countries that continue to blend strong technological capacity with forward-looking digital strategies.