The Global Innovation Index was started in 2007 by INSEAD and World Business,[1]:203 a British magazine. It was created by Soumitra Dutta.[4]
Methodology
The Global Innovation Index is computed by taking a simple average of the scores in two sub-indices (the Innovation Input Index and Innovation Output Index), which are composed of respectively five and two pillars. Each of those pillars describes an attribute of innovation and have to five indicators, and their score is calculated by the weighted average method.[5]
Since its inception in 2007, the index has had its results analyzed by an increasing number of governments annually, which design policy responses to improve their performance.[6][7][8][9][10] The index is mentioned in a resolution on science, technology and innovation for sustainable development adopted on 19 December 2019 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.[11]
Criticism
Several scholars have criticized the index for giving excessive significance attributed to factors that are not integral to innovation. For instance, "Ease of Paying Taxes", "Electricity Output" (half-weightage), and "Ease of Protecting Minority Investors" are factors alongside "Ease of Getting Credit" and "Venture Capital Deals."[12] A 2024 study by Sarcina, Paolantonio, Valentini, and Iannone argued that the analysis of the GII pillars is "too aggregated to provide the necessary visibility of the determinants of innovation performance." The research found that indicators within a single pillar "contribute with different weights and have different statistical significance." The authors suggested that the model for calculating the ranking should be redefined to not only consider the "most statistically representative variables" but also to include "geographical, demographic, and socio-economic factors," noting that the importance of various innovation determinants likely differs between countries at different stages of development.[13]
Themes
Every two years, the index covers a theme related to innovation that goes beyond the innovation rankings. In 2020, the theme was "Who will finance innovation?" and shed light on the state of innovation financing by investigating the evolution of existing mechanisms and by pointing to progress and remaining challenges. Previous themes covered topics such as health innovation, environmental innovation, and agricultural and food innovation.[14]
2025 ranking
Economies climbing the ladder in global innovation. Top climbers since 2013 and 2019. Year-on-year comparisons of GII rankings must take into account changes to the GII model that have occurred over time, as well as data availability.
In 2025, for an economy to feature in the GII 2025, the minimum data coverage requirement is at least 35 indicators in the Innovation Input Sub-Index and 15 indicators in the Innovation Output Sub-Index, with scores for at least two sub-pillars per pillar. In the GII 2025, 139 economies had sufficient data available to be included in the Index. They represent 93.6 percent of the world's population.[15] This year's conceptual framework includes 78 different indicators.[16]
The Global Innovation Index 2025 scores 139 countries and regions.[17]
↑In July 2021, the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, under the Japanese Prime Minister's Office, decided on the Intellectual Property Promotion Plan 2021, which set forth a plan of annual action related to intellectual property for all ministries and agencies. In the first part of the plan, WIPO's GII is cited (p. 5): https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/titeki2/kettei/chizaikeikaku20210713.pdf
