Switzerland Leads 2025 IMD Digital Competitiveness Ranking
Despite rising global trade frictions, Switzerland continues to hold the top position in digital competitiveness, surpassing the United States and Singapore. The country reaffirms its status as one of the most advanced digital economies in the world.
The 2025 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR), released by the Lausanne-based Institute for Management Development (IMD), evaluates 69 economies according to their capacity to adopt and utilize digital technologies for economic and social progress. Switzerland ranks first, followed by the United States and Singapore.
Key Factors Behind Switzerland’s Lead
- Strong digital infrastructure and innovation capacity
- Commitment to education and technology-driven development
- Well-developed innovation ecosystem supporting startups and research
Challenges Highlighted by IMD Experts
IMD analysts caution that increasing trade fragmentation and evolving regulatory changes may challenge Switzerland’s position in the future. These global shifts are already influencing data flows, technical standards, and investment strategies.
“Digitally speaking, Switzerland has experienced two important developments so far this year: the cataclysmic effects of tariff changes and the approval of e-ID by a razor-thin margin (50.4% in favor),” said Arturo Bris, Director of IMD’s World Competitiveness Center. “It’s clear that the Swiss aren’t as prepared as we might have hoped to embrace the challenges of technology today.”
According to IMD, trade tensions increasingly affect global data movement and technology policies, reshaping how nations compete in the digital realm.
Author’s Summary
Switzerland remains the global leader in digital competitiveness for 2025 through robust innovation and infrastructure but faces rising risks from global trade and regulatory uncertainty.