The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index
Not competitive = not sustainable. Not sustainable = not competitive.
The most comprehensive measurement of country competitiveness and sustainability. Based on 280 quantitative indicators from trusted international organizations, providing bias-free evaluation of country performance.
Officially Adopted by 4 National Governments
The GSCI is now officially used by governments to benchmark their progress on the path to sustainability and competitiveness, providing a comprehensive alternative to GDP for tracking ESG country performance.
Measuring Competitiveness Beyond GDP
The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI) is a fully integrated measurement of a country's performance and outlook. Based on 280 quantitative indicators derived from global organisations (various specialised UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF), the GSCI measures all sectors, integrating macroeconomics, innovation capabilities, governance issues, society themes and the environment: the sustainable competitiveness of a nation. The GSCI is the most comprehensive country-level index available.
The GSCI serves as a comprehensive alternative to the GDP: GDP measures only what is exchanged in the market against money, but excludes everything else: environment, health, education, security, governance, and quality of living. The GSCI, in contrast, measures what makes success possible. The GSCI allows for assessing country-specific and issue-specific risks for operators and investors, and verifying development progress for countries on their path to sustainability and competitiveness.
Not competitive = not sustainable. Not sustainable = not competitive.
It is as simple as that.
Sustainable competitiveness is the ability to generate and sustain inclusive wealth without diminishing the future capability of sustaining or increasing current wealth levels.
— Core Definition
The Sustainable Competitiveness Model
The indicators of the GSCI are grouped into 6 sub-indexes: Natural Capital, Resource Efficiency & Intensity, Social Capital, Intellectual Capital, Economic Sustainability, and Governance Capital. Taken together, these pillars define a national performance and future outlook.
Natural Capital
The given natural environment, including the availability of resources, and the level of the depletion of those resources
Resource Efficiency & Intensity
The efficiency of using available resources as a measurement of operational competitiveness in a resource-constraint World
Social Capital
Health, security, freedom, equality and life satisfaction within a country
Intellectual Capital & Innovation
The capability to generate wealth and jobs through innovation and value-added industries in the globalised markets
Economic Sustainability
Economic Sustainability & Competitiveness reflects the ability to generate wealth through sustainable economic development
Governance Efficiency
Results of core state areas and investments – infrastructure, market and employment structure, the provision of a framework for sustained and sustainable wealth generation
Global Sustainable Competitiveness Rankings
Explore how countries rank across all dimensions of sustainable competitiveness. Click any country to open its profile in a new tab.
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State of The World 2026
A global snapshot of sustainable competitiveness performance and trends
Global Sustainability Scores
Current global performance
Finland leads at 61%
Perfect sustainability
The Gap: The average score is 45%, less than 50% of the ideal. Even Finland at 61% demonstrates that we're far from being truly sustainable and competitive.
Global Development Trends
Indicators showing positive trends
Indicators showing decline
No significant change
Mixed Progress: While 56% of indicators show positive developments, an alarming 32% are deteriorating. We are moving forward and backwards simultaneously.
Key Takeaways from GSCI 2026
Insights from the world's most comprehensive country sustainability assessment
Scandinavia keeps dominating the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index: The Index is topped by Finland, followed by Sweden and Denmark, with Iceland ranked 8th and Norway 9th
Northern European countries dominate GSCI rankings: Japan is the only non-European nation in the top 20, Korea follows on 23. All Baltic countries are also listed in the top 20
Asian nations (China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore) lead the Intellectual Capital Index – the basis of future competitiveness in a World dominated by technology
The Social Capital Index ranking is headed by Northern European (Scandinavian) countries, the result of very high growth combined with a commonly accepted social consensus
China tops the Intellectual Capital Index for the first time. However, the overall ranking (34) is evidence of underlying problems in Natural Capital and Resource Efficiency - albeit with encouraging signs of efficiency improvements
The USA is ranked 42, performing comparatively poor in both resource efficiency and social capital, reflecting a decline that could potentially undermine the global status of the US in the future
Countries in Africa show a combination of poor scores across several dimensions which are difficult to overcome, minimising the potential for real improvements in the short-term
The global gap to a perfect sustainable competitive World is 56.1. We are far from an inclusive and circular society that lives in balance with the environment
Why Sustainable Competitiveness Tracking Matters
A comprehensive alternative to GDP, measuring what truly drives sustainable competitiveness
For Governments
Track competitiveness and policy effectiveness across 6 dimensions and 36 clusters
For Investors
Assess country-level ESG risks and identify sustainable investment opportunities
For Researchers
Access bias-free data from trusted international organizations spanning 50+ years
For Businesses
Identify sustainable markets for expansion and assess operational risks
Professional Risk Analysis Platform
Access industry-specific risk evaluation, interactive analysis, and comprehensive ESG data through our professional dashboard. Designed for institutional investors, analysts, and business professionals.
Explore Dashboard PlatformGSCI Report Downloads
Access comprehensive reports, data, and insights
GSCI Credit Ratings
Sovereign Bond Credit Ratings based on the GSCI: ESG Sovereign Bonds
Download (1.4 MB)
Country Rankings
Explore how countries rank across all dimensions of sustainable competitiveness
| Rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | 60.99 |
| 2 | Sweden | 60.88 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 60.49 |
| 4 | Norway | 60.23 |
| 5 | Denmark | 59.52 |
| 6 | Austria | 59.45 |
| 7 | Ireland | 59.14 |
| 8 | Iceland | 58.84 |
| 9 | Luxembourg | 57.84 |
| 10 | Germany | 57.80 |
| 11 | Estonia | 57.54 |
| 12 | France | 57.17 |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 56.92 |
| 14 | Lithuania | 56.86 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 56.62 |
| 16 | Slovenia | 56.45 |
| 17 | Japan | 56.43 |
| 18 | Latvia | 55.63 |
| 19 | Portugal | 55.25 |
| 20 | Poland | 55.17 |
| 21 | South Korea | 55.07 |
| 22 | Czech Republic | 54.89 |
| 23 | Belgium | 54.60 |
| 24 | Singapore | 54.60 |
| 25 | Liechtenstein | 54.54 |
| 26 | Croatia | 54.50 |
| 27 | New Zealand | 54.17 |
| 28 | Slovakia | 54.07 |
| 29 | TWN | 53.86 |
| 30 | Italy | 53.07 |
Note: Showing top 30 countries. Click column headers to sort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore the Full GSCI Dashboard
Access comprehensive data, rankings, and insights for 193 countries across 50+ years of sustainable competitiveness tracking. Our professional risk management platform provides interactive analysis and enterprise-grade tools for informed decision-making.