HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeCompetitivenessback to Research & KnowledgeIMD releases its 2014 World Competitiveness Yearbook rankingback to Competitiveness

Article

IMD releases its 2014 World Competitiveness Yearbook ranking

The US leads, Europe recovers, and big emerging markets struggle

By Arturo Bris

2 min.

May 2014

Download full article

PRINTABLE PDF – Less than 1MB

A country’s image abroad can also influence future competitiveness

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (May 2014): IMD, a top-ranked global business school based in Switzerland, today announced its annual world competitiveness ranking. As part of its ranking of 60 economies for 2014, the IMD World Competitiveness Center also looks at perceptions of each country as a place to do business.

“The overall competitiveness story for 2014 is one of continued success in the US, partial recovery in Europe, and struggles for some large emerging markets,” said Professor Arturo Bris, Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center. “There is no single recipe for a country to climb the competitiveness rankings, and much depends on the local context.”

Highlights of the 2014 ranking

The US retains the No. 1 spot in 2014, reflecting the resilience of its economy, better employment numbers, and its dominance in technology and infrastructure.

There are no big changes among the top ten. Small economies such as Switzerland (2), Singapore (3) and Hong Kong (4) continue to prosper thanks to exports, business efficiency and innovation.

Europe fares better than last year, thanks to its gradual economic recovery. Denmark (9) enters the top ten, joining Switzerland, Sweden (5), Germany (6) and Norway (10). Among Europe’s peripheral economies, Ireland (15), Spain (39) and Portugal (43) all rise, while Italy (46) and Greece (57) fall.

Japan (21) continues to climb in the rankings, helped by a weaker currency that has improved its competitiveness abroad. Elsewhere in Asia, both Malaysia (12) and Indonesia (37) make gains, while Thailand (29) falls amid political uncertainty.

Most big emerging markets slide in the rankings as economic growth and foreign investment slow down and infrastructure remains inadequate. China (23) falls, partly owing to concerns about its business environment, while India (44) and Brazil (54) suffer from inefficient labor markets and ineffective business management. Turkey (40), Mexico (41), the Philippines (42) and Peru (50) also fall.

IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2014µ

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Keep reading

Article

How CEO’s drive saved car giant Ford from the scrapyard

Companies desperately in need of a turnaround in fortunes should take inspiration from the 2008 rescue mission by the then-new Ford boss Alan Mulal...

Agility Business Transformation Change Management Competitiveness Decision Making Future Readiness Leadership Organizational Culture Performance Management Strategy

By Howard H. Yu

in I by IMD

Report

IMD World Talent Ranking 2024

AI could threaten high-income economies’ attractiveness to talent, finds 2024 IMD World Talent Ranking. The economies where AI is most noticeably r...

Competitiveness Talent Management Data Analytics

By Arturo Bris, Christos Cabolis, José Caballero, Francesca De Nicola, William Milner, Fabian Grimm, Chinar Sharma and Alice Tozer

IMD World Competitiveness Center Report, September 2024

Article

What is trade protectionism? - Ana Elena Sancho Calvino

As governments continue down the path of protectionism, here are five questions executives should ask to better understand the impact such policies...

Competitiveness Geopolitics

By Ana Elena Sancho Calvino

in I by IMD

2 September 2024

Article

Future ready? A methodical approach will repay you

Singapore-based DBS bank was being shaken by nimble competitors and needed to change fast. CEO Piyush Gupta knew spending big on technology wasn't ...

Agility Business Transformation Change Management Competitiveness Decision Making Disruption Finance Future Readiness Innovation Organizational Change

By Howard H. Yu

in I by IMD

Article

China’s NEV sector: Domestic brands lead the charge

The market share of Chinese independent brands has risen from 35.8% in 2020 to 56.1% in the first five months of 2024. Read on to see which are suc...

China Competitiveness

Why multinationals are betting on India - Richard Baldwin

As the world’s largest democracy prepares to overtake China in terms of economic growth, it offers a huge investment opportunity, explains IMD’s Ri...

Competitiveness Finance

Countries of the future: Looking beyond the disinformation

Don't be deterred by doom-laden narratives. To create societies that are prosperous and inclusive, it's time for leaders to focus on facts and futu...

Competitiveness Future Readiness Geopolitics

IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook: 2024

The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) is a renowned tool for assessing the competitiveness of economies worldwide. This year, IMD’s World Com...

Competitiveness Economics Data Analytics

By Arturo Bris, Christos Cabolis, José Caballero, Fabian Grimm, William Milner, Chinar Sharma and Alice Tozer

Article

A methodical approach to change will repay you with interest

Singapore-based DBS bank was being shaken by nimble competitors from China, and it needed to change fast. But CEO Piyush Gupta knew that blowing a...

Future Readiness Finance Competitiveness Disruption

By Howard H. Yu

in I by IMD Magazine

June 2024, no. 14, pp. 76-79

Article

Digital sustainability: It pays to be a leader, not a laggard

Companies that excel in both digital and sustainable transformation attract a stock market premium, according to research by Michael Wade, Lazaros ...

Digital Sustainability Competitiveness

By Michael R. Wade, Lazaros Goutas and Evangelos Syrigos

in I by IMD Magazine

June 2024, no. 14, pp. 48-53

IMD World Talent Ranking 2024

By Arturo Bris Christos Cabolis José Caballero Francesca De Nicola William Milner Fabian Grimm Chinar Sharma and Alice Tozer
IMD World Competitiveness Center Report, September 2024

Summary

AI could threaten high-income economies’ attractiveness to talent, finds 2024 IMD World Talent Ranking. The economies where AI is most noticeably r...

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Competitiveness

Talent Management

Data Analytics

Browse all topics

Countries of the future: Looking beyond the disinformation

By Arturo Bris
in I by IMD 26 June 2024

Summary

Don't be deterred by doom-laden narratives. To create societies that are prosperous and inclusive, it's time for leaders to focus on facts and futu...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Competitiveness

Future Readiness

Geopolitics

Browse all topics

IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook: 2024

By Arturo Bris Christos Cabolis José Caballero Fabian Grimm William Milner Chinar Sharma and Alice Tozer
Published by International Institute for Management Development ©2024

Summary

The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) is a renowned tool for assessing the competitiveness of economies worldwide. This year, IMD’s World Com...

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Competitiveness

Economics

Data Analytics

Browse all topics

A methodical approach to change will repay you with interest

By Howard H. Yu
in I by IMD Magazine June 2024, no. 14, pp. 76-79

Summary

Singapore-based DBS bank was being shaken by nimble competitors from China, and it needed to change fast. But CEO Piyush Gupta knew that blowing a...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Future Readiness

Finance

Competitiveness

Disruption

Browse all topics

Digital sustainability: It pays to be a leader, not a laggard

By Michael R. Wade Lazaros Goutas and Evangelos Syrigos
in I by IMD Magazine June 2024, no. 14, pp. 48-53

Summary

Companies that excel in both digital and sustainable transformation attract a stock market premium, according to research by Michael Wade, Lazaros ...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Digital

Sustainability

Competitiveness

Browse all topics