Korea climbs 8 spots to rank 10th in global digital, AI competitiveness
Korea jumped eight places to rank 10th out of 70 nations in the 2026 World Digital and AI Competitiveness Ranking (WDAIR), published Wednesday by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) — the prestigious Swiss business school known for its benchmark global competitiveness evaluations. Among nations with populations exceeding 20 million, Korea secured fourth place, trailing…
South Korea has secured the 10th place among 70 countries in a global digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness ranking, according to the science ministry's report published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). The nation has climbed eight spots from the previous year, as per the report.
The United States topped the ranking this year, having moved up from the fourth place last year, while Canada dropped from the top spot to fifth place. Among the Asia-Pacific region countries, Singapore came in second place, China was at seventh place, and Japan ranked 19th.
In terms of categories, South Korea ranked third in technology infrastructure and efficiency metrics. The country excelled in research and development expenditure per gross domestic product (GDP), securing the first place. It also ranked eighth in the AI adaptation index.
The ministry attributed South Korea's rise in overall rankings to the government's policy efforts and the country's strong resilience, and pledged to swiftly implement major AI and digital policies.
Written by urgent.news from Yonhap News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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