Singapore has claimed the top position in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) for the first time, bolstered by its robust education systems, sound governance and a proactive approach to sustaining an adaptive, innovation-ready workforce in the age of artificial intelligence.
In its 11th edition this year, the index — produced by business school INSEAD and in partnership with D.C.-based think tank Portulans Institute — measured how countries grow, attract and retain talent across all income groups.
This year’s report, themed “resilience in the age of disruption,” ranked 135 economies globally on 77 indicators such as soft skills and AI talent concentration across six pillars.
This report comes at a time when “rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and profound societal transitions make dependable talent metrics more essential than ever,” said Rafael Escalona Reynoso, CEO of Portulans Institute.
“While historians can give us more perspective, it certainly feels as if we are living in a period of maximum disruption and anxiety,” said INSEAD’s dean of research and innovation, Lily Fang. “Geopolitical uncertainty poses massive challenges to the resilience of global commerce and markets, while artificial intelligence presents both amazing opportunities to enhance human potential — but also unfathomable risks.”
