Singapore Leads in World Competitiveness Report.

Singapore was ranked as the first in competitiveness in 2026, followed by Hong Kong, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

A total of 70 countries were included in the “Global Competitiveness Annual Report,” which is now issued in its 38th year by the World Competitiveness Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. Our country has been consistently participating since 2015.

This year’s report was presented under the theme “Trust in the Institute.” It was emphasized that the competitive advantage of the nation increasingly depends on good governance, adaptability, and the ability to withstand adversity. This is because, at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions around the world, countries with clear rule of law, ability to deliver on promises, and good rule of law are seen as more competitive.

A total of 341 indicators in the study are categorized into four main categories: Economic Resilience, Governance Efficiency, Profitability of Business Organizations, and Infrastructure.

Top 10 Countries in Competitiveness

	Countries	2025	2026	Changes
1	Singapore	2	1	+1
2	Hong Kong	3	2	+1
3	Switzerland	1	3	−2
4	Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)	6	4	+2
5	United Arab Emirates	5	5	—
6	Denmark	4	6	−2
7	Ireland	7	7	—
8	Netherlands	10	8	+2
9	Sweden	8	9	−1
10	United States	13	10	+3

Singapore moved up seven places in terms of business efficiency, leaving Switzerland behind and again in first place. Hong Kong has been improving for the past three years in a row, and is ranked the second this year. Switzerland dropped by 24 places in terms of economic strength.

Our main trading partner, People’s Republic of China, moved up from 16th to 12th place after improving business performance and tax policy indicators.

The five countries with the lowest ranks in the report were Botswana, Mongolia, Nigeria, Namibia and Venezuela.

MONGOLIA RANKED 67TH

In 2026, Mongolia stands at fourth from the bottom globally with 39.02 points.

The Evolution of Mongolia’s Competitiveness

Changes to the 4 main categories

Economics resilience dropped 4 places to 59th. On the positive side, the country performed strongly in office rent prices (ranking 1st), inward-looking direct investment in GDP (6th), and product exports (13th). Furthermore, its inflation performance showed notable improvement, climbing from 64th to 39th place. However, major vulnerabilities remain, as Mongolia ranked dead last (70th) in three critical sub-factors: economic resilience, dependence on a single export partner, and service sector exports.

Government efficiency fell 2 places from the previous year to 63rd, largely reflecting institutional weaknesses, poor business legislation, and inefficiencies in public finance management.

Corporate profitability climbed 3 places to rank 62nd, driven by lower labor costs, long-term growth in the labor market, and improved access to financial services.

Infrastructure remained unchanged from the previous year at 66th, as technological, scientific, and physical infrastructure indicators stayed weak.

Improved and Regression Indicators

Improvements	2025	2026		Regressions	2025	2026
4.5.03 Expenditure per pupil from the budget for education	745	2290		1.1.18 Total Fixed Assets -Real Growth	22.15	-6.47
4.1.07 Population growth	1.14	3.33		4.1.20 Price of Electricity for Industrial Consumption	0.051	0.078
1.4.04 Employment – Long-Term Growth	-2.37	0.83		2.4.09 State-owned industrial units	2.72	1.7
3.2.15 Long-term Workforce Growth	4.59	9.68		2.1.09 Pension Fund	2.83	1.91
2.5.17 Media Distortions	0.813	1698		4.4.01 Total Expenditure on Health Care	8.9	6.1
4.4.13 Water treatment facilities	26.1	53.2		2.3.02 Cost of Capital	3.71	2.67
4.4.19 Forest Area Growth	0.0	0.0		4.2.15 Exports of advanced technologies (%)	30.81	22.54
2.3.08 Currency Price Stability	0.071	0.035		1.5.01 Consumer Price Inflation	6.8	8.61
2.4.03 Tenders Announced by the State	3.66	5.06		4.4.28 Pollution Issues	3.21	2.39
2.4.04 Foreign investors	4.21	5.64		4.1.15 Energy infrastructure	2.54	1.91
1.4.10 Youth discrimination	14.6	9.9		1.4.09 Youth Unemployment	11.6	14.39
3.3.16 Credit	2.88	3.78		1.3.13 Business Migration Risks	5.08	3.91
4.5.09 Return of Students Who Have Studied Abroad	1.03	1.31		2.1.07 Public Finance	2.67	2.06
1.2.12 Services exports (billions of dollars)	1.56	1.98		2.1.08 Tax Avoidance	3.63	2.91
4.5.08 Women with educational degrees	49.4	62.3		1.1.19 Economic Resilience	3.21	2.58

Key positive changes include a threefold increase in public education costs per pupil and a sharp increase in the percentage of women in higher education.

On the other hand, the real growth in total fixed assets has declined from 22 percent to -6.5 percent, the cost of financing (interest rates) has increased, and inflation has risen from 6.8 percent to 8.6 percent.

Top Strengths vs. Top Weaknesses

Strengths	Rank	Weaknesses	Rank
Office Rent	1	Export Concentrations (Partner Countries)	70
A government formed by free elections	1	Economic Resilience	70
Unemployment Rate – Gender Ratio	3	State-owned industrial units	70
Food Waste	4	Skilled Executives	70
Women with educational degrees	4	Specialized workers	70
Population growth	5	Energy Consumption	70
Total Fixed Assets (%)	5	Carbon dioxide emissions	70
Long-term workforce growth	6	Skilled Engineers	70

Challenges for Mongolia in 2026

• Policy instability and unpredictability can undermine trust in the state;
• Inflation and national debt refinancing cycles can put pressure on the national budget and households’ livelihoods and purchasing power;
• Labour shortages in dominant sectors due to the shortage of skilled labour and labour productivity gaps;
• Stock market lag and limited funding opportunities have led to restrictions on the source and availability of funding;
• Limited infrastructure availability and logistical constraints will increase costs and stifle exports, hampering economic expansion.