Israel tops its region in global talent ranking, but political instability drags score down
INSEAD index places Israel 23rd worldwide, highlighting world-leading R&D strength alongside severe weaknesses in stability and immigrant tolerance.
Singapore is the world’s leading destination for talent recruitment and retention, according to the Global Talent Competitive Index published annually by the INSEAD business school in France in collaboration with the Portulans Institute for Research in Washington.
Now in its 11th year, the ranking covers 135 countries and is based on 77 indicators, including the concentration of AI workers, grouped into six categories that measure talent attraction, growth, retention, and technical capabilities. The index evaluates how countries cultivate, attract, and retain skilled workers across all income levels.
Israel ranked 23rd overall and first in the North Africa and Western Asia regional ranking, rising two places from the previous edition. According to the authors, Israel “demonstrates particular strength in retaining talent, as well as in both mid-level and high-level skills, reflecting a workforce equipped for professional, managerial, and leadership roles.”
However, Israel scored poorly in several areas: it ranked 124th out of 135 in political stability and received low marks for tolerance toward immigrants and preparedness for future disasters.
Singapore took first place, replacing Switzerland, which topped last year’s index. Singapore scored especially high in categories such as internet access in schools, government efficiency, and AI-worker migration, while also improving its employee-retention capabilities.
Wealthy European countries continue to dominate the top tier, occupying seven of the top ten positions: Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg ranked 2nd through 8th, respectively. The United States placed ninth, followed by Australia. For the U.S., this marks a drop from third place in 2023, the last time the index was published, and its lowest position since the index’s inception, driven in part by a lower score in openness. The United Kingdom similarly fell out of the top ten, landing in 12th place.
At the bottom of the ranking, African countries predominate. Chad ranked last (135th), followed by Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, and Madagascar.
