HCMC – Vietnam ranked third in ASEAN in the Global Innovation Index (GII), behind Singapore and Malaysia and ahead of Thailand. Globally, the country came in 44th out of 139 economies.
The ranking also showed Vietnam in second place among lower-middle-income countries, after India at 38th.
Vietnam is among nine middle-income nations with the fastest improvements in ranking since 2013. It is also one of two, alongside India, that have consistently outperformed their development level for 15 consecutive years, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
For the first time, Vietnam topped global rankings in three indicators: creative goods exports, high-tech imports, and high-tech exports. It also ranked fourth in labor productivity growth, seventh in mobile application creation, and eighth in business-funded research and development spending.
The Global Innovation Index is an international benchmark of innovation capacity, covering science, technology, and innovation-driven development. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Science and Technology coordinates the index’s implementation.
Vietnam’s ranking has improved steadily since 2016, when it was 59th. It rose to 44th in 2024 and maintained this position in 2025.
