Hong Kong Climbs to 14th in Global Innovation Index, Ranks 5th in Asia
Hkgov · 6 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2026 has improved to 14th place globally, up one position from the previous year, among 139 economies surveyed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) . The city has retained its position as the 5th-ranked economy in Asia . The Innovation Input sub-index remained at 8th place globally, while the Innovation Output sub-index rose one place to 21st .
Key Points
- Hong Kong placed 14th globally among 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2026, up one position from the previous year, ranking 5th in Asia
- Under the Innovation Input sub-index, Hong Kong maintained 8th place globally, with all five pillars scoring above the high-income economy average
- Market sophistication ranked 2nd globally; human capital and research ranked 6th; institutions ranked 7th; infrastructure ranked 11th
- Credit access ranked 1st globally, higher education ranked 3rd, ICT and investment each ranked 4th globally
- The Innovation Output sub-index rose one place to 21st globally, with creative outputs up 2 places to 15th and knowledge and technology outputs up 1 place to 29th
- The Government stated that accelerating innovation and technology development is a key policy priority under the First Five-Year Plan
- Hong Kong will build a new paradigm of "three major I&T parks and five key R&D institutions," advance the AI+ Initiative, and strengthen Greater Bay Area cooperation
Why It Matters
The rise in the Global Innovation Index underscores Hong Kong's growing competitiveness in innovation capacity, particularly in market sophistication and credit access, which can attract more international technology investment and talent . The Government's implementation of the First Five-Year Plan's technology directions, including the AI+ Initiative and new industrialization framework, signals sustained commitment to positioning Hong Kong as an international I&T centre serving the Greater Bay Area and beyond .
The rise in the Global Innovation Index underscores Hong Kong's growing competitiveness in innovation capacity, particularly in market sophistication and credit access, which can attract more international technology investment and talent . The Government's implementation of the First Five-Year Plan's technology directions, including the AI+ Initiative and new industrialization framework, signals sustained commitment to positioning Hong Kong as an international I&T centre serving the Greater Bay Area and beyond .