⏱ 1 min 30 read
Background
IMD, the Lausanne-based business school, publishes an annual ranking of countries' digital competitiveness. Until now, the study covered digital technology in general. Renamed the “World Digital and AI Ranking 2026”, it now focuses on artificial intelligence (AI). In 2025, Switzerland ranked third worldwide.
The key points
Switzerland has fallen to ninth place worldwide in the 2026 edition, published by IMD on Wednesday 11 November 2026, a drop of six places, according to Le Temps. The United States tops the ranking, ahead of Singapore, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Sweden, China and Finland. Switzerland is just ahead of South Korea; 70 countries were analysed.
IMD measures numerous indicators: private investment, public-sector action, level of digitalisation, governance, education of the population and efficiency of public services. Overly slow AI adoption by companies and delays on the part of the state explain this decline, according to Le Temps.
Key figures
- 9th place : Switzerland's rank in 2026, compared with 3rd in 2025
- 13th place : Switzerland for infrastructure
- 16th place : Switzerland for efficiency
- 43rd place : Switzerland for the digitalisation of public services
- 70 countries : number of countries analysed
What it means for businesses
- Swiss companies : their AI adoption, considered too slow, weighs on the country's position.
- Public administrations : the digitalisation of public services is Switzerland's lowest rank among the criteria cited.
Who says what
- Arturo Bris (Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center): Switzerland must speed up its decisions on technology.
Further reading
Sources
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