The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI) is a tool that measures the sustainability and competitiveness of countries using 190 quantitative performance indicators. Since its inception in 2012, the GSCI has been used as a comprehensive alternative to GDP, providing insights into country-specific and issue-specific risks for businesses and investors, and tracking policy progress for countries. Currently, four governments officially use the GSCI to monitor their progress towards sustainability and competitiveness.
The 190 quantitative indicators used in the GSCI are sourced from international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, and various UN Agencies. These indicators are categorized into six dimensions that determine a nation’s competitiveness:
Natural Capital Index: This reflects the given natural environment. Resource Efficiency Index: This measures resource usage per capita and per economic output. Social Capital Index: This evaluates social cohesion, health, freedom, security, and equality. Intellectual Capital & Innovation Index: This includes education and innovation indicators. Economic Sustainability: This assesses business and economic frameworks & performance. Governance Performance Index: This considers infrastructure, resource allocation, corruption, and fiscal considerations. The 190 quantitative indicators used in the GSCI are sourced from international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, and various UN Agencies. These indicators are categorized into six dimensions that determine a nation’s competitiveness:
All indicators are evaluated as they are and analysed for trends, providing a comprehensive overview of each country’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as an indication of future direction and potential.
Key findings from the 2023 Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index include:
The highest score in 2023 is 60 (Sweden), and the global average is 43.4 out of a possible 100, indicating that the world as a whole is far from being truly sustainably competitive. A slight majority (52%) of all trends across all countries show positive developments, suggesting small but positive improvements in the future. However, a majority of trends in Natural Capital are deteriorating, indicating a further decline in the natural environment.
Sustainable competitiveness is defined as the ability to generate and sustain inclusive wealth without diminishing the future capability of sustaining or increasing current wealth levels. In other words, what is not competitive is not sustainable, and what is not sustainable is not competitive. For more details, you can download the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Report 2023 and country-level data from the GSCI downloads section.