Key facts
- South Korea ranked third in technology infrastructure and efficiency metrics, the science ministry said.
- South Korea placed first in research and development expenditure per gross domestic product, the ministry said.
- South Korea ranked eighth in the AI adaptation index, according to the ministry.
- The United States took the top spot, rising from fourth a year earlier, the ministry said.
- Singapore ranked second, China seventh and Japan 19th among Asia-Pacific countries, the ministry said.
- The ministry attributed the rise to government policy efforts and the country's resilience.
South Korea placed 10th among 70 countries in a global digital and artificial intelligence competitiveness ranking, the science ministry said on November 11, 2026. The country moved up eight spots from the previous year, according to the report published by the International Institute for Management Development, a Swiss-based business school, the ministry said.
The United States took the top spot, rising from fourth place a year earlier. Canada lost its top position and was ranked fifth. Among Asia-Pacific countries, Singapore was second, China seventh and Japan 19th.
By category, South Korea ranked third in technology infrastructure and efficiency metrics. It placed first in research and development expenditure per gross domestic product and eighth in the AI adaptation index, the ministry said.
The ministry said South Korea's rise in the overall ranking resulted from government policy efforts and the country's resilience, and said it would swiftly carry out major AI and digital policies.