NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has achieved a significant milestone in global economic recognition, making its first-ever entry into the prestigious IMD World Competitiveness Ranking for 2025. In this influential debut, the East African nation has been named Africa’s Most Competitive Economy by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
The 2025 ranking places Kenya at 56th globally out of 69 economies evaluated, leading the continent ahead of Botswana (59th), Ghana (61st), South Africa (64th), Nigeria (67th), and fellow debutant Namibia (68th).
Kenya’s inclusion, alongside Namibia and Oman, signals a growing international acknowledgement of its economic dynamism and potential.
The debut places the nation firmly in the global conversation on competitiveness at a time when government efficiency, policy agility, and economic resilience are driving long-term success worldwide.
Global leaders and African momentum
The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking evaluates 69 countries using 164 indicators categorized under four key pillars: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.
Globally, the top three positions were claimed by:
- Switzerland (retained its top position, bolstered by unmatched government efficiency).
- Singapore (dropped one place, but recorded the world’s best economic performance).
- Hong Kong SAR (climbed two positions, driven by gains across all four competitiveness pillars).
The report highlighted promising regional shifts in Africa. All six African economies included in the index scored above the global average in economic opportunities.
Notably, South Africa and Namibia were ranked in the global top 10 for that specific category.
However, the continent continues to face significant challenges, particularly regarding education and healthcare concerns.
Methodology and future outlook
The ranking’s score is derived from a blend of statistical data (two-thirds weight, covering 170 criteria) and an online executive survey (one-third weight, incorporating the perceptions of 6,162 respondents).
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The report also noted that regional integration efforts, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are showing early signs of strengthening intra-continental trade, which is vital for future African competitiveness.
IMD WORLD COMPETITIVENESS RANKING 2025: FULL LIST (1–69)
1. Switzerland
2. Singapore
3. Hong Kong SAR
4. Denmark
5. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
6. Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
7. Ireland
8. Sweden
9. Qatar
10. Netherlands
11. Canada
12. Norway
13. United States
14. Finland
15. Iceland
16. China
17. Saudi Arabia
18. Australia
19. Germany
20. Luxembourg
21. Lithuania
22. Bahrain
23. Malaysia
24. Belgium
25. Czech Republic
26. Austria
27. South Korea
28. Oman
29. United Kingdom
30. Thailand
31. New Zealand
32. France
33. Estonia
34. Kazakhstan
35. Japan
36. Kuwait
37. Portugal
38. Latvia
39. Spain
40. Indonesia
41. India
42. Chile
43. Italy
44. Cyprus
45. Puerto Rico
46. Slovenia
47. Jordan
48. Hungary
49. Romania
50. Greece
51. Philippines
52. Poland
53. Croatia
54. Colombia
55. Mexico
56. KENYA
57. Bulgaria
58. Brazil
59. Botswana
60. Peru
61. Ghana
62. Argentina
63. Slovak Republic
64. South Africa
65. Mongolia
66. Türkiye
67. Nigeria
68. Namibia
69. Venezuela
