Qatar ranks among top ten countries in 2025 Global Competitiveness Report
Tribune News Network
Doha
The National Planning Council (NPC) has announced that the State of Qatar has made remarkable progress in its development journey by ranking 9th globally in the 2025 Global Competitiveness Report, issued by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
This marks the first time Qatar enters the top ten countries in the global competitiveness ranking. The achievement reflects Qatar's well-established position in economic and administrative performance indicators and reaffirms the effectiveness of its long-term national policies in implementing the Third National Development Strategy and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Global Competitiveness Report assesses the performance of 67 economies across more than 330 indicators covering four main themes: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. Qatar has made significant progress in overall ranking, rising from 11th in 2024 to 9th in 2025.
A key driver of this advancement was Qatar's leap in the business efficiency axis, from 11th place in 2024 to 5th in 2025, reflecting ongoing reforms to enhance labor market flexibility, stimulate entrepreneurship, and empower the private sector. Qatar also maintained its 7th place globally in both economic performance and government efficiency, highlighting the resilience of its fiscal policy, the efficiency of public institutions and the quality of governance, especially in light of the current global economic challenges.
In the infrastructure axis, Qatar moved up three ranks, indicating continued strategic investment intransport, education, healthcare and digital infrastructure. Commenting on this achievement, HE Dr Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Secretary General of the National Planning Council, stated: 'Qatar's entry into the top ten globally in the competitiveness Report is a true testament to the clarity of our strategic vision, the solidity of our institutions, and the cohesion of our national efforts. This progress underscores the country's firm commitment to building a dynamic knowledge- and innovation-based economy, that offers fair and sustainable opportunities for all. We continue to implement the Third National Development Strategy in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030, while focusing on enhancing competitiveness, achieving sustainable development, and improving the quality of life for the entire population.'
The report pointed out that Qatar recorded a significant improvement in several key indicators, where real GDP growth increased by 2.4%, real GDP per capita increased by 0.82%. Additionally, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded a modest 1.07% year-on-year increase, while the homicide rate dropped to 0.07 cases per 100,000 people—the lowest globally.
Moreover, Qatar ranked first globally in 14 sub-indicators in the report, including youth unemployment rate, overall unemployment rate, consumption tax rate, individual income tax rate, homicide rate, human capital from expatriate labor, use of big data and analytics, effectiveness of corporate boards, banking and financial services, credit availability, perceived need for economic and social reforms, environmental legislation, financing of technological development, and healthcare infrastructure. Qatar also ranked second in several other sub-indicators, reinforcing its leading position in various aspects of competitiveness.
This progress yields tangible benefits for individuals and businesses alike. Qatar's high ranking in global indices boosts investor confidence, generates greater levels of foreign direct investment, and expands job opportunities in developed and future-oriented sectors. It also contributes to creating a business environment that stimulates growth and innovation and supports the diversification and long-term stability of the national economy, which is a key pillar of the Third National Development Strategy. This advancement underscores the effectiveness of Qatar's data-driven policy approach, empowering the private sector, and instilling a governance system based on performance, transparency and innovation, ensuring Qatar's position as a regional and global leader in competitiveness and sustainable development.
It should be noted that this is Qatar's 17th consecutive participation in the Global Competitiveness Report, representing a sustained collaboration between the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) and the National Planning Council.
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