(GOOD NEWS FROM FINLAND) Finland has leaped to the third place and ahead of Sweden in the latest Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) published by the World Economic Forum. The most competitive countries according to The Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 report are Switzerland (1), Singapore (2) and Finland (4). Other countries in the top ten are Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, US, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan.
“Persisting divides in competitiveness across regions and within regions, particularly in Europe, are at the origin of the turbulence we are experiencing today, and this is jeopardizing our future prosperity”, says Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum.
According to the report, Finland moves up one place (from 4th to 3rd) due to small improvements in a number of areas. The report highlights Finland’s “well-functioning and highly transparent public institutions” and “its private institutions, ranked 3rd overall, are also seen to be among the best run and most ethical in the world.”
Finland also occupies the top position both in the health and primary education as well as the higher education and training which is the result of a strong focus on education over recent decades. Report also praises high levels of technological adoption and innovation in Finland, and the country is one of the most innovative countries in Europe, ranking second behind only Switzerland.