In this article, we will be taking a look at the 25 smartest countries in the world. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to see 5 smartest countries in the world.
The world has made an incredible progress over the past few decades. Technological innovation has been at the forefront of this development, adding trillions of dollars to the global economy each year. Just consider, in 66 years, humans went from flying the first ever plane briefly to landing on the moon. Just a few decades ago, a computer with way less processing power than the phone in your pocket would take up an entire room.
While the United States doesn't have the highest literacy rate by any means of the word, it is home to some of the most innovative companies in the world. According to Forbes, companies such as ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW), Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY) and Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) are considered to be the most innovative companies in the world, and all of them are based in the U.S. California is considered to be the home of innovation and has been home to some of the biggest tech companies in the world, which has led to the state having the 8th highest GDP in the world.
To determine the smartest countries in the world, we have considered the patents granted to each country. This information was obtained from the World Intellectual Property Organization. Our rankings were based on the total number of patents issued in 2021 as that indicates successful patents, which in turn reflect on the smartness of the country and its people. Secondly, we considered the growth rate in successful patents as compared to the previous year, as that indicates an increase in the level of smartness of a country. Finally, we considered the number of patents per million. Countries with a bigger population will always have higher absolute numbers in terms of basically any metric, and number of patents per million makes this a more level playing field.
San Marino has a population of just over 33,000 people which is why it is by far the country with the highest number of patents per million in 2021.
24. Ukraine
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 2,298
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 5.46%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 52.4
There is a strong chance that Ukraine will drop off this list next year as Russia's invasion has completely shifted its priorities and it will take decades to recover from the devastation of the war.
23. New Zealand
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 2,149
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 16.73%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 419.5
Most children in New Zealand stay in school at least until the age of 17 and the country boasts universities which are ranked quite high globally.
22. Netherlands
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 2,264
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 18.47%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 129.1
Netherlands has seen several Nobel prize winners which is just one of the reasons why it is among the smartest countries in the world.
21. Russia
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 23,662
Growth in patents granted in 2021: -17.81%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 165
Russia had a lot of patents issued in 2021 but its number of patents have also decreased significantly over the previous year.
20. Australia
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 17,155
Growth in patents granted in 2021: -3.5%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 666.5
Australia has one of the highest IQs in the world, but according to Forbes, its school test ranking is much lower than most nations which is something it has to improve on.
19. Poland
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 3,319
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 43.8%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 87.8
Poland's economy has transformed over the past two decades which has now continuously improved for 28 years, and this growth rate has been driven by a high level of smartness thanks to an increasingly improving educational sector.
18. Israel
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 5,488
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 17.57%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 586.1
Israel has used the aid provided by the United States to become one of the leading economies in the region.
17. Türkiye
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 3,387
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 64.18%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 39.8
Türkiye has suffered in terms of inflation and currency deprecation in the past few years, but it is still easily considered to be one of the smartest countries in the world.
16. United Kingdom
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 10,895
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 11.49%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 161.8
The United Kingdom has always been considered to be at the forefront of innovation, and this trend has continued in 2021.
15. Saudi Arabia
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 1,746
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 147.66%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 49.4
Saudi Arabia has been evolving in recent years in an attempt to transform the economy which has led to it significantly increase the number of patents issued. This is why it has one of the highest growth rates in patents issued in 2021.
14. Luxembourg
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 1,036
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 136.53%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 1,621.1
One of the richest nations in the world, Luxembourg is able to provide well for all its citizens, including education.
13. United States of America
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 327,307
Growth in patents granted in 2021: -7.01%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 986.2
It has the second highest number of patents issued in the world, but the number has declined versus the previous month which has led to it falling significantly down the list.
12. Singapore
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 6,488
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 20.46%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 1,189.7
In many metrics, Singapore is considered to be among the countries with the best education in the world and is a hub for many major companies which has allowed it to be counted among the smartest countries in the world.
11. Canada
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 22,687
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 6.59%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 593.2
Canada ranks highly in both total number of patents issues and the number of patents per million.
10. India
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 30,721
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 16.54%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 22
India has the second highest population in the world which is why the number of total patents granted to the country are quite high. However, it ranks quite lowly in number of patents per million which shows that the country still needs to do more. India has an incredibly competitive educational infrastructure.
9. Mexico
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 10,369
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 34.21%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 79.6
Mexico is facing a struggle based on cartels causing a lot of tumult in the nation, which is a major burden on its economy. However, it is still among the smartest countries in the world especially based on the number of patents issued to the country.
8. Japan
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 184,372
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 2.78%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 1,467
We expected Japan to be higher on this list as it is considered to be among the most technologically advanced countries in the world. It is also considered to be among the most innovative countries out there, known for its advancement in robotics and tech. Japan also has an amazing education sector and is among the countries with the highest IQs in the world.
7. South Africa
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 6,107
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 76.20%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 101.7
South Africa is the smartest country in Africa, and also the most technologically advanced in the continent. It has been considered to be the most innovative country in Africa for several years now and has continued to advance further, also ranking highly in terms of middle-income economies.
6. France
Total number of patents issued in 2021: 15,493
Growth in patents granted in 2021: 20.34%
Number of patents per million in 2021: 229.5
While France doesn't rank highly in any of our criteria, it has managed average ranks in all of our criteria and thus earned a high spot in our list of the smartest countries in the world. The nation is continually ramping up its ability to innovate, increasing such capacities which is helping strengthen a major global economy.
