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News · 31 October 2026

IMD World Digital and AI Ranking 2026: out 11 November

IMD publishes its World Digital and AI Ranking on 11 November 2026. Here is what the last edition measured, what worried IMD about Switzerland, and what to look at when the new list arrives.

IMD's own calendar puts the World Digital and AI Ranking 2026 on 11 November 2026.[1] It isn't out yet, so there are no 2026 results to report. What we can do is show you what the last edition measured, where Switzerland stood, and what to look at when the new list lands.

When is the IMD World Digital and AI Ranking 2026 published?

IMD's World Competitiveness Center lists four releases for 2026. The Smart City Index is dated 31 March, the World Competitiveness Ranking 18 June, and the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index 13 October. The World Digital and AI Ranking comes last, on 11 November. The 2027 date is still "to be confirmed".[1]

One detail to watch. The schedule says "Digital and AI", but IMD's ranking description still calls it the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking. That description says the ranking assesses how ready an economy is to adopt and explore digital technologies.[1][3] We don't know yet whether the new name brings a new method. On the day, read IMD's methodology note before you compare the list with last year's.

What did the 2025 edition say?

Last year's edition was the ninth, and it covered 69 economies. Switzerland came first, ahead of the United States and Singapore. Qatar climbed six places, while Australia dropped eight.[2]

  • The data. IMD's Executive Opinion Survey feeds it: 6,000 senior executives answered 21 questions, and statistical data sits alongside their answers.[2]
  • The AI part. IMD added AI-related patent publications (from WIPO) and annual private AI investment (from the Stanford AI Index Report) in the 2025 edition.[2]
  • The scale. The separate World Competitiveness Ranking covers 70 economies in 2026, and Vietnam joined it.[3][4] Don't mix the two lists up.

What worried IMD about Switzerland?

Being first didn't come with a victory lap. IMD named three pressures on digital competitiveness: uneven investment in digital infrastructure, less mobility of international talent, and diverging regulation.[5] Analysts also said regulatory clarity has become a deciding factor for countries bringing in AI.[5]

At home, the e-ID referendum passed by 50.4% to 49.6%. IMD's director said the Swiss "aren't as prepared as we might have hoped" for today's technology challenges.[2] Across sectors, knowledge-based industries underdelivered and venture capital stayed scarce.[5]

What should you look at on 11 November?

  1. Switzerland's rank and the gap to the next two. Last year's top three were Switzerland, the US and Singapore.[2]
  2. The method. Check whether the AI measures grew, and whether the number of economies changed.
  3. The talent and regulation factors. IMD flagged these as under pressure.[5]
  4. Your own country's page. A rank means more once you see which factor pulls it up or down.

What does this mean for a master's in business?

A ranking like this is a map, not a verdict. It won't tell you which job to take. It does show where the pressure sits, and last year's pressure points were talent, regulation and investment. Those are management questions as much as engineering ones: who you hire, which rules apply, where the money goes.

That's the ground the MSc Global Business Management covers. Its first-semester modules include International Business Law, Business Ethics for Global Enterprises, Strategic Business Management, and Marketing and Branding in a Digital Society. The MSc runs 12 months. You spend six months on campus, then six months off campus on an independent research project, with an optional internship. We teach it in Lucerne and Zurich, and we award the degree with Robert Gordon University (UK). The fee is CHF 41'700 for the year, with shared accommodation and meals included. It's a general management degree, not a data science one, so choose it knowing that.

Already have work experience, and want the digital side at the centre of your degree? The MBA with Specialisation offers Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Cybersecurity and Big Data Management among its seven specialisations. It starts in November and February only, and it costs CHF 44'700 for the year.

Next step

Read the ranking on 11 November, then keep it open while you read the programme pages. Start with the MSc Global Business Management, check the full fee breakdown, or take the two-minute fit check if you're not sure which programme matches your background.

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