Hong Kong has been receiving quite a bit of positive recognition in many areas recently on a global level, and the latest comes in the form of a report ranking talent worldwide.
In the 2025 edition of the World Talent Ranking published by the Institute for Management Development (IMD), Hong Kong SAR has secured fourth place on the scoreboard, a major jump from its previous position at ninth place, showcasing consistent advancement.
We’ve leapfrogged over the Netherlands (number five), Sweden (number six), Singapore (number seven), and Denmark (number eight) to claim our place in fourth, climbing five spots to achieve our best-ever performance in the annual ranking report, and the third time ever we placed in the top 10. Fourth on the charts also means we’ve come in first place in Asia!
While Hong Kong excelled in areas such as talent competitiveness, graduates in science, effectiveness of management education, female labour force participation, and availability of finance skills, ultimately leading to its rise through the ranks, the SAR fell short in several segments, including high exposure to particle pollution, negative labour force growth, low public expenditure on education, and cost of living.
Still, Hong Kong has made rapid improvements according to IMD and positioned itself well in a global talent landscape, making it an attractive place to live and work. More than 520,000 talent admission scheme applications were received so far this year, and over 350,000 of them were approved. Hong Kong also welcomed 230,000 people of talent this year through these initiatives, in hopes of positively impacting the economy.
Robust developments in innovation, technology, education, and talent admission have all contributed to the results in this year’s rankings, says the Hong Kong government in an official press release, noting the strong post-secondary education opportunities and improved policies attracting global talent as effective measures.
Read the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025 report here.
Top 10 countries and territories in the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025:
- Switzerland
- Luxembourg
- Iceland
- Hong Kong SAR
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Singapore
- Denmark
- United Arab Emirates
- Austria
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