It is truly difficult to make any official statement regarding the most technologically advanced countries by ranking them. However, we felt we could do a list of the best based on a rigorous set of information about these nations. Including international reports via United Nations information. Along with global finance reports, a nation’s Digital Competitive Score, the likelihood of high-tech use in the average home, and how all of this connects to per capita GDP for a country. Moreover, we felt it would also be fair to look into the technological innovation coming from a nation or key research members of a nation were part of.<\/p>\n
On top of this, we also measured things like average internet speed and access to it. While small to some, this type of thing is an easy way to determine how advanced your country is. We also felt that it would be good to include how often a government encourages or finances non-weapon or medication research in technological fields. While weapons and medications are clearly important, these things do not necessarily prove a nation is technologically advanced compared to others. Finally, we had to consider manufacturing done on tech products in a country along with any major tech brands currently based there.<\/p>\n
Estonia might be a relatively small country, but they are pretty tech-savvy<\/a><\/strong>. In fact, they have one of the best internet connections on the planet today! They have free public WiFi and people are even able to get 4G internet connections in the middle of the forest here! Estonia is the home of the infamous Skype service, seriously, they did it. They also have more start-ups per person than Silicon Valley in the United States. They also have a fast-track government. There are up to 100 services provided for citizens and 300 online forms that could be signed online for something in those services. Seriously, they are more advanced here than even America!<\/p>\n
The human rights records in Qatar are worrisome and this even cost them the FIFA World Cup at one point. They were only able to bribe the FIFA group because of the money they have now. Qatar’s ICT market is now worth an estimated $4.4 billion and is only expected to grow<\/a><\/strong>. The nation is also emerging in the area of robotics and they’re dabbling in virtual and augmented reality development. Qatar is also investing in green technology, as they tested out electric bus transit for members of the public back in 2019!<\/p>\n
Luxembourg is quite an interesting country. Roughly 50% of their population is made up of people coming from abroad, making it the most “international” nation within the European Union. A lot of this has to do with people coming to work here. The country’s economic track record is superb, making it an ideal location for people to work or bring their company. Luxembourg is quickly becoming the most data-driven nation in Europe. They already have the largest number of tier-4 data centers in Europe. Becoming Europe’s most trusted data economy<\/a><\/strong> is their mission, and they seem to be doing well with that.<\/p>\n
The Republic of Cyprus<\/a><\/strong> is a little island nation resting in-between places like Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus realized its location could be both a hindrance and an asset to them. They leaned toward the asset part and it seems tech companies saw that as useful too. Several international tech companies now use Cyprus as a hub for software development. Along with this, the country is even used for testing and even marketing services along with research and development. In fact, Cyprus is now offering financial programs to bring tech companies over including small to medium start-ups.<\/p>\n
Iceland is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Many assume the nation is based entirely on tourism, considering they do get a lot of tourists. While they do base a lot on this, they are also well-known for their impressive communication and information technology. In fact, they are ranked 8th out of 144 countries in technological readiness according to the World Economic Forum. Plus, the 2014-2015 Global Competitiveness Report<\/a><\/strong> cited the country as having “the second-highest information technology skills, along with having extensive connectivity and advanced communications technology.”<\/em><\/p>\n
While Ukraine has been involved in a war for its life against Russia in recent months, it should be noted how impressive they have been within the tech field<\/a><\/strong>. In fact, they are one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Their IT industry is among the fastest-growing in the world today. They have been involved in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data management, gaming, e-commerce, commercial ventures like blockchain, and much more. This also involves revolutionary nanotechnology work. In 2021, they even recorded their first “decacorn” or a start-up to be valued at $10 billion.<\/p>\n
The Czech Republic is one of the most technological nations in Europe. On top of this, they are one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. You may not know that things such as contact lenses, disinfectant solution, electrical trams, ship propellers, and polarography were all invented here. Plus, the father of the word “robot” was Josef Čapek, a Czech citizen! They are also innovative in today’s technology too. Back in 2018, the Consumer Technology Agency<\/a><\/strong> ranked them 10th out of 38 G-20 and European nations in innovation potential. They have lived up to this, becoming a major developer in software.<\/p>\n
Austria is not just one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet. Most of their jobs today are heavily reliant on tech, thus they have had to be innovative and invent useful technology. A full 31% of their GDP is based on manufacturing<\/a><\/strong>, and 45% of their jobs are either directly or indirectly dependent on their industrial output. In fact, they have the 3rd highest industrial output per capita on the planet. They are also home to Voestalpine, a company that makes steel-based technology and capital goods. This company brought in a little over $11 billion during the 2020-2021 period.<\/p>\n
New Zealand is perfect for trying out several technological ideas. Especially when it comes to how machines handle weather or water. This could be why they are among the world leaders<\/a><\/strong> in biotechnology, robotics, precision engineering, and marine technology. On top of their digital and creative tech, the country is proving to be incredibly advanced in health technology too. On top of this, they are very rich and competitive in the area of Fintech. Plus, tech has now become the third-largest export sector of the country, accounting for $8.7 billion. Most of it has to do with IT services, accounting for $1 billion of that revenue.<\/p>\n
While the economy in Hungary might not be considered the best on the planet, they still put up a solid $265 billion in annual output. While they are not ranked highly in the innovation sector of technology, they are one of the world’s largest producers of tech. This has to do with heavy industry production for things like machine and steel production. This also involves energy production, chemical production, mechanical engineering, and automobile production. Roughly 22% of Hungary’s total GDP is based on manufacturing. In fact, among Central Eastern European nations, they account for 26%<\/a><\/strong> of ALL electronics production in the region.<\/p>\n
One of the most constantly misunderstood nations on the planet is Slovenia. People think they are a third-world country sometimes, but they happen to be one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. That is especially true today as they have managed to increase their tech rankings in nearly every category. As of the 2020 Reports, Slovenia was ranked 16th<\/a><\/strong> out of 38 EU member states in digitalization. If that was not enough, their scientists developed the first mathematically supported concept for a space station satellite to circle the earth at the same speed as the point below.<\/p>\n
Malaysia is still an emerging tech nation. However, they are already one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet though. Yet by 2025, the government plans to be considered a fully developed nation. They identified areas they want to lead in, including cloud, IoT, data analysis, cybersecurity, e-commerce, and AI. They feel all of these will be drivers of Industry 4.0 and Smart City development for them. Yet they were already ranked 8th in Asia and 33rd worldwide in the 2020 Global Innovation Report<\/a><\/strong>. Along with 2ns in Asia and 26th worldwide in the 2020 Digital Competitiveness Rankings.<\/p>\n
The very first country to ever have a true international empire, Portugal is far from the size it used to be. However, for 500 years now, they have been at the center of technological innovation. They had the best trade system internationally for a few centuries too. That was due to impressive ships, charts, needle compasses, and more necessary tech for the time. Today, they remain just as innovative in technology. The European Innovation Scoreboard<\/a><\/strong> has ranked them the 4th most developed nation in terms of innovation. They are also ranked 32nd worldwide by the Readiness for Frontier Technologies Index.<\/p>\n
Belgium is one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet but might become one of the top five in this territory before too long. The country is famous for being the home of the European Union, thus they have seen a lot of input from international guests. The nation is quite innovative in its scientific territories, especially in technology. This was proven when The European Innovation Scoreboard ranked them as the #1 most innovative nation<\/a><\/strong> in Europe in their 2021 report. In their 2021 Digital Competitiveness Score, they landed 21st in the world with a score of 49.2. Which is still quite impressive.<\/p>\n
When we reference Ireland here, it is important that we mention that both the UK Ireland and Republic of Ireland are separate. However, we felt it would be useful to combine both versions here. Both are tech-savvy<\/a><\/strong>, yet the Republic’s capital of Dublin is one of the most important tech cities in Europe. Several major companies have offices and develop tech there. That includes Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Twitter, Facebook, PayPal, Dell, and Hubspot. Plus, they embrace start-ups and have programs to help tech start-ups get off the ground. There are roughly 1,000 tech companies in Ireland right now from small start-ups to major global brands.<\/p>\n
If there is a nation to keep your eye on right now in the realm of tech, it is probably Italy. The country currently has 105,000 high-tech companies, among the most of any country on Earth. This alone qualifies for being considered one of the most technologically advanced countries. According to a 2019 report<\/a><\/strong>, Italy is above the European average in terms of production and the use of industrial robotics. Plus, they adopted 4.0 technologies like the cloud, machine-to-machine communication, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Not to mention being a world leader in renewable energy. Plus, several Italian companies are investing in tech research.<\/p>\n
The French have been a major tech leader for years. This dates back centuries, if we’re being honest. However, they presently are doing very well when it comes to being considered a technologically advanced nation. The 2021 Global Innovation Index gave them a score of 55.0, which ranked them as the 11th best nation in terms of tech innovation. France has also been dabbling in the area of renewable energy for several years now. They heavily invested in renewable energy<\/a><\/strong>, especially nuclear as it makes up 70% of their power. However, hydroelectric power represents half of their renewable energy for daily electricity. This is expected to improve too.<\/p>\n
Under the Roman Empire, this place was at the height of innovative technology for hundreds of years. Their aqueducts alone are revolutionary along with their water treatment in general. Today, 96% of all Spanish households have internet access. In their main cities, the public internet is completely free for everyone. While they are only ranked 30th in the recent Global Innovation Index report, they have shown to be innovative in rail, biotechnology, industrial machinery, and civil engineering. On top of that, they are a European leader in renewable energy. As of 2020, roughly 43% of their nation is powered by renewables<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Some might feel it would be wrong to separate Taiwan from China, but they have operated away from Chinese influence for decades. The economy here is incredibly successful. In fact, they were ranked 8th out of 64 economies by the 2021 World Competitiveness Yearbook<\/a><\/strong>. Taiwan is a world leader in the world of information and communication technology. They produce ICT products in several areas too, including advanced microchips and semiconductor manufacturing clusters. Due to producing so many products in this territory, they have only become even bigger in ICT.<\/p>\n
Australia is certainly one of the most technologically advanced countries on Earth. They are one of the world leaders in innovation, having invented several key things we use today. If you ever had an ultrasound, plastic glass lenses, electronic pacemaker, or multi-focal contacts… thank the Aussies. They were also key in developing antiviral medications, such as those we use for influenza. While they were recently ranked 20th out of 64 countries in the World Digital Competitiveness ranking, they are trying to improve this. They began this improvement by making sure their classrooms<\/a><\/strong> are among the most technologically advanced in the world!<\/p>\n
India has become a tech juggernaut over the last few decades. They are one of the most notable nations for scientific research, with a specific focus on technological development and health sciences. While they have been ranking in the 40s in terms of international ranking for technology, they are still very impressive here. In fact, India has gotten into the aerospace industry in recent years and it has been growing at a fast rate<\/a><\/strong>. The country is expected to become one of the world’s biggest aerospace nations within the next few years too. Yet if there is anything to know about India, it is their impressive information technology<\/p>\n
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain. Each is governed by its own Emir and together they form the Federal Supreme Council. Usually, the Emir of Abu Dhabi operates as President while the ruler of Dubai acts as Prime Minister. This should display why both cities are massive in terms of technological development<\/a><\/strong>. UAE is one of the most innovative tech nations in the world. In fact, they are known for their digital security tech as well as technology for Smart Homes and Smart Cities.<\/p>\n
The Kingdom of Denmark has been known for consistently ranking highly in citizen happiness and life expectancy. Tech might be a reason for this, as they are easily one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. They have taken their tech innovation seriously for years. In fact, they were the first nation in the world to nominate a Tech Ambassador strictly to help bring tech business to the country. Back in 2019, the Global Innovation Index ranked them 10th, but in the 2021 report, they ranked 9th. In 2017, they reached the top spot in the EU’s Digital Economy and Society Index. Denmark still holds that top position<\/a><\/strong> as of the 2021 report.<\/p>\n
Like with Taiwan, we are separating Hong Kong from its affiliation with China as it has operated successfully away from them. They have become a huge place for start-ups, as the economy is doing very well here. Life expectancy<\/a><\/strong> is incredibly high due to their impressive universal health system too. Of course, some start-ups have been successful. As a result, Hong Kong has produced several products in the realm of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, financial tech, as well as technology for smart city development. Plus, tech schools like HKUST are among the best<\/a><\/strong> tech universities in the world.<\/p>\n