Lithuania has risen two places in the Global Innovation Index, which measures countries’ achievements in innovation, ranking 33rd among 139 nations.
“Lithuania has made significant progress in the field of innovation, which is also reflected in the Global Innovation Index. Securing such a high position is all the more important given the prevailing global economic uncertainty and persistent geopolitical challenges that strongly affect the investment environment in our region. Despite these circumstances, we are moving in the right direction. It is important to maintain this course and to continue consistently building a national economy based on high added value,” said Acting Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Lukas Savickas.
Lithuania’s strong performance was driven primarily by high scores in human resources — 3rd place worldwide for female employment with higher education — and digitalisation, where the country ranked 8th globally for mobile app development. Lithuania also continues to lead internationally in unicorn value relative to the size of its economy.
“Efforts to create an environment conducive to innovation, to promote business–science cooperation, and to invest in knowledge and infrastructure are indeed bearing fruit. However, there are areas where Lithuania needs to improve if we are to fully realise our potential. For example, we perform more weakly in such parameters as the scale of domestic credit to the private sector, the low demographic potential of young people, or international cooperation between scientists and businesses,” noted Kotryna Tamoševičienė, Head of the Research and Analysis Division at the Innovation Agency.
Switzerland maintained its top position in the Index. Among Lithuania’s Baltic neighbours, Estonia ranked 16th and Latvia 41st, while Poland secured 39th place.
According to the authors of the report, the 2025 Global Innovation Index highlights a world at a crossroads for innovation. After a decade of rapid growth in R&D spending and venture capital expansion, a shift is now underway. While investment in R&D continues to increase, the pace of growth is the slowest since 2010.
The Global Innovation Index is compiled and published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Drawing on around 80 indicators, it provides a comprehensive picture of countries’ innovation ecosystems, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses.
More details on the latest Global Innovation Index and Lithuania’s results can be found here
