Bulgaria has climbed one spot to 37th place among 139 economies in the 2025 Global Innovation Index, solidifying its position as the most innovative country in the Balkans. In the region, Croatia ranks 40th, Greece 42nd, Turkey 43rd, Romania 49th, and Serbia 54th.
The country performs exceptionally in infrastructure, topping the world at 22nd place. This indicator assesses access to and usage of information and communication technologies (ICT), e-government services, general infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. Bulgaria also scores well in knowledge and technology creation, which includes patents, utility models, software costs, and high-tech production, ranking 28th globally, and in creative content creation, covering trademarks, industrial designs, mobile applications, and media/entertainment markets, where it is 32nd. However, Bulgaria lags in the “Institutions” category, which evaluates government efficiency, regulatory quality, rule of law, and political stability for business, ranking only 81st.
Globally, Switzerland maintains its lead, a position it has held since 2011, followed by Sweden and the United States. China has entered the top ten for the first time, now in 10th place, surpassing Germany, as Beijing-based companies continue to invest heavily in research and development. The index, which relies on 78 indicators, highlights China’s rapid growth in R&D spending and patent applications, accounting for about a quarter of international filings in 2024. By contrast, the United States, Japan, and Germany, collectively responsible for 40% of global applications, experienced slight declines. Patent ownership remains a key marker of economic strength and industrial expertise.
While Germany fell to 11th place, experts note that the ranking does not fully reflect external factors such as past tariffs imposed by the United States. The main challenge for Germany, according to WIPO Director-General Darren Tan, is maintaining its longstanding industrial innovation while also emerging as a leader in digital innovation.
Other countries in the global top ten include South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Despite global uncertainties, including a projected slowdown in R&D growth to 2.3% in 2025 from 2.9% last year – the lowest rate since 2010 – Bulgaria’s steady improvement signals resilience and a growing focus on knowledge, technology, and creative industries.
