Affärslivet composite index · 6 dimensions · World Bank data
Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026
The Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026 ranks 49 economies on technological readiness across 6 equal-weighted dimensions. South Korea leads (84.5/100); Sweden ranks 4th. Transparent method, downloadable data, CC BY 4.0.
TL;DR — South Korea leads the Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026 with 84.5/100.
World Bank Open Data · World Bank · World Bank · World Bank | 49 entities | 938 words · 15 sections | data: CSV + JSON
Executive summary
The Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026 ranks 49 economies on technological readiness by combining 6 equal-weighted dimensions, each normalised to a 0–100 scale. It combines six World Bank measures: internet and broadband penetration, mobile reach, R&D spending, researcher density and the high-tech share of exports. A country needs breadth, not one standout metric, to rank near the top. South Korea leads with 84.5/100; Sweden ranks 4th of 49 with 67.6/100. This is Affärslivet's own composite — fully transparent: every input is an official World Bank series with a source URL, and the method below is reproducible. The complete ranking with per-dimension scores is downloadable as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Key findings
South Korea leads on technological readiness
South Korea tops the Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026 with a composite score of 84.5/100. Top five: South Korea, Israel, Singapore, Sweden, Iceland.
Source: Affärslivet Research · 2026 · confidence: Medium-High
Where Sweden ranks
Sweden ranks 4th of 49 (67.6/100). Strongest dimension: researchers (94.1/100); weakest: high-tech exports (28.3/100).
Source: Affärslivet Research · 2026 · confidence: Medium-High
The dimensions
The index combines internet penetration, fixed broadband, mobile connectivity, r&d spending, researchers, high-tech exports — each an official World Bank series, equal-weighted.
Source: Affärslivet Research · 2026 · confidence: High
Data vintage — August 2026
Each dimension uses the most recent World Bank year available per economy. Scores are relative (normalised across the ranked set) and update as peer data changes; the index regenerates automatically.
The index — top economies
The chart shows the 15 highest-scoring economies (Sweden highlighted); scores are the equal-weighted mean of 6 dimensions, each normalised 0–100 across the 49 ranked economies.
Sweden, dimension by dimension
Sweden ranks 4th of 49 overall (67.6/100). Its normalised score and world rank on each dimension are below — a map of where the Swedish technological readiness is genuinely strong and where it lags.
Sweden's profile is relatively lopsided (a 66-point spread between its best and weakest dimension), scoring highest on researchers and lowest on high-tech exports.
| Dimension | Score /100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Internet penetration (% of population) | 92.8 | 14th of 49 |
| Fixed broadband (per 100 people) | 83.0 | 16th of 49 |
| Mobile connectivity (per 100 people) | 52.8 | 11th of 49 |
| R&D spending (% of GDP) | 54.9 | 3rd of 49 |
| Researchers (per million people) | 94.1 | 2nd of 48 |
| High-tech exports (% of manufactured exports) | 28.3 | 26th of 49 |
Who leads each dimension
No single economy tops every dimension — the overall winner (South Korea) leads by being strong across the board (a 41-point spread across its dimensions). This table shows the world leader on each individual dimension of the index.
| Dimension | World leader | Score /100 |
|---|---|---|
| Internet penetration (% of population) | United Arab Emirates | 100.0 |
| Fixed broadband (per 100 people) | France | 100.0 |
| Mobile connectivity (per 100 people) | United Arab Emirates | 100.0 |
| R&D spending (% of GDP) | Israel | 100.0 |
| Researchers (per million people) | South Korea | 100.0 |
| High-tech exports (% of manufactured exports) | Philippines | 100.0 |
Regional patterns
Median composite score by world region reveals where technological readiness concentrates. Europe leads on the median measure. Regional medians tell a story the country ranking alone can hide — whether strength is broad across a region or driven by one or two standouts.
| Region | Economies | Median score | Regional leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 23 | 56.8 | Sweden (67.6) |
| Asia-Pacific | 12 | 50.7 | South Korea (84.5) |
| Middle East & Africa | 7 | 35.5 | Israel (76.1) |
| Americas | 7 | 35.0 | United States (57.7) |
What the index reveals
What the data says: South Korea leads with 84.5/100, 1.7× the median score of 51.1. The spread across the 49 ranked economies shows technological readiness is concentrated among a clear top tier, and — because the index equal-weights several dimensions — the leaders got there by being strong across the board, not on one metric alone.
For Sweden, the index indicates a genuine world leader on technological readiness: 4th of 49 (67.6/100), strongest on researchers and with most room to improve on high-tech exports.
Top 5 vs bottom 5
The five highest- and five lowest-scoring economies on the Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026 side by side — the clearest snapshot of the range across the 49 ranked economies.
| Top 5 | Score /100 | Bottom 5 | Score /100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. South Korea | 84.5 | 45. South Africa | 29.2 |
| 2. Israel | 76.1 | 46. Egypt | 21.7 |
| 3. Singapore | 73.0 | 47. Indonesia | 20.1 |
| 4. Sweden | 67.6 | 48. India | 16.8 |
| 5. Iceland | 67.0 | 49. Nigeria | 0.7 |
How the index is built
The Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index ranks economies on the foundations that decide who captures the AI wave — connectivity, research intensity and the ability to turn science into high-tech output.
Each dimension is min-max normalised across all economies with data (lowest = 0, highest = 100); dimensions where lower is better (e.g. unemployment, debt, inequality) are inverted so a higher score always means better. The composite is the equal-weighted mean of the dimensions an economy reports; a minimum of 4 is required to be ranked. Equal weighting is a deliberate, transparent choice.
| Dimension | Direction | World Bank series |
|---|---|---|
| Internet penetration (% of population) | higher = better | IT.NET.USER.ZS |
| Fixed broadband (per 100 people) | higher = better | IT.NET.BBND.P2 |
| Mobile connectivity (per 100 people) | higher = better | IT.CEL.SETS.P2 |
| R&D spending (% of GDP) | higher = better | GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS |
| Researchers (per million people) | higher = better | SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6 |
| High-tech exports (% of manufactured exports) | higher = better | TX.VAL.TECH.MF.ZS |
Full ranking — 49 economies
Complete ranking with composite score and each economy's normalised (0–100) score per dimension.
| # | Country | Index | Internet | Broadband | Mobile | R&D | Researchers | High-tech |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea | 84.5 | 96.4 | 97.7 | 76.8 | 77.0 | 100.0 | 59.1 |
| 2 | Israel | 76.1 | 79.9 | 59.6 | 80.5 | 100.0 | — | 60.7 |
| 3 | Singapore | 73.0 | 90.4 | 56.8 | 75.5 | 25.5 | 92.7 | 97.4 |
| 4 | Sweden | 67.6 | 92.8 | 83.0 | 52.8 | 54.9 | 94.1 | 28.3 |
| 5 | Iceland | 67.0 | 97.0 | 76.7 | 37.9 | 39.2 | 62.8 | 88.4 |
| 6 | Denmark | 66.3 | 99.6 | 88.7 | 42.2 | 45.9 | 93.3 | 28.3 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 66.2 | 95.4 | 96.1 | 44.3 | 48.7 | 64.4 | 48.1 |
| 8 | Japan | 62.5 | 75.4 | 78.9 | 81.3 | 52.3 | 59.1 | 28.1 |
| 9 | Netherlands | 61.1 | 94.9 | 87.8 | 43.6 | 33.1 | 69.2 | 37.9 |
| 10 | Germany | 60.9 | 88.9 | 93.2 | 44.1 | 47.6 | 62.5 | 28.8 |
| 11 | Norway | 60.9 | 98.3 | 92.3 | 29.1 | 26.2 | 78.6 | 41.2 |
| 12 | Ireland | 60.5 | 95.2 | 66.0 | 31.6 | 21.9 | 60.6 | 87.7 |
| 13 | Belgium | 59.0 | 92.8 | 90.4 | 25.0 | 49.5 | 63.2 | 32.8 |
| 14 | Finland | 59.0 | 89.3 | 74.5 | 41.6 | 46.6 | 87.8 | 14.5 |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 58.5 | 92.3 | 86.2 | 38.4 | 39.8 | 47.1 | 47.5 |
| 16 | United States | 57.7 | 91.0 | 79.4 | 32.0 | 52.4 | 52.0 | 39.3 |
| 17 | United Arab Emirates | 57.5 | 100.0 | 83.4 | 100.0 | 20.4 | 27.4 | 13.9 |
| 18 | France | 56.8 | 80.7 | 100.0 | 34.7 | 31.6 | 56.6 | 37.4 |
| 19 | Austria | 56.2 | 86.3 | 61.5 | 40.5 | 49.3 | 70.0 | 29.6 |
| 20 | China | 55.2 | 85.7 | 96.5 | 46.1 | 38.1 | 22.1 | 42.6 |
| 21 | Australia | 52.4 | 93.4 | 74.5 | 31.6 | 26.3 | 48.1 | 40.7 |
| 22 | New Zealand | 51.8 | 89.0 | 77.7 | 44.8 | 21.3 | 57.3 | 20.6 |
| 23 | Czechia | 51.7 | 79.1 | 79.4 | 42.2 | 25.9 | 47.4 | 36.2 |
| 24 | Portugal | 51.7 | 80.4 | 92.5 | 40.3 | 23.7 | 63.1 | 10.3 |
| 25 | Canada | 51.1 | 90.4 | 86.9 | 17.6 | 25.2 | 59.3 | 26.9 |
| 26 | Greece | 50.0 | 76.6 | 91.3 | 32.3 | 20.4 | 55.7 | 23.9 |
| 27 | Malaysia | 49.6 | 96.6 | 27.6 | 52.0 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 96.1 |
| 28 | Hungary | 49.1 | 89.4 | 76.7 | 25.5 | 18.4 | 48.1 | 36.5 |
| 29 | Spain | 48.5 | 92.8 | 80.2 | 44.9 | 20.4 | 38.4 | 14.5 |
| 30 | Russia | 47.8 | 90.4 | 55.4 | 87.1 | 11.2 | 27.7 | 15.2 |
| 31 | Saudi Arabia | 46.0 | 100.0 | 90.1 | 67.0 | 6.3 | 12.8 | 0.0 |
| 32 | Poland | 44.1 | 80.6 | 51.8 | 50.8 | 21.4 | 38.7 | 21.5 |
| 33 | Italy | 43.5 | 81.7 | 64.9 | 46.7 | 18.5 | 30.0 | 19.4 |
| 34 | Thailand | 42.7 | 84.5 | 30.3 | 67.9 | 11.2 | 16.6 | 45.9 |
| 35 | Viet Nam | 41.3 | 73.0 | 48.4 | 42.9 | 2.6 | 8.6 | 72.3 |
| 36 | Romania | 38.7 | 85.2 | 73.1 | 37.0 | 4.3 | 11.2 | 21.4 |
| 37 | Argentina | 35.5 | 82.4 | 53.3 | 52.5 | 5.7 | 13.7 | 5.5 |
| 38 | Turkiye | 35.5 | 82.6 | 47.8 | 28.0 | 19.2 | 27.8 | 7.6 |
| 39 | Chile | 35.0 | 92.5 | 48.4 | 46.7 | 2.3 | 7.2 | 12.9 |
| 40 | Philippines | 32.7 | 44.3 | 14.5 | 33.6 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 100.0 |
| 41 | Colombia | 32.2 | 64.9 | 35.1 | 78.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 14.0 |
| 42 | Brazil | 31.4 | 73.6 | 49.1 | 23.5 | 15.4 | 9.3 | 17.5 |
| 43 | Mexico | 30.9 | 71.3 | 44.3 | 34.5 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 31.0 |
| 44 | Ukraine | 29.9 | 70.2 | 44.2 | 47.3 | 1.9 | 6.0 | 9.6 |
| 45 | South Africa | 29.2 | 63.2 | 10.8 | 82.0 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 8.5 |
| 46 | Egypt | 21.7 | 56.9 | 23.8 | 19.9 | 12.5 | 11.6 | 5.4 |
| 47 | Indonesia | 20.1 | 53.7 | 9.9 | 39.1 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 13.5 |
| 48 | India | 16.8 | 49.0 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 29.8 |
| 49 | Nigeria | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 3.6 |
Limitations & what the index can't tell you
This is a composite, and composites make choices. Scores are relative to the 49 ranked economies, so they shift as the field changes, not only as a country improves. Each dimension uses the most recent World Bank year available, and reporting lags differ across countries. Equal weighting is deliberate but not neutral — a differently weighted index would reorder the middle of the table (the top and bottom are robust).
The index measures the dimensions of technological readiness that official data captures; it is not a verdict on quality of life, policy or outcomes beyond them. We publish the full method and data precisely so others can reweight, extend or challenge it — reproducibility is the point.
Scoreboard (machine-readable data)
Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Methodology & verification
The Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026 equal-weights 6 World Bank dimensions, each min-max normalised to 0–100 (dimensions where lower is better are inverted). The composite is the mean of the dimensions an economy reports; at least 4 are required. Scores are relative to the ranked set and shift as peer data updates. Every input is an official World Bank series (compiled from the IMF, WHO, UNESCO and national sources) with a source URL; nothing is estimated. This is Affärslivet's own composite — transparent and reproducible, not an official World Bank, IMF or UN index. Confidence: Medium-High.
Data dictionary
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| metric | string | ai_tech_readiness_index |
| label | string | Country name |
| value | number | Composite score, 0–100 |
| unit | string | /100 |
| geography | string | Country |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026?
A composite ranking of 49 economies on technological readiness, combining 6 World Bank dimensions (Internet, Broadband, Mobile, R&D, Researchers, High-tech), each normalised 0–100 and equal-weighted. It is Affärslivet's own, transparent index.
Which country ranks first?
South Korea leads with 84.5/100. Top five: South Korea, Israel, Singapore, Sweden, Iceland.
Where does Sweden rank?
Sweden ranks 4th of 49 with 67.6/100, strongest on researchers.
How is it calculated?
Each of 6 World Bank indicators is min-max normalised 0–100 (lower-is-better dimensions inverted), then equal-weighted into a mean. Minimum 4 dimensions required. Fully documented and reproducible.
Is this an official index?
No — it is Affärslivet's own composite, built transparently from official World Bank data. It is not a World Bank, IMF, UN or WEF index.
Can I download the data?
Yes — the full ranking with per-dimension scores is available as CSV and JSON under CC BY 4.0, free to reuse with attribution to Affärslivet.
Which countries rank in the top 5 of the AI & Tech Readiness Index?
The top five are South Korea, Israel, Singapore, Sweden and Iceland, based on the AI & Tech Readiness Index (Affärslivet, 2026-08-01).
Where does Sweden rank in the AI & Tech Readiness Index?
Sweden ranks #4 of 49 (67.6) in the AI & Tech Readiness Index, as of 2026-08-01. Source: Affärslivet.
How many countries are ranked in the AI & Tech Readiness Index?
49 economies are included in the AI & Tech Readiness Index (2026-08-01). Full data is free to download as CSV or JSON under CC BY 4.0.
Glossary
- Composite index
- A single score combining several indicators, here the equal-weighted mean of 6 normalised dimensions. ↗
- Min-max normalisation
- Rescaling so the lowest value becomes 0 and the highest 100, making different indicators comparable; 'lower is better' dimensions are inverted. ↗
- Internet penetration
- Dimension of the index — World Bank series IT.NET.USER.ZS (higher is better). ↗
- Fixed broadband
- Dimension of the index — World Bank series IT.NET.BBND.P2 (higher is better). ↗
- Mobile connectivity
- Dimension of the index — World Bank series IT.CEL.SETS.P2 (higher is better). ↗
- R&D spending
- Dimension of the index — World Bank series GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS (higher is better). ↗
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APA
Affärslivet Research. (2026). Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026. Affärslivet. Version 1.0. https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/ai-tech-readiness-index
MLA
Affärslivet Research. "Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026." Affärslivet, 2026-07-01, https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/ai-tech-readiness-index.
BibTeX
@techreport{affarslivet_ai_tech_readiness_index,
title = {Affärslivet AI & Tech Readiness Index 2026},
author = {{Affärslivet Research}},
year = {2026},
note = {Version 1.0},
url = {https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/ai-tech-readiness-index}
} License CC BY 4.0 — free to cite, embed and republish with attribution to Affärslivet. Data also as CSV / JSON.