BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index Global
Nations Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places Globally
to Launch a Startup

Finland Overtakes Singapore for 9th Overall
Netherlands Pushes New Zealand Out of DII Global Top 10
China and Russia Decline
Mexico Plummets 35 Spots
Guyana and Turks and Caicos See Large Declines
Hungary, Suriname, and Kyrgyzstan See Largest Improvements
Luxembourg Breaks into DII Global Top 20, Rising to 16th

Oakland, California – BizWorld announces its September 2025 update to the Draper Innovation Index Global (DII Global), which evaluates each nation’s ability to develop, support, and retain entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, and investors. First published in 2021, the DII Global provides the most well-rounded and up-to-date look at entrepreneurial environments across the globe. This month’s rankings include updates to annual metrics including the World Bank’s Foreign Direct Investment data, Heritage Foundation’s Economic Freedom Index, and Freedom House’s Global Freedom Scores.

“Mexico had by far this month’s biggest drop,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “It fell by 35 places for two main reasons: U.S. State Department travel advisories and declining scores on the Heritage Economic Freedom Index and the Freedom House Freedom in the World index. This speaks to the importance of countries prioritizing general economic freedom as well as the critical importance of international travel for national economies – and not just for hospitality and tourism, but every industry. Ensuring the safety of residents, investors, entrepreneurs, and visitors is foundational to any economy.”

Top Takeaways from the DII Global September 2025 Update

• Thanks to higher monthly growth in AI/Machine Learning venture capital investments, Finland (8th) overtook Singapore (9th) in the DII Global rankings.
• AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment also helped the Netherlands (10th) overtake New Zealand (11th) for the last place in the DII Global Top 10.
• Mexico saw by far this month’s largest decline, falling by 35 places to 135th overall. This was primarily due to recent travel warnings from the U.S. State Department and declines in both its Heritage Economic Freedom Index and Freedom House Global Freedom score.
• China fell in two of three scenarios due a decline in foreign direct investments as a percentage of gross domestic product. It fell from 69th to 71st in the DII Global Balanced scenario and from 33rd to 34th in Emerging Innovation.
• Russia fell further down the DII rankings, dropping across all three scenarios as a result of declines in both Heritage’s Economic Freedom Index and Freedom House’s Global Freedom scores. It dropped from 214th to 217th in the DII Global Balanced, from 215th to 218th in Emerging Innovation, and from 215th to 216th in Government Quality.
• Kyrgyzstan improved from 138th to 130th in the DII Balanced thanks to a combination of above-average currency performance and an improving Heritage Economic Freedom Index ranking.
• Guyana had the second largest monthly decline, falling from 127th to 141st due to declining foreign direct investment.
• Turks and Caicos saw the third largest rank decline this month, falling from 91st to 103rd due to declining foreign direct investments and below-average currency performance.
• Hungary had the largest monthly improvement, jumping 10 places to 68th thanks to above-average currency performance and improving foreign direct investment.
• Suriname rose by nine places, finishing in 125th place, rising also in the Emerging Innovation and Government Quality scenarios, all thanks to improved Economic Freedom and Global Freedom scores.
• Luxembourg broke into the DII Global Top 20 this month after rising across all three scenarios. It finished 16th in the Balanced scenario, 18th in Emerging Innovation and 13th in Government Quality thanks to increases in foreign direct investment and AI/Machine Learning-related venture capital investment.

“Foreign direct investment was a major factor this month, both positively and negatively,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “It was a major reason why Guyana and the Turks and Caicos had some of the month’s largest drops, and why Hungary had the largest jump in the DII Global rankings. Presenting a strong value proposition to foreign investors – through business-friendly regulation, an educated population, a stable currency, and other strategies – is a must for attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and economic growth, especially for developing countries.”

The DII Global will release monthly updates to continually reflect the latest developments in global innovation and entrepreneurship, available here.

About BizWorld

BizWorld.org is a global non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA, whose mission is to enable youth from all backgrounds to unlock the power of entrepreneurship to create career opportunities, inspire self-reliance, and build confidence that drives economic prosperity globally.     Founded over 25 years ago by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, BizWorld.org programs teach students real-world 21st century skills and leadership that encourage them to become responsible leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. More than 850,000 students in more than 100 countries have participated in BizWorld programs. https://www.bizworld.org/