BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index Global
Nations Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places Globally
to Launch a Startup
Denmark Pulls Ahead of Australia for 5th Place in the DII Global
Singapore Overtakes Netherlands in the DII Global Top 10
China Sees No Change
Russia Declines Again
Liberia, Saint Martin, and Martinique See Largest Declines
Syria, Solomon Islands, and Suriname See Largest Gainsains
San Mateo, California – BizWorld announces its December 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.
“Denmark, a regular presence in the DII Global Top Ten, has now broken into the DII Global Top Five, overtaking Australia.” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “This move is driven by strong economic foundations, such as a stable currency, world-class scores in government quality and digitization a transparent regulatory environment, one of western Europe’s lowest corporate tax rates, plus a long tradition of entrepreneurship. I’m sure that many of our younger readers will have LEGO products under the tree this year, or perhaps some Bang & Olufsen speakers or ECCO shoes. In a global economy that often feels volatile, Denmark’s ability to pair stability with an agile, tech-forward regulatory framework makes it an increasingly attractive home for innovators.”
Top Takeaways from the DII Global December 2025 Update
- Denmark overtook Australia for 5th place as its strong currency performance offset Australia’s higher growth in AI/Machine Learning venture capital investments.
- Singapore overtook the Netherlands (10th) for 9th place also due to strong currency performance.
- Liberia fell by 13 places, finishing 150th overall, due to a combination of weak currency performance and minimal venture capital investment growth.
- Saint Martin also fell by 13 places to 139th, in its case due to declining AI/Machine Learning investments and mediocre currency performance. It finished 139th.
- Martinique fell across all scenarios due to a lack of AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment.
- Syria saw a rare improvement, rising from 219th to 209th thanks to above-average currency performance.
- Suriname also rose by 9 places, from 133rd to 124th, due to above-average currency performance compared to its peers.
- The Solomon Islands also rose by 9 places – from 160th to 151st – benefitting from a stronger currency.
- Some of the world’s largest economies either remained in place or saw minimal change. The top four – the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Canada – all retained their positions.
- China remained in 73rd place in the DII Global Balanced rankings and in 34th place in Emerging Innovation. It fell from 135th place to 136th in Government Quality.
- Russia, which was already near the bottom, fell by one place to finish 216th overall.
“Competition among the world’s elite innovation environments is fierce,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “Singapore has edged past the Netherlands to reclaim the 9th spot in the DII Global, a move driven by its ‘high-bar’ regulatory strategy. By strictly enforcing travel rules while simultaneously clarifying the framework for institutional Bitcoin custody and stablecoins, Singapore is proving that regulatory certainty is currently the most important factory for crypto innovators. This is a critical pivot; institutional money is no longer seeking the easiest regulations, but the most reliable ones. Countries that delay in providing similar clarity risk losing talent and capital to these trusted jurisdictions.”
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/