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

DII Global Middle East Rankings See Major Shakeup Due to Conflict in Iran
Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar Register Largest Declines
Canada Retreats to 5th; Switzerland (3rd) and Denmark (4th) Climb
China, Russia, and India All Slip
Panama, Argentina, Jamaica, and Uruguay See Improvements
El Salvador, Paraguay, and Japan Fall

San Mateo, California – BizWorld announces its March 2026 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.

The March 2026 DII Global update reflects rising uncertainty, especially in the Middle East, where the conflict in Iran has embroiled the region and as a result, increased many countries’ U.S. State Travel Advisory dramatically impacting their DII Global ranks. This month’s update also includes an annual update to the Fraser Economic Freedom Index as well as the addition of a metric regarding proportion of public sector employment compared to private sector employment.

“Canada’s retreat in the rankings is a direct reflection of a shifting climate,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “They are no longer as friendly to entrepreneurs as they once were. When policies shift away from rewarding calculated risk and business formation, the capital and the innovators simply go elsewhere, and the DII Global data reflects that drop in real-time.”

Top Takeaways from the DII Global March 2026 Update

• Kuwait saw this month’s largest decline, slipping 29 places from 86th to 115th as its U.S. Travel Advisory rose from a ‘1’ (Exercise Normal Precautions) to a “3” (Reconsider Travel).
• Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, and Cyprus dropped sharply for the same reason.
• Canada tumbled from 3rd to 5th; it was pulled lower due to a declining Fraser Economic Freedom Index and below-average currency performance. This allowed Switzerland (3rd) and Denmark (4th) to both improve by 1 place, which both performed better on these metrics.
• China registered another decline, falling from 68th to 76th due to a declining Fraser Economic Freedom Index and high proportion of public employment.
• Russia fell across all three DII Global scenarios, specifically from 213th to 217th out of the 228 countries that the DII Global tracks – primarily due to a large decline in its Fraser Economic Freedom Index.
• India also slipped to 74th due to newly added public sector employment statistics.
• Argentina improved from 105th to 100th in the DII Global Balanced thanks to improving currency performance and rising AI/Machine Learning venture capital investments.
• El Salvador slipped 2 places and finished 126th, due to a falling Fraser Economic Freedom Index.
• Panama rose from 70th to 61st driven both by currency performance and an improvement in the Fraser Economic Freedom Index.
• Paraguay saw its DII Global Balanced rank fall from 83rd to 88th due to both currency performance and public sector employment metrics.
• Japan fell out of the DII Global Top 20 this month. It finished 21st as a result of comparatively weaker currency performance.
• Jamaica jumped from 87th to 82nd this month thanks to above-average currency performance.
• Uruguay rose in every scenario – from 37th to 36th in the DII Global Balanced, from 43rd to 38th in Emerging, and from 37th to 34th in Government Quality – thanks to an improving Fraser Economic Freedom Index.

“The recent conflict in Iran is the biggest factor driving the DII global this month,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “Middle Eastern countries have temporarily dropped down the rankings as a consequence of new U.S. State Travel Advisory warnings. While war is unequivocally bad for innovation in the short term, driving away capital and talent, we maintain long-term hope that the region will stabilize and once again cultivate a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

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 San Mateo, 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/