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

Australia Overtakes Singapore for 7th Place
Netherlands Claws Its Way Back into DII Global Top Ten, New Zealand Falls Out
Seychelles, Tonga, Eswatini See Largest Declines
El Salvador, Anguilla, Bhutan, and Zimbabwe Register Solid Improvements
Russia Falls to 213th
Austria Climbs the DII Top 20; South Korea, Japan, and France Slip

Oakland, California – BizWorld announces its February 2025 update to the DraBizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index Global Nations Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places Globally to Launch a Start upper 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.

“Last month, President Trump signed an executive order titled Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology, which is intended to support the use of and clarify regulations surrounding cryptocurrency,” said BizWorld founder Tim Draper. “This order lays the groundwork for unprecedented crypto growth and adoption in the United States, which will of course will solidify the U.S.’s top ranking in the DII Global and also have a ripple effect across the global economy. Here at BizWorld, we’ll closely monitor this executive order’s impacts, both domestically and internationally.”

Top Takeaways from the DII Global February 2025 Update

• Among other economic factors, El Salvador’s U.S. Travel Advisory status improved, leading to jumps of 14 ranks on the DII Global US Balanced and by 17 ranks in Government Quality.
• Australia overtook Singapore for 7th place in the DII Global Top Ten due to stronger currency performance.
• Netherlands (10th) returned to the DII Top Ten due to strong AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment growth.
• New Zealand, on the other hand, slipped from 10th to 11th due to weaker local currency performance.
• Austria rose 4 places to 16th in the DII Global thanks to significant increases in AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment.
• South Korea sank to 18th due to local currency weakness performance and declining AI/Machine Learning venture capital investment trends.
• Both Japan (19th) and France (20th) fell slightly due to increasing World Uncertainty Indexes.
• Three countries saw significant falls due to significant emerging inflationary pressures; Seychelles fell by 23 places, Tonga by 13 places, and Eswatini by 11 places.
• Anguilla and Bhutan rose by 12 and 9 places, respectively, due to stronger local currency performance.
• Continuing last month’s trend, Zimbabwe (185th) saw its DII Global rank improve by 9 places due to easing inflation and improved currency performance.
• With declining AI/Machine Learning investments and a continued “Do Not Travel” advisory from the U.S. State Department, Russia continued to fall, slipping to 213th place.
• After recent drops, China’s ranking remained stable this month.
• After recent rises, India’s ranking also remained stable this month.

“El Salvador rose across all three DII Global scenarios, including a jump of 22 places in Emerging Innovation,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “This was due to an improved U.S. State Department travel advisory this month, and more broadly due to El Salvador’s history of cryptocurrency-friendly economic policies, which truly makes it a standout in the global economy.”

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/