Qatar’s National Planning Council (NPC) announced that the country had reached a significant milestone in its development, after securing ninth place globally in the 2025 Global Competitiveness Report, published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

This marks the first time Qatar has entered the top-ten in the prestigious ranking, reflecting the country’s strong economic and administrative performance and the effectiveness of its long-term national strategies.

The IMD Global Competitiveness Report evaluated 67 economies across more than 330 indicators, focusing on economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.

Qatar’s rise from 11th place in 2024 to ninth in 2025 is attributed largely to a major improvement in business efficiency, where the country climbed from 11th to 5th position. This progress highlights recent reforms, aimed at increasing labour market flexibility, boosting entrepreneurship, and empowering the private sector.

Qatar maintained its seventh place globally in both economic performance and government efficiency, underlining the resilience of its fiscal policies and the high quality of its public institutions.

The country also advanced three positions in the infrastructure category, a result of ongoing investments in transport, education, healthcare, and digital infrastructure.

Commenting on the achievement, NPC Secretary General Dr Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, said: “Qatar’s entry into the top ten globally in the competitiveness Report is a true testament to the clarity of our strategic vision, the solidity of our institutions, and the cohesion of our national efforts. This progress underscores the country’s firm commitment to building a dynamic knowledge and innovation-based economy, that offers fair and sustainable opportunities for all. We continue to implement the Third National Development Strategy in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030, while focusing on enhancing competitiveness, achieving sustainable development, and improving the quality of life for the entire population.”

The report also highlighted several key economic indicators: Qatar’s real GDP grew by 2.4%, real GDP per capita rose by 0.82%, and the Consumer Price Index saw a modest 1.07% year-on-year increase. Notably, the country recorded the world’s lowest homicide rate at 0.07 cases per 100,000 people.

Qatar ranked first globally in 14 sub-indicators, including youth unemployment rate, overall unemployment rate, consumption tax rate, individual income tax rate, homicide rate, human capital from expatriate labor, use of big data and analytics, effectiveness of corporate boards, banking and financial services, credit availability, perceived need for economic and social reforms, environmental legislation, financing of technological development, and healthcare infrastructure. The country also secured second place in several other sub-indicators, reinforcing its leadership in global competitiveness.

Experts note that this progress brings tangible benefits for both individuals and businesses in Qatar. The higher ranking increases investor confidence, attracts more foreign direct investment, and creates job opportunities in advanced sectors. It also helps foster a business environment that encourages growth, innovation, and long-term economic stability.

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