The Global Innovation Index (GII), published September 29, 2026 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ranks economies by innovation performance using indicators of innovation inputs and outputs. It also ranks the world’s top 100 innovation clusters and tracks global innovation trends. In the 2026 edition, which covers 139 economies, China ranks 10th. China held the same position in GII 2025, when it entered the top 10 for the first time. In both editions, China is the only middle-income economy in the top 30, and the United States ranks third. Among innovation clusters, Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou ranks first for a second consecutive year. China’s number of clusters in the top 100 rose from 24 in 2025 to 25 in 2026.
China’s position is reflected in research spending and output. WIPO reports that, measured in purchasing-power-parity-adjusted constant prices, China’s R&D expenditure reached USD 860 billion in 2024, compared with USD 850 billion for the United States. These figures use a specific price and currency adjustment; they are not a comparison of nominal spending in US dollars.
China accounted for 37 percent of global scientific publications in 2025, with its output rising 15 percent from 2024. The United States accounted for 16 percent of the global total, while India accounted for 6.6 percent. On international patent filings, China remained the largest filer through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), with 73,718 applications in 2025, up 5.4 percent. The United States followed with 52,617. PCT application counts measure filings, not granted patents or their technical or commercial value.
The GII’s cluster ranking offers a geographic view distinct from its economy ranking. It combines the locations of inventors named in published PCT applications, scientific authors and venture-capital deals. Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou ranks first for a second consecutive year; Beijing and Shanghai–Suzhou also appear in the top 10.
China has 25 clusters in the global top 100, compared with 20 in the United States. Cluster size is not the same as activity relative to population. Ningde ranks 75th by overall cluster size but third by innovation intensity, a per-capita measure. WIPO associates its patent activity with battery producer CATL. San Jose–San Francisco ranks third by overall size and first by intensity.
The full Report is available here.
