The Global Innovation Index 2012

Figure 3: Global Innovation Index vs. Innovation Efficiency Index
Global Innovation Index (score)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Note: Countries/economies are classified according to the World Bank Income Group Classification (April 2012).
to avoid improperly biasing results
to the detriment of countries with
large young or ageing populations,
Mongolia does remarkably well. For
example, it takes 1st place in utility
model applications by residents (127
in 2010) and in trademark registrations
at the national office (3,510 in
2010). Mongolia’s main deficits are
in ecological sustainability, R&D,
cluster development, knowledge
diffusion, and creative goods and
services.
Low-income countries (21 economies)
Among low-income economies,
the top 5 are Kenya (96th),
Rwanda (102nd), Tajikistan (108th),
Kyrgyzstan (109th), and Mozambique
(110th) in the GII; Kenya (89th),
Kyrgyzstan (90th), Rwanda (95th),
Mozambique (107th), and Malawi
(110th) in the Input Sub-Index; and
Zimbabwe (92nd), Nepal (95th),
Mali (97th), Bangladesh (104th),
Innovation Efficiency Index (score)
High income
upper-middle income
and Benin (108th) in the Output
Sub-Index.
Kenya is ranked 96th (91st among
GII 2011 countries), down from 89th
in 2011. Kenya came in 3rd among
low-income economies in 2011, after
Ghana and Kyrgyzstan; since Ghana
this year joined the upper-middleincome
group, Kenya tops the GII
and the Input rankings among lowincome
economies. It benefits from
an average annual growth of GDP
(US$) of 4.8% for the period 2004–
11, with a forecasted growth of 6.1%
for 2012–17.27 For the second year
in a row, this low-income country
of 40.9 million people shows noteworthy
relative strengths in Human
capital and research (72nd), Market
sophistication (41st), and Business
sophistication (66th). Kenya’s institutional
framework (103rd) is particularly
worrisome, however, especially
in areas crucial to the investments
required for growth and
innovation: political stability, rule
Lower-middle income
Low income
of law, ease of starting a business,
and the tax burden (including tax
rates and formalities). Its ranking in
Infrastructure (120th) is also weak,
including a 104th position in the
adoption of ICTs (its best showing
at the sub-pillar level).
Zimbabwe is ranked 115th
(106th among GII 2011 countries),
up from 119th in 2011, and it leads
the Output Sub-Index among lowermiddle-income
economies. With
the second-lowest GDP per capita
of the 141 economies, after Burundi,
the positions in the Output Sub-
Index (92nd) and the Efficiency ratio
(13th) of this landlocked economy
are indeed promising. These results
are driven by relatively good records
on the areas traditionally linked to
innovation, namely Human capital
and research (71st), Business sophistication
(50th), and Knowledge and
technology outputs (70th), showing
that Zimbabwe is prioritizing those
areas that will give it a better edge
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THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2012 1: The Global Innovation Index 2012