These four pillars form the Sustainable Competitiveness of a country, which can be used as an alternative to the national GDP. The data has been analysed and compared for 176 countries around the World. Key findings of the Sustainable Competitiveness analysis include:
The World Sustainable Competitiveness Index is topped by the Scandinavian countries. Japan is the only non-European country in the top ten
The Natural Capital and Resource Intensity rankings are led by lesser developed countries with a rich biodiversity, favourable climate and sufficient water resources. Clear distinctions are visible between industrialised nations. Countries with a low resource efficiency are likely to face obstacles to sustain prosperity in the age of raw material and energy scarcity
Asian nations (Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea) top the Sustainable Innovation Competitiveness ranking. However, achieving sustainable development and growth might be compromised by the current high resource intensity/low resource efficiency in some of the Asian countries, if not addressed vigorously
The Social Cohesion ranking is headed by Northern European and Scandinavian countries.