Philippines Rises to 53rd in IMD 2026 World Digital and AI Ranking but Trails Asia-Pacific Peers
Key Takeaways
- •The Philippines advanced three places to 53rd among 70 economies, with a score of 66.51, in the IMD 2026 World Digital and AI Ranking.
- •Despite the improvement, the country finished behind all 13 named Asia-Pacific economies, with Indonesia at 47th the closest regional peer.
- •Efficiency, at 44th, was the Philippines' best-performing pillar, while technology and infrastructure, at 66th, was its weakest.
- •The country's strongest sub-component results were 34th in practices and 39th in capital and AI investment, whereas cybersecurity and AI ethics was its lowest at 64th.
- •IMD researcher Arturo Bris stated that digital competitiveness now hinges on converting technological capabilities into productive applications under supportive institutional and social conditions.
The Philippines climbed three spots to 53rd place in an annual ranking of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness but remained among the lowest-placed economies in the Asia-Pacific, according to the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC).
In the 2026 World Digital and AI Ranking, the Philippines posted a score of 66.51, placing it behind Singapore (2nd globally); China (7th); South Korea (10th); Hong Kong (11th); Taiwan (13th); Australia (16th); and Japan (19th). New Zealand (26th), Malaysia (27th), Vietnam (37th), Thailand (43rd), India (46th), and Indonesia (47th) also finished ahead of the Philippine economy. At 53rd of the 70 economies assessed, the Philippines trailed all 13 regional peers named in the results.
The index assesses 70 economies across five factors that capture AI foundations and the conditions needed to deploy the technology effectively: governance; technology and infrastructure; efficiency; workforce development; and values.
The Philippines ranked 57th in governance, 66th in technology and infrastructure, 44th in efficiency, 58th in workforce development, and 56th in values. Efficiency was its strongest of the five pillars, while technology and infrastructure was its weakest.
Within the governance pillar, the country placed 53rd in regulatory framework, 52nd in digital and AI governance, and 62nd in public leadership. Under technology and infrastructure, it was 54th in technological framework, 39th in capital and AI investment, and 61st in research infrastructure.
The efficiency breakdown showed 34th in practices, 47th in business agility, and 45th in AI adoption. In workforce development, the Philippines placed 45th in talent, 61st in education and training, and 54th in AI readiness. In the values category, its component scores were 64th in cybersecurity and AI ethics, 46th in societal attitudes, and 50th in trust. Its strongest sub-component showings were 34th in practices and 39th in capital and AI investment, while its lowest were 64th in cybersecurity and AI ethics, 62nd in public leadership, and 61st in both research infrastructure and education and training.
IMD researcher Arturo Bris said digital competitiveness is no longer based simply on technological capacity and adoption.
“It increasingly depends on economies’ ability to translate technological capabilities into productive applications while creating the institutional and social conditions necessary for their sustained use,” he said in the report. For the Philippines, the results pair a comparatively strong efficiency showing with lower placements in technology, infrastructure, and research-related measures. Because the ranking is compiled annually, future editions will indicate whether that position changes across the same 70-economy field.
— Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
Source: BusinessWorld
