Uzbekistan ranked 77th among 139 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026, moving up two positions compared to last year's result. The most significant dynamic was recorded in the innovation output sub-index: the republic improved its indicator by 14 positions and took 78th place. In terms of resources and conditions for innovation, Uzbekistan moved up one line to 68th place.
In the ranking of lower-middle-income countries, Uzbekistan ranked eighth among 36 states, and among 11 countries in Central and South Asia, it entered the top four leaders. In terms of individual indicators, the republic ranked second in the number of science and engineering graduates, third in entrepreneurial policy and culture, fourth in startup and fast-growing company financing, and seventh in labor productivity growth.
Uzbekistan first entered the GII in 2015, ranking 122nd among 141 countries, and by the end of 2025, it was in 79th position. The 2026 result corresponds to the target set for this year by presidential decree No. UP-21. The document also provides for the task of entering the top 60 leading innovative states in the world by 2030.