Egypt leaps 10 places to rank #95 in the 2018 Global Innovation Index: Egypt is the most improved country in the North Africa/West Asia region in the 2018 Global Innovation Index, moving up 10 places to #95 in the global rankings from last year. The report notes that Egypt has exceeded its expected performance as a lower-middle (LM) income country, rising three places to rank 16 among LM states. Regionally, Egypt’s position remains unchanged at #17 among North African/West Asian countries.

There were improvements in almost every category: Most notably, Egypt leapt 27 places in the knowledge and technology category — which looks at patents, intellectual property and tech exports — to #66 in the world. The creative outputs rating — which accounts for trademarks, industrial designs, creative goods and services and online creativity — also jumped eight places to #89. There were also slight improvements in the market sophistication, infrastructure, institutions, and business sophistication categories.

Except one: Egypt fell seven places in the human capital and research category to #89. The category measures the performance of education systems, government spending on schools and universities, and activity and investment in research and development. Egypt’s regression in the ranking was driven by the education rating, which fell by 16 places to #74 in the world. Drilling into the figures though, it appears likely that our descent in the rankings has more to do with greater improvements in other countries relative to ours, rather than a declining education system.