Puerto Rico outpaces Japan, Italy in global talent index
Puerto Rico advanced to 39th place in the 2025 IMD World Talent Ranking, moving up six spots from last year’s 45th among 69 economies. The ranking, published by the Institute for Management Development in Switzerland, measures countries’ ability to develop, attract and retain talent.
The island improved across all three dimensions: investment and development (37th), appeal (38th) and readiness (39th). The results highlighted Puerto Rico’s strengths in the proportion of STEM graduates, international experience among executives and the availability of skilled labor.
“Puerto Rico’s highly skilled talent can compete directly with other larger markets. They also strengthen our role as an important hub for talent and business in the Caribbean and the Americas,” said Ella Woger-Nieves, chief executive of Invest Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico outperformed Japan (40th) and Italy (41st) and placed close to China (38th) and South Korea (37th). Regionally, it ranked ahead of Chile (49th), Colombia (57th), Mexico (66th), Brazil (67th) and Venezuela (68th), while approaching European benchmarks like Spain (36th) and Portugal (23rd).
The island placed third in the Americas, behind Canada and the U.S. mainland.
“Puerto Rico’s climb in the IMD World Talent Ranking confirms that our island is showing an increasingly competitive profile at the international level,” said Sebastián Negrón-Reichard, secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish).
“Our STEM talent, bilingualism and international experience place us on par with, and even ahead of, traditionally recognized economies such as Japan and Italy,” he said.
John Bozek, chief research and strategy officer at Invest Puerto Rico, said the six-position improvement reflects progress in “strategic indicators such as the availability of STEM talent and our companies’ ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals.”
“This data validates that Puerto Rico provides fertile ground for companies seeking to grow in a competitive and resilient environment,” he said.
The IMD report also identified areas for improvement, including strengthening Puerto Rico’s primary and secondary education systems and enhancing local talent retention.
Puerto Rico was first included in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook and World Talent Ranking in 2022 through a coordinated effort between Invest Puerto Rico, the DDEC, Ana G. Méndez University in Gurabo and IMD.
