Global Talent Competitiveness Index Luxembourg is the 8th most competitive country in the world when it comes to talents.

Luxembourg knows how to attract and retain talent. That is the conclusion of the 2021 version of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). Compared with the 2020 edition, Luxembourg has maintained its 8 th position at international level but has now climbed to  5th among EU Member States. The index confirms that Luxembourg is one of the most attractive countries in the world. 

Attractive and appealing

In an increasingly globalised world, having a well-trained, motivated labour force is a key factor in  national competitiveness. The results of the GTCI study confirm that Luxembourg does best when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.

 Luxembourg performs  particularly well in attracting talent – it is even  ranked first  in this category, mainly because of its  external openness, especially  its ability to attract foreign companies and talent. Luxembourg's welcoming culture, the openness of its population  to foreigners and  its multilingualism  are other factors that draw talent.

The country is also very good at retaining talent, thanks to its pension system, environmental performance and social protection. The "Talent Impact" sub-pillar reveals that the country has  a high degree of entrepreneurial spirit,  which contributes to a strong pool of global knowledge skills, indicates INSEAD.

Alongside the cities of Geneva, Dublin and Zurich, Luxembourg also puts in a strong performance in terms of advanced technologies such  as fintech,  healthtech  and  medtech. However, Luxembourg's pool of vocational and technical skills is its main weakness.

 

 

Interview with Bruno Lanvin, INSEAD Distinguished Fellow, and Felipe Monteiro, INSEAD Senior Affiliate  Professor of Strategy, co-editors of the study. 

Europe in the lead

This year's ranking  sees European countries dominating the top spots,  with 17 among the top 25. Switzerland, Singapore and the United States lead the field, followed by the Nordic countries (Denmark, 4th; Sweden, 5th; Finland, 7th; Norway, 9th and Iceland, 10th), while Western European countries such as the Netherlands (6th), Luxembourg (8th) and the United Kingdom (12th) are also among the best performers.

With  regard to Luxembourg's neighbours,  Germany comes in 14th position, Belgium in 17th, and France makes its entry into the top 20 this year, climbing to 19th position.

The GTCI ranking for cities is dominated by the United States and Europe. The  most competitive city  in terms of talent in the 2021 edition is San Francisco. Two other US cities also figure in the top 10 (Boston and Seattle), while the other seven are in Europe – Luxembourg, Geneva, Zurich, Dublin, London and Helsinki – and Asia – Singapore.