LONDON, Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Switzerland is ranked the world’s most resilient country in the new Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index, with Denmark, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden completing the Top Five. The index is the first of its kind to measure countries’ exposure to geopolitical, economic, and climate risks as well as their capacity to adapt and recover, revealing how resilience is increasingly concentrated in smaller, highly adaptive states.
Developed by global residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners in partnership with the AI-powered analytics platform AlphaGeo, the index provides investors, families, and governments with a systematic framework to navigate a world of overlapping risks — from geopolitical conflict and inflation to technological disruption and climate change.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, says “by combining risk exposure and resilience capacity into a single score, it identifies for investors, businesses and families the countries that are best placed to preserve wealth and generate long-term value, and it gives governments a benchmark to measure competitiveness.”
Switzerland ranks 1st worldwide, driven by exceptionally low risk and world-leading innovation, governance, and social metrics. Close behind, the Nordic countries of Denmark (2nd), Norway (3rd), and Sweden (5th) exemplify how equitable growth, robust institutions, and forward-looking social policy create world-leading resilience. Singapore takes 4th place with the lowest legal and regulatory risk globally.
South Sudan (226th), Lebanon (225th), Haiti (224th), Sudan (223rd), and Pakistan (222nd) sit at the bottom of the index.
From the G7 to BRICS: Diverging Paths of Risk and Resilience
Applied to global investment conditions, the framework recognizes that exposure and preparedness should be treated as distinct yet equally important factors. As Dr. Parag Khanna, Founder and CEO of AlphaGeo, explains, “High risk is not always negative if matched by strong resilience, while high resilience can conceal vulnerabilities, especially in advanced economies now facing political or fiscal pressures. Adaptation is the new imperative. The societies most committed to building resilience — through innovation, governance, and climate preparedness — will attract investment, talent, and long-term growth.”
The G7 economies continue to stand out for their stability, balancing relatively low risk with strong resilience, led by Germany, which ranks 10th globally, driven by climate readiness, economic complexity, and innovation. Germany is followed by Canada (13th), the UK (23rd), France (29th), the US (32nd), Japan (35th), and Italy (48th). Collectively, the G7 demonstrates how robust institutions and adaptive capacity anchor global economic influence.
Beyond the G7, China and Russia present somewhat contrasting profiles. China (49th) is categorized as a Favorable Outlook investment destination, where moderate risk is offset by substantial resilience built on investment capacity and innovation strength. Russia (94th), however, faces a more precarious position: although classified as high resilience, it is also high risk, driven by political instability and regulatory uncertainty, which places it in the Cautious Potential investment band.
Their BRICS counterparts, South Africa (145th), Brazil (150th), and India (155th), exhibit moderate resilience weakened by elevated risks.
Strength Beyond Scale: Small States Showing Big Resilience
Beyond the overall leaders, the index highlights standout performers across key parameters, with smaller nations continuing to shine. Luxembourg (6th) and Finland (7th) excel through transparent governance, climate resilience, and sustainable policies. They are joined by Greenland (8th), the Netherlands (9th), and Germany (10th), underscoring that true resilience rests not on size or military might but on adaptability, strong institutions, and forward-looking innovation.
Just outside the Top 10, Iceland (11th) and Liechtenstein (12th) rank among the safest markets worldwide, combining exceptionally low risk with strong resilience. Canada (13th) is classified as very low risk, driven by relatively subdued inflation, stable currency performance, and minimal physical climate risk, while Austria’s (14th) resilience is propelled by its social progress, climate resilience, and economic complexity. Estonia (15th) and Ireland (17th) are distinguished by robust governance and social progress, while New Zealand (18th) sets a global benchmark for governance and regulatory quality. South Korea (25th) demonstrates world-class adaptive capacity, with prowess in economic complexity and innovation, while Czechia (16th) and Slovenia (22nd) emerge as prime European markets, defined by their economic sophistication and complexity.
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