30 economies were assessed on international trade resilience
The United Kingdom took first place in the 2026 Hinrich–IMD Sustainable Trade Index. Among the 30 economies evaluated for their ability to align international trade with economic, social, and environmental goals, Singapore ranked second, while Russia was placed 29th.
30 economies evaluated for international trade sustainability
The index was developed in collaboration with the Hinrich Foundation and the IMD World Competitiveness Center. The assessment covers 72 indicators across three main dimensions.
The United Kingdom, which scored 100 points in the overall ranking, moved up one spot compared to 2024. Singapore rose two places to take second place. New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Australia followed in the subsequent spots.
Some economies achieved significant growth. Malaysia rose four places to 11th, and Cambodia also moved up four places to 15th. Sri Lanka improved its result by four places as well, taking 22nd place.
Japan dropped three places to eighth, while China fell three places to 19th.
The economic dimension of the index evaluates the ability of countries to generate growth through international trade. Factors such as the diversification of export markets and the ratio of government debt to gross domestic product are taken into account.
Singapore took first place in this dimension. The US rose from fourth place in 2024 to second place in 2026. However, the report noted that US tariff policy and its broader economic consequences negatively impacted the country's performance.
The social dimension considers human capital development, including higher education enrollment and life expectancy. In this regard, Australia led the way, slightly ahead of Canada.
The environmental dimension evaluates indicators such as natural resource efficiency, renewable energy sources, and per capita carbon dioxide emissions. New Zealand took first place in it.
Cambodia rose from 17th place in 2025 to third place in 2026 in the environmental dimension. Hong Kong climbed from eighth to fourth place, and Vietnam moved up from 13th to eighth place.
The index does not cover all countries and does not measure the overall power of economies. It compares the long-term sustainability of international trade across 30 selected economies.