The U.S. performed particularly well last year on indicators such as late-stage VC deals, software spending and the entertainment and media market. Meanwhile, China stood out for areas such as patent filings, creative goods exports and industrial designs. The world’s second-largest economy also performed well in the category of scientific research. Global output hit a record-breaking 2 million articles in 2024, driven partly by China’s 14 percent growth and India’s 7.6 percent increase. The index evaluated innovation levels across 139 economies, focusing on a long list of criteria such as human capital, institutions, technology and creative output as well as market and business sophistication, among others.