The Institute for Management Development (IMD) has again assessed the competitiveness of several countries worldwide.
Of the 64 countries studied, at least 5 are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In the ASEAN region, Singapore achieved the highest score, with 97.44 points. This places Singapore in 4th place globally, significantly ahead of other ASEAN countries.
Malaysia came second with 75.75 points, placing it 27th globally.
Thailand was third with 74.54 points, placing it 30th globally.
Malaysia and Thailand's scores surpassed Indonesia's 70.75 points, placing Indonesia 34th globally.
Below Indonesia was the Philippines, which scored 54.14 points, ranking 52nd out of 64 countries.
It should be noted that not all ASEAN countries were included in the IMD's study.
The aim of this research is to analyze and rank several countries to create and maintain an environment that supports corporate competitiveness.
"We assume that wealth creation occurs at the firm level, both private and state-owned, which in this research is referred to as 'corporate competitiveness'," wrote the IMD.
Scores are on a scale of 0-100 points. Countries are ranked from most to least competitive.
The assessment is based on four sectors: economic performance; government efficiency; business efficiency; and infrastructure. These four sectors are further developed into 336 indicators for assessment and ranking.