一份最新報告顯示，自2008-2009年全球金融危機以來，美國首次成為全球競爭力最強的國家。

新加坡、德國、瑞士和日本分列第二至五名。

世界經濟論壇（World Economic Forum）發布的最新《全球競爭力報告》（Global Competitiveness Report）采用了新的方法，旨在更好地反映所謂第四次工業革命的影響。以WEF的簡稱為人所知的世界經濟論壇，將美國取得在140個經濟體中的霸主地位歸功于三件事：市場規模、創新生態系統（包括創意產生、創業文化、開放性和靈活性）和穩定性。這項研究用了98個指標來衡量每個國家的競爭力。

世界經濟論壇創始人兼執行主席克勞斯·施瓦布在報告的序言中寫道：“事態的發展——第四次工業革命和大蕭條的后果——正在重新定義通往繁榮的道路。實際上，正是繁榮的概念本身，對政策的制定具有深遠的影響。憂心忡忡的領導人正在努力尋找答案和解決方案，目標是克服短期的、保守的措施。”

盡管如此，對美國來說，也不全是陽光普照。根據世界經濟論壇的數據，有跡象表明美國的社會結構正在變得脆弱——在民族上的得分從65.5下降到了63.3分（100分滿分）——而且由于謀殺率是其他發達經濟體平均水平的5倍，安全狀況正在惡化。此外，美國在政府制衡方面僅排在第40位（100分制的76.3分），司法獨立方面排在第15位（79.1分），腐敗方面排在第16位（75分）。

但是美國的創新能力非常強大。“創新曾經是最發達經濟體的專利，如今已成為所有發達經濟體的當務之急，也成為越來越多新興國家的優先目標。然而，它們中的絕大多數還在努力使創新成為有意義的增長引擎。”報告稱。“結果顯示，世界上只有少數幾個創新大國，包括德國、美國和瑞士。”

根據世界經濟論壇的排名，全球競爭力排名前20位的國家和地區是：

1、美國85.6

2、新加坡83.5

3、德國82.8

4、瑞士82.6

5、日本82.5

6、荷蘭82.4

7、中國香港82.3

8、英國82.0

9、瑞典81.7

10、丹麥80.6

11、芬蘭80.3

12、加拿大79.9

13、中國臺灣79.3

14、澳大利亞78.9

15、韓國78.8

16、挪威78.2

17、法國78.0

18、新西蘭77.5

19、盧森堡76.6

20、以色列76.6

為什么全球競爭力很重要？報告認為，這是因為它有助于提高生活水平，還能夠產生追求更廣泛的社會目標所需的資源。

作者寫道：“經濟發展的各個方面之間不可避免地存在著社會、經濟和環境的緊張關系。然而，它們之間并沒有固有的得失。我們認為，討論競爭力與追求其他發展目標不僅是相容的，而且是不可或缺的。”（財富中文網）

譯者：冉文忠

The United States is the most globally competitive nation in the world for the first time since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, according to a new report.

Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan rounded out the top five.

The latest Global Competitiveness Report, conducted by the World Economic Forum, uses a new methodology that aims to better account for the effects of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. WEF, as it’s known, credits three things for U.S. supremacy among 140 economies: market size, innovation ecosystem (including idea generation, entrepreneurial culture, openness, and agility), and stability. The study measured each nation using 98 indicators.

“These developments—the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the consequences of the Great Recession—are redefining the pathways to prosperity and, indeed, the very notion of prosperity, with profound implications for policy-making,” wrote WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab in the report’s preface. “Concerned leaders are grappling for answers and solutions, aiming to go beyond short-term, reactionary measures.”

It’s not all sunshine for the U.S., though. According to WEF, there are indications of a weakening social fabric in the States—the nation scored 63.3 out of 100, down from 65.5—and worsening security thanks to a homicide rate that’s five times the average of other advanced economies. What’s more, the U.S. was just 40th place for checks and balances (score: 76.3 out of 100), 15th for judicial independence (79.1 out of 100), and 16th for corruption (75 out of 100).

But the American innovation economy is strong. “Once the preserve of the most advanced economies, innovation has become an imperative for all advanced economies and a priority for a growing number of emerging countries. And yet the vast majority of them are struggling to make innovation a meaningful engine of growth,” the report’s authors write. “The results show that there are only a few innovation powerhouses in the world, including Germany, the United States and Switzerland.”

The top 20 countries and areas?in the world as ranked by global competitiveness, according to WEF:

1． United States 85.6

2. Singapore 83.5

3. Germany 82.8

4. Switzerland 82.6

5. Japan 82.5

6. Netherlands 82.4

7. Hong Kong 82.3

8. United Kingdom 82.0

9. Sweden 81.7

10. Denmark 80.6

11. Finland 80.3

12. Canada 79.9

13. Taiwan 79.3

14. Australia 78.9

15. South Korea 78.8

16. Norway 78.2

17. France 78.0

18. New Zealand 77.5

19. Luxembourg 76.6

20. Israel 76.6

Why does global competitiveness matter? Because it contributes to higher living standards and generates the resources needed for wider societal goals, according to the report.

“There are, inevitably, tensions—social, economic, and environmental—between the various dimensions of economic progress,” the report’s authors write. “However, there are no inherent trade-offs among them. We believe that a competitiveness agenda is not just compatible but integral to the pursuit of other developmental goals.”