311 Institute report · September 2026
The Global AI
Power Index
Which countries lead AI, and why?
We ranked 93 countries by their ability to build, fund, use and protect advanced AI.
The main finding
The United States and China are far ahead of everyone else.
The US has much more money and computing power. China, however, is now within 2.7% of US performance on leading AI models, even though US private investment is 23 times as large.
Singapore is third. It shows that a smaller country can compete through strong government, investment and real-world use.
Four things to know
AI power is about much more than having the best model.
The US and China are in a league of their own.
The gap between China in second place and Singapore in third is larger than the gap across the rest of the top ten.
Size is not everything.
Singapore reaches third place through strong government, investment and real-world use.
More spending does not guarantee a bigger lead.
US private investment is 23 times as large as China's, but its lead on model performance is only 2.7%.
The ranking could change quickly.
Access to advanced chips, cheaper AI models and cyber security could shift the balance.
The full ranking
Find your country.
A higher score means a country is better placed to build, fund, use and protect advanced AI.
Inside the report
Eight things decide whether a country can lead AI.
The report gives you the full ranking, a profile of every country and a clear look at each of these eight areas.
Computing power
Data centres, advanced chips and electricity.
Research
Leading models, important papers and patents.
People
Researchers, engineers, education and skills.
Investment
Private funding and successful AI companies.
Government
National plans, rules and public support.
Security
Cyber defence, safety and supply risks.
Real-world use
How widely AI is used across the economy.
Speed of progress
Whether a country is gaining or losing ground.
Why trust the ranking?
Every important number can be checked.
Readers can see where each important number came from.
Where we calculate a missing figure, we explain how.
If reliable data does not exist, we do not invent it.
Bring the report to your organisation
Book Matthew Griffin to explain what this means for you.
Matthew will turn the findings into a clear session about your country, your industry and your organisation, then help your leaders decide what to do next.
Keynote
Give leaders, teams or event audiences a clear view of the global race for AI power.
Executive briefing
Give your board or senior leaders a private discussion focused on the risks and opportunities for your organisation.
Leadership workshop
Turn the report into priorities, choices and a practical plan for your organisation.
Every session is built around your audience and what they need to know.
Tell us who the session is for and what you want it to achieve. We will suggest the right format.
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Questions
About the report
What does the report rank?+
It ranks 93 countries by their ability to build, fund, use and protect advanced AI.
Can I check the data?+
Yes. The report shows its sources, labels estimates and explains the full method.
Can Matthew present the findings?+
Yes. The research can be turned into a keynote, board briefing or workshop for your audience.