This article is part of a recurring series highlighting recent talent mobility industry reports. If you would like the WERC editorial team to consider covering a specific industry report, email mobility@talenteverywhere.org.
The seemingly daily shocks reverberating across the globe are reshaping executive mobility. The United States, once the world’s leading magnet for top talent, now struggles with political divisions even as it remains unmatched in technology and entrepreneurship. In Asia, digital nomad visas and talent programs promote openness, yet protectionist policies and concerns over China’s industrial overcapacity limit cross-border hiring. Europe boasts innovation, talent, and infrastructure but lags in scaling startups, venture funding, and financial integration, risking capital and talent flight without urgent reform.
The 2025 IMD World Talent Ranking (WTR) offers timely insights for multinational corporations grappling with how to attract and retain executives across borders. Compiled from 31 data points across 69 economies, the ranking highlights how geopolitical instability, inflation, and cost-of-living pressures are reshaping mobility strategies. For the first time in years, financial security and tangible benefits are the most frequently cited drivers of executive mobility, surpassing pre-pandemic priorities such as quality of life, cultural fit, and language.
Switzerland retained the top spot for the 10th consecutive year, demonstrating stable policies and a robust institutional environment. Luxembourg climbed to second, reflecting consistent investment in education and workforce attractiveness, while Iceland rebounded to third, showing sustained improvements in talent competitiveness. Hong Kong reached its highest rank—fourth—after a decade of volatility. Other notable movements included Singapore dropping to seventh, Denmark falling to eighth, and the UAE entering the top 10 for the first time at No. 9, signaling rapid progress in talent-related policies. Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria round out the top 10.
The Top 10 Ranking
- Switzerland
- Luxembourg
- Iceland
- Hong Kong
- The Netherlands
- Sweden
- Singapore
- Denmark
- The United Arab Emirates
- Austria
Global Disruptions Shift Executive Mobility Priorities
Executive mobility plays a vital role in shaping innovation, knowledge transfer, and global competitiveness. Earlier research showed that quality of life, cultural affinity, and societal stability, rather than financial incentives, were the strongest drivers of executive moves. Executives prioritized lifestyle and integration opportunities over higher salaries or lower taxes, with destinations like Switzerland and Singapore excelling due to living standards and openness.
However, global disruptions—geopolitical tensions, inflation, and economic uncertainty—are reshaping priorities. The IMD Executive Survey revealed a shift, with financial considerations now ranking highest alongside political stability, business environment, infrastructure quality, and cultural alignment.
Financial Considerations Dominate
Financial considerations are the most cited driver of executive mobility, with 62.5% of respondents worldwide prioritizing remuneration, cost-of-living, and tax implications. Cross-country variation is significant: Jordan leads at 86%, followed by Ireland (83.33%), South Korea (80.77%), and Cyprus (76.09%), reflecting economic volatility, high living costs, or evolving labor markets.
Conversely, advanced economies like the Netherlands, Canada, Romania, and Taiwan show lower emphasis (48-51%), likely due to stable financial conditions, social safety nets, and reliable public services. Even in the UAE, financial appeal ranks mid-range, suggesting factors like stability or cultural fit can offset monetary incentives. Overall, financial drivers dominate where economic uncertainty or rapid change exists.
Political Stability as a Decisive Factor
Political stability is another key factor in executives’ mobility decisions, with 55.71% citing it as a top priority. Countries such as the Czech Republic (76%), Germany (70.31%), Australia (70%), Spain (70%), and Austria (67.82%) scored highest, reflecting their reputations for strong institutions and low turmoil.
Executives from less stable nations like Colombia (75%), Mexico (73.68%), and Venezuela (70.59%) also placed strong emphasis on this factor, likely due to their own experiences with volatility. Conversely, executives in traditionally stable countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden ranked it lower, possibly taking governance predictability for granted.
Business Environment and Transparency
Globally, 50.23% of executives cited the business environment—a predictable and transparent regulatory climate—as a key driver of mobility, nearly matching the importance of political stability. This factor is especially salient in emerging or reform-oriented economies such as the Slovak Republic (71.64%), Slovenia (70.65%), and Bulgaria (64.06%), where lingering concerns about bureaucracy, corruption, or weak enforcement push executives to seek more mature institutional systems abroad.
In geopolitically sensitive economies like Taiwan (66.42%), Estonia (63.49%), and South Korea (62.82%), risks tied to instability, cyber threats, or regulatory burdens heighten the appeal of mobility to rule-bound, investor-friendly jurisdictions offering stability and continuity.
Infrastructure: A Baseline Requirement
Infrastructure—including transportation, utilities, and digital connectivity—was cited by 50.32% of executives globally as a key factor influencing mobility, on par with the importance of the business environment. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and the UAE show particularly high concern, with executives valuing accessibility, efficiency, and reliable services for both professional and personal reasons.
In contrast, Latvia, Poland, and Croatia scored lowest, reflecting executives’ focus on strategic, financial, and geopolitical considerations rather than infrastructure itself. Overall, while infrastructure remains essential, its relative weight in mobility decisions depends on local standards, development levels, and broader regional risks, serving more as a baseline requirement than a decisive factor.
Cultural Alignment Falls Behind
Cultural alignment, including shared language or culture, ranks lowest among mobility factors globally, cited by just 36.47% of executives. This reflects the cosmopolitan nature of many careers and experience in multicultural or English-speaking business environments.
However, countries like China, Australia, Chile, and the U.S. place higher importance on cultural familiarity, often linked to historical ties or common-language mobility corridors that ease professional and personal integration. Conversely, executives in Italy, Denmark, Nigeria, and Venezuela deprioritize culture, focusing instead on financial security, institutional stability, or safety. Overall, cultural alignment is viewed as manageable or secondary, with economic and legal considerations driving mobility decisions.
Navigating the Future of Executive Mobility
For global mobility professionals, the 2025 insights underscore the evolving landscape of executive mobility and the need for strategic, data-driven guidance. While traditional priorities like quality of life, cultural fit, and societal stability remain relevant, financial considerations—including remuneration, cost of living, and tax implications—now dominate global mobility decisions, particularly in volatile or high-cost regions.
Political stability, regulatory transparency, and reliable infrastructure also weigh heavily, shaping both professional continuity and personal well-being for executives. Cultural alignment, though less influential globally, retains significance in specific corridors where language and shared norms ease integration.
The IMD World Talent Ranking 2025 reinforces these trends, highlighting economies like Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Iceland as leaders in attracting and retaining executives, while emerging players such as the UAE demonstrate rapid gains. For talent mobility professionals, this emphasizes the importance of tailoring strategies to regional dynamics, balancing financial, institutional, and infrastructural factors, and guiding executives toward destinations that optimize both career growth and personal stability.