Top 10 countries as startup hubs in 2025: Here is where India stands
Among the top ten, a notable divide exists between the leading trio—with the United States in first place, the United Kingdom in second, and Israel in third—and Singapore, at the fourth position, which is rapidly approaching this elite group.
While the US continues to lead the global startup ecosystem, it is maintaining its position with 221 cities ranked among the top 1,000 worldwide on the 2025 index.
Despite this, it is exhibiting signs of a slowdown, recording the lowest growth rate among the top 50 ecosystems at merely 18.2%.
The UK's startup ecosystem, contrarily, ranking 2nd, has shown a growth rate of 26.34%, one of the highest among the top 20.
It has successfully reversed the trend of declining score gaps with Israel, increasing its lead from 8.6% in 2024 to 13.8% in 2025.
Israel, meanwhile, in third place, remains stable globally with a growth rate of 20.58%, which is relatively low compared to the other top ten countries.
Notably, Singapore, at the fourth position, is rapidly approaching the elite group of the top 3, as it has achieved a remarkable 44.91% growth rate in 2025.
It has replaced Canada's long-standing presence in the global top 4 since the introduction of this index, pushing it to 5th place.
While no country in Europe has managed to push into the global top 5, Sweden, ranking 6th with over 30% of the growth rate, is edging closer to Canada.
Rounding up the top 10, Switzerland, which previously was at the 10th position, overtook the Netherlands to claim the 9th rank in 2025.
Source: StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025
India has reversed the positive momentum it experienced last year, falling from 19th to 22nd place worldwide in 2025. This marks one of the steepest declines among the global top 25.
Despite this, the country has six cities ranked in the global top 100 and stands out as one of only three countries, along with the United States and China, having three cities in the top 20.
Cherry Gupta is an Assistant Manager - Content at The Indian Express. She is responsible for crafting compelling narratives, uncovering the latest news and developments, and driving engaging content based on data and trends to boost website traffic and audience engagement. One can connect with her on LinkedIn or by mail at cherry.gupta@indianexpress.com. ... Read More
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