Malaysia achieved its best performance in five years by climbing eight spots to 25th place in the International Institute for Management Development's (IMD) World Talent Ranking 2025, marking a significant improvement in the nation's ability to attract, develop, and retain skilled professionals.
Meanwhile, Singapore experienced an unexpected decline, falling five places from 2nd to 7th position and losing its status as Asia's top performer in talent competitiveness for the first time in recent years.
Hong Kong capitalized on Singapore's setback by climbing to 4th place globally, overtaking the city-state as the region's leading talent hub in the 2025 rankings.
Among countries with populations over 20 million, Malaysia secured an impressive 6th place ranking, demonstrating the nation's growing competitiveness in the large economy category within the Asia-Pacific region.
The IMD World Talent Ranking 2025 revealed that financial security and tangible benefits have become the primary drivers for international talent relocation, replacing quality of life and cultural factors that dominated pre-COVID-19 decision-making processes.
