World Intangible Investment Report 2026

About World Intangible Investment Report 2026

• The World Intangible Investment Report presents annual and quarterly statistics on intangible investment across 29 economies and highlights global trends in knowledge-based investments.
• Published by: The report is published every year by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Luiss Business School (LBS).
• 2026 Edition: The 2026 report is the third edition of the World Intangible Investment Highlights.
• Tangible Investment: Tangible investment means spending on physical assets such as factories, machinery and buildings.
• Intangible Investment: Intangible investment means spending on non-physical assets such as research and development, software, databases, organisational know-how, brands, design and intellectual property.
• Key Findings:
  • Global:
    • Growth Trend: Intangible investment has grown more than three times faster than tangible investment since 2008 and exceeded USD 10 trillion in 2025.
    • Global Leaders: The United States, Japan and Germany lead in the absolute size of intangible investment, while Sweden, the United States and France lead in investment intensity.
    • Asset Pattern: Globally, organisational capital and research and development remain the leading categories of intangible investment.
  • India’s Performance:
    • Fastest Growth: India recorded the fastest growth in intangible investment among the world’s 15 largest economies, reaching USD 78.2 billion in 2023 with 7.9% growth.
    • Major Components: Software and databases accounted for 45% of India’s intangible investment, followed by organisational capital, research and development, design and brands.
    • Brand Growth: India emerged among the fastest-growing economies in brand investment, recording a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% during 2013–23.