SWITZERLAND tops the latest competitiveness ranking from the World Economic Forum, best known for its annual shindig in Davos (a Swiss ski resort). It is closely followed by Singapore. Finland has pipped Sweden to third place. Of the big emerging economies, China remains on top, with Brazil moving up.

The most striking fall is the United States, which has dropped in the rankings for four years in a row. It is now seventh. The rankings are based on criteria such as institutions, infrastructure, financial systems, flexible labour markets, economic stability, innovations and public services. Plotting the scores against GDP per person reveals an unsurprising correlation: competitiveness brings wealth, but rich countries can most easily afford to provide the conditions for it. They can squander competitiveness too.