The QS World Future Skills Index is designed to assess how prepared countries are to tackle the shifting demands of the global workforce, particularly in the context of digital transformation, AI, sustainability, and the broader economic changes impacting jobs. The world is undergoing a period of rapid technological advancement, economic restructuring, and environmental shifts, which are redefining the skills that future industries and economies will require.
Skills like AI proficiency, digital literacy, and environmental sustainability will form the bedrock of the industries of tomorrow. The future of work will be driven by new technologies, automation, and the transition to greener economies. Countries that fail to adapt risk losing their competitive edge and missing opportunities for economic growth.
To assess a country’s preparedness, the QS World Future Skills Index incorporates proprietary QS data and respected third-party data. The Index brings together four key indicators: Skills Fit, Academic Readiness, Economic Transformation, and the Future of Work Index. Each plays a vital role in providing a comprehensive view of a country's preparedness to thrive in an increasingly skills-driven global economy.
Methodology and indicator overview
The QS World Future Skills Index uses four indicators, and these are powered by 13 sub-indicators. Each of the four indicators are equally weighted at 25%, meaning the Index offers a balanced and multidimensional perspective on how well-prepared a country is to meet the evolving demands of the international job market.
Skills Fit
Skills Fit measures how well a country’s education systems are aligning with employer demands. With thousands of employers contributing to the indicator’s data, it directly reflects how satisfied businesses are with the skills that graduates bring to the workforce. This ensures that the countries with the best education-to-work pipelines are rewarded, highlighting their ability to produce a workforce that meets immediate and future business needs.
Academic Readiness
This dimension measures how well a country is prepared for the future of work. We look at the number of universities assessed for the QS World University Rankings by Subject, and how they perform in AI, digital and green subjects.
A country's higher education system is one of the key pipelines for producing talent. Countries that invest in high-quality academic programmes in AI, digital, and sustainability are setting themselves up for long-term success.
Future of Work
The Future of Work indicator evaluates a country’s readiness to recruit for the skills needed in the jobs of tomorrow. Specifically, it measures how well the job market is prepared to meet the growing demand for digital, AI, and green skills, all of which are becoming critical as economies transition towards technology-driven and sustainable industries. If countries aren’t actively hiring for the skills of tomorrow, they will face a competitive disadvantage. The Future of Work Index highlights whether a country is actively embracing these skills in its workforce and how well-positioned it is for new industry demands.
Economic Transformation
Economic Transformation uses a weighted formula to assess a country’s readiness to support the growth and future of work and skills by examining various key indicators. The Index highlights whether a country has the infrastructure, investment power, and talent available to transition to industries driven by AI, digital transformation, green technologies, and high-skilled work, using data from the World Bank Group, UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the Education Policy Institute.
Data sources
We use proprietary QS data and reliable third-party data to calculate a country’s performance in the QS World Future Skills Index
Skills Fit
QS Global Employer Survey: The primary data source for this indicator is the largest employer survey of its kind. It gathers insights from a wide range of employers who provide valuable feedback on skills and graduate satisfaction.
Human Capital Index: A secondary data source, collated by the World Bank Group, is used to adjust for potential discrepancies in QS Global Employer Survey data. This is particularly useful for countries with fewer universities or smaller employer response rates. By integrating the Human Capital Index, which considers broader factors like health and education outcomes, the index can provide a more balanced view of a country's readiness for future skills.
Academic Readiness
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024: Our Rankings are a robust measure of academic performance across. We use QS World University Rankings by Subject data in three ways:
- Median score of universities in each country across all subjects assessed in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. For example, if five universities in Serbia were assessed, the median score across all subjects is used as a performance indicator for the country.
- Median Scores for AI, Digital, and green skills-related subjects. Strong performance in these three areas is key for a country’s preparedness.
- Number of institutions ranked in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. The number of ranked institutions gives an insight into the overall academic infrastructure of a country.
Population per country: We use World Bank Group data to underpin QS World University Ranking by Subject 2024 data. Population is a useful proxy when comparing countries, as it helps balance the number of ranked universities relative to the size of the country. A larger population typically means a greater demand for educational infrastructure. However, this data also ensures that countries with smaller populations aren’t unfairly penalised for having fewer universities. By using population data, we can ensure that comparisons between countries of different sizes remain fair and meaningful.
Future of Work
To assess how ready a country’s job market is for future industries, we use QS 1Mentor data. QS 1Mentor analyses job posting and measures how prevalent AI, digital and green skills were compared to traditional skills. Countries that can effectively recruit for AI, digital, and green roles will have a significant advantage in the global economy.
Economic Transformation
We use data from established and respected data sources to assess a country’s economic preparedness:
- Real GDP Growth, Annual Percent Change (International Monetary Fund)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation (World Bank Group)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation (% of GDP) (World Bank)
- Labour Productivity (International Labor Organization)
- Unemployment Rate (% of Total Labour Force) (World Bank Group, International Labour Organization)
- Labour Force Participation Rate (% of Total Population Ages 15-64) (World Bank Group, International Labor Organization)
- Gross Graduation Ratio from Tertiary Education (UNESCO)
- Research and Development Expenditure (% of GDP) (World Bank Group)
- Population Ages 15-64 (World Bank Group)
- Environmental Performance Index (Yale University)
Skills Fit sub-indicators
Skills Fit is comprised of four sub-indicators. These are groupings of subject area based on a proprietary QS taxonomy. We use data from QS Global Employer Survey to measure employers’ satisfaction in each of these skills.
Adaptive lifelong skill
- Active learning
- Problem solving
- Reliance and flexibility
- Analytical skills
- Creativity
Human-centred leadership
- Emotional intelligence
- Leadership
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork
Entrepreneurial and innovative mindset
- Negotiating skills and sales
- Business management
- Organisation
- Creativity
Sustainable and ethical workforce
- Sustainable mindset
- Ethics and social responsibility
Academic Readiness sub-indicators
Academic Readiness is comprised of three sub-indicators – AI, Digital, and Green. Using QS World University Rankings by Subject, we measure a country’s performance based on its academic institutions’ reputation for AI, Digital and Green skills.
Future of Work sub-indicators
Future of Work is comprised of three sub-indicators – AI, Digital, and Green. Using QS 1Mentor data, we measure how in-demand these three critical skillsets are by employers per country.
Economic Transformation sub-indicators
Economic Transformation is comprised of three sub-indicators. These indicators highlight whether a country has the infrastructure, investment power and talent available to transition to future industries.
Economic Capacity
- GDP growth
- Gross fixed capital formation
- Gross fixed capital formation (%GDP)
- Labour productivity
Workforce Readiness
- Unemployment rate
- Labour potential
- Gross graduation ratio from tertiary education
Future-Oriented Innovation and Sustainability
- Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
- Population aged 15-64
- Environmental performance index
