Kathmandu. Global investment in intangible assets, including software, data, research and development, surpassed $1 trillion in 2025, driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

According to WIPO, investment in R&D, software, data, brand, design, and institutional knowledge is becoming a growing pillar of the global economy. Intangible investment in 29 economies, which account for 57 percent of global GDP, will reach more than $1 trillion by 2025, the report said.

The study includes the United States, European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Japan and India, among others.

According to the World Investigative Investment Highlights 2026 report, released jointly by WIPO and Rome-based Lewis Business School, intangible investment has increased by an average of 3.5% annually since 2008. In the same period, the annual growth of investment in physical assets was only 0.98 percent. “This is permanently changing the nature of global investment, and the role of intangible assets in value creation continues to grow,” the report said.

The United States will lead the way in intangible investment, with about $500 trillion in 2025. This is almost six times more than Japan, which is in second place, while Germany is in third place.

Sweden is the largest intangible investment economy as a proportion of GDP. Such investment has reached 17.4 percent of GDP. It is followed by the United States with 15.6 percent and France with 15.2 percent. According to the report, India, Japan and the Philippines are at the forefront of growth.

According to WIPO, intangible investments have become more resilient than physical investments, despite high interest rates, trade tensions and an economic slowdown. From 2020 to 2025, intangible investment grew by 5.5 percent year-on-year, while growth in physical investment slowed to 3.2 percent.

The report identifies AI as a key driver of this change. While AI may initially increase physical investments in data centers, semiconductors, and energy infrastructure, the long-term impact is seen mainly in investments in software, data, R&D, and institutional restructuring.

From 2013 to 2023, investment in software and databases grew the fastest among all intangible asset groups, growing at an annual rate of 7.3 percent. Organizational capital grew by 4.9 percent and brands by 4.4 percent.

Investment in the brand is expected to reach $14 trillion by 2025. The United States led the way with $566 billion, followed by the United Kingdom ($137 billion) and Japan ($112 billion).

Founded in 1967, the Geneva-based WIPO supports the protection and management of intellectual property by creative individuals and entrepreneurs around the world.