When it comes to AI adoption by country in 2026, the results are surprising. The United States – home to many of the world’s biggest AI companies and innovations – is not leading the pack in actual usage. A recent analysis shows a very different global picture.
Research by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), recently published in their “Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps” – 6th Edition report, found that Singapore ranks first in the world for AI adoption per person. The findings were shared by Olivia Moore, partner at a16z. To measure this, the a16z team built a per-capita index combining web visits and mobile monthly active users across all products on their list, scored from 0 to 100 – giving a comprehensive picture of how widely AI tools are actually being used across populations.
“The results reframe the geographic picture. Singapore ranks first, followed by the UAE, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The United States – the country that produced most of these products – ranks 20th”, the report said.
Our team @a16z calculated AI adoption per capita across the world.
The results were surprising. The U.S. leads AI development…but it ranks down at #20 in adoption.
At the top? Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, South Korea, and much of Europe 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ag54NfGSCN
— Olivia Moore (@omooretweets) March 11, 2026
While the report focuses on measuring adoption rather than explaining it, several factors may help explain why countries like Singapore rank highly.
First, workforce participation plays a big role. In Singapore, about 68% of residents are part of the labor force, according to data from the Ministry of Manpower Singapore. In the United States, the labor force participation rate is around 62%, based on figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More workers mean more people using new tools like AI at their jobs.
Second, many of these leading countries have a higher number of technology professionals. Data from the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests tech-related roles account for roughly 5-7% of the workforce in Singapore and about 7–8% in the United States, highlighting the strong presence of digital talent in both economies.
Government support is another important factor. Singapore has introduced a national strategy with the goal to accelerate AI adoption across businesses and public services through its National AI Strategy. Meanwhile, South Korea has set ambitious targets to achieve 70% AI adoption in industry and 95% in the public sector by 2030, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT South Korea.
The U.S. faces a different challenge- public skepticism. A recent poll by NBC News found that 26% of Americans view artificial intelligence positively, while 46% hold negative views.
The scale of global AI adoption is quite evident in tools like ChatGPT, which alone now counts about 900 million weekly active users- which means more than 10% of the entire global population uses it every week. Despite this rapid growth, a clear divide remains between countries embracing AI and those slower to adopt it.
The analysis suggests that countries that welcome AI and invest in building skills are moving faster toward an AI-powered future.
For the U.S. to close the adoption gap, it may need to address both public trust and the availability of a tech-ready workforce.
Also Read: Singapore PM Wong Says No to “Jobless Growth” Amid AI Push
