The 2018 Global Innovation Index ranked Lebanon in 90th place among 126 countries around the world and in 10th place among 13 Arab countries. Lebanon also came in 30th place among 34 upper middle-income countries (UMICs) included in the survey. In comparison, Lebanon ranked in 81st place among 127 countries worldwide and in ninth place in the Arab world in the 2017 survey.

The index measures innovation in a broad sense and includes scientific, social and business innovation. It is a composite of 80 variables that are grouped in two sub-indices, the Innovation Input Sub-Index and the Innovation Output Sub-Index. The Global Innovation Index score is the simple average of the Input and Output Sub-Index scores. The survey rates the innovation level of each country on a scale from zero to 100, with a score of 100 reflecting the most innovative economy. The index is co-published by the INSEAD Business School, Cornell University and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Globally, Lebanon has a higher innovation level than Botswana, Tanzania and Namibia, and is less innovative than the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka and Paraguay. Also, it is more innovative than only Botswana, Namibia, Ecuador and Algeria among UMICs. Lebanon received a score of 28.2 points, which is below the global average of 36.7 points, the UMIC's average of 33.6 points and the Arab average of 30.9 points. Also, its score came below the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries' average of 35.4 points, but it was above the average of non-GCC Arab countries of 27 points. Switzerland has the highest innovation level worldwide, while Yemen is the least innovative country globally.