Intangible investments touched record high in 2025: What's the reason?
What's the story
The United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has reported that the artificial intelligence (AI) boom has pushed investments in intangible assets to a record high. These assets include software, data, and research. The study found that across 29 economies accounting for 57% of global GDP, intangible investment hit an all-time high of over $10 trillion in 2025.
Growth comparison
Structural shift in investment landscape
Since 2008, intangible investments have grown by an annual rate of 3.5% in real terms. This is a stark contrast to tangible investments, which have only seen an annual growth of 0.98% during the same period. WIPO's report highlights this as evidence of a structural shift in investment composition, with intangible assets increasingly contributing to value creation.
Investment leaders
US leads by a wide margin
The US has the largest share of intangible investment, nearly $5 trillion in 2025. This is about six times that of Japan, which ranks second. Sweden is the most intangible-intensive economy with around 17.4% of its GDP in 2025, followed by the US at 15.6% and finally France at 15.2%.
Resilience
Intangible investments more resilient than tangible ones
The report also notes that intangible investments have proven more resilient than tangible ones against high interest rates, trade tensions, and recent economic slowdowns. Between 2020 and 2025, these investments grew by an annual rate of 5.5% in real terms compared to just 3.2% for tangible investments. This resilience is largely attributed to the role of AI in driving investment growth in software, data, research and development, and corporate reorganization.
Growth leaders
Software, databases see highest growth rate
Investment in software and databases has seen the highest growth rate among all intangible asset categories from 2013 to 2023. It recorded an annual growth of 7.3%, followed by organizational capital at 4.9% and brands at 4.4%. The report also emphasizes the economic importance of brands, with investments across the 29 economies hitting $1.4 trillion in 2025.