"Europe is the world's most globally connected region. A major reason for this is that the EU has long fostered closer ties among member countries while also supporting engagement with the rest of the world," says Steven Altman, Senior Research Scholar at NYU Stern's Center for the Future of Management and lead author of the report. "The EU approach exemplifies how regional integration can serve as a building block for globalization."

EU countries stand out on individual globalization measures

The report also sheds light on EU countries excelling in individual measures of globalization. For instance, Germany attracts university students from a wider variety of countries than any other EU member (and ranks 2nd worldwide on this measure). Denmark ranks 1st in the EU (and 3rd globally) on international scientific research collaboration relative to its population size. And Malta tops the EU ranking for tourist arrivals per capita (ranking 2nd globally).

The DHL Global Connectedness Report

Published regularly since 2011, the renowned DHL Global Connectedness Report (previously DHL Global Connectedness Index) provides reliable findings on globalization trends by analyzing 15 types of international trade, capital, information, and people flows. The 2024 edition is based on almost nine million data points. It ranks the connectedness of 181 countries, accounting for 99.7 percent of the world's gross domestic product and 98.7 percent of its population. A collection of 181 one-page country profiles provides concise summaries of individual countries' globalization patterns.

The report was commissioned by DHL and authored by Steven A. Altman and Caroline R. Bastian of New York University Stern School of Business.