Australia has ranked third out of 56 Commonwealth countries for youth AI readiness in a new index released by the Ayre Think Tank, placing behind Singapore and Malta and ahead of the United Kingdom and Canada.
The study, titled The Ayre Index: The 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index, gives Australia a score of 71.0 out of 100. Singapore ranked first with 77.6 and Malta second with 75.0, while the UK ranked fourth with 70.8 and Canada fifth with 70.2. The report says 15 Commonwealth countries meet its readiness benchmark of 53.
Alongside the rankings, the researchers estimate a potential AI-related increase in the level of Australia’s GDP after 10 years of A$80.6 billion under a moderate scenario, based on scenarios developed by the International Monetary Fund and applied to World Bank national GDP figures for 2025. The estimate ranges from A$40.9 billion in the most conservative scenario to A$120.3 billion in the most optimistic case, the report says.
The index links Australia’s position to what it describes as strong foundations for young people to benefit from AI, including a score of 8.7 out of 10 for “meaningful access” to technology and 7.5 for digital, data, media and AI capability.
However, the report highlights weaknesses in skills and teaching. It cites a 2025 national assessment showing 37% of Year 10 students met the national ICT literacy proficiency standard, down from 46% in 2022, and says around one in 10 students reported receiving substantial teaching about AI-related tasks.
The release points to recent education and workforce initiatives in Australia, including Queensland’s rollout of an AI education platform in state schools in 2026 and the introduction of free specialist AI training in Victoria aimed at helping workers move into AI-related roles.
Ayre Think Tank founder Calvin Ayre said: “I’ve spent my life in businesses where new technology changes everything, and I know you can’t stand still. AI is going to change how we work, how we do business and how wealth is created. But this is not a race that only the biggest or richest countries can win. What matters is giving young people the skills and the chance to get ahead – whether to start businesses, find jobs or build something for themselves. Some Commonwealth countries are ahead, others have catching up to do. Nobody can afford to be complacent. That’s why we created this Index. It shows countries where they stand, what they’re getting right and where they need to do better. Governments now have to decide what they’re going to do about it.”
The report’s associated white paper identifies five priorities: affordable and reliable access to technology; education that develops practical skills; stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise; AI tools suited to local languages and needs; and safeguards that enable young people to question automated decisions.
Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said: “We need to make sure that the next generation will be able to do more than just consume AI products made elsewhere. Access must come with its own agency and a real equitable stake in how these systems are governed. Young people should be equipped to question these new tools, to improve them and to be supported in building alternatives suited to their own needs. Whether that happens, however, will depend on choices made now. This index gives us a clearer view of where those choices are most urgent. We should use it.”
The Ayre Think Tank said it reviewed 1,128 sources including official statistics, international databases, surveys and published studies, and that the index framework comprises 111 indicators across eight pillars. It said comparable evidence was insufficient to score one pillar, so the published rankings use 102 indicators across seven pillars.
The release also includes a separate “Data Gap Index”, described as a weighted measure of missing qualifying evidence across all 111 indicators. Australia’s data-gap score is listed as 26.2 out of 100, with scoring coverage of 76 out of 102 indicators used in the published rankings.
