17. Reports and Indices
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17. Reports and Indices
For each index, remember three things: who publishes it, what it measures and India's latest position. Ranks change every year, so always check the latest edition.
17.1 India's Latest Positions at a Glance
Index (Publisher) |
Latest edition |
India's position |
Human Development Index (UNDP) |
HDR 2025 |
130th of 193; HDI value 0.685 (medium human development) |
Global Gender Gap Index (WEF) |
2026 |
131st of 145; 64.5% of the gender gap closed |
Global Innovation Index (WIPO) |
2026 |
38th of 139; score 40.1; 1st among lower-middle-income economies |
Global Hunger Index |
2025 |
102nd of 123; score 25.8 ("serious") |
Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International) |
2025 |
91st of 182; score 39 out of 100 |
Sustainable Development Report (SDSN) |
2026 |
94th of 167; score 68.3; highest ever rank |
Logistics Performance Index (World Bank) |
2023 |
38th |
Remember
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17.2 Human Development Report (UNDP)
First published in 1990 under the leadership of Mahbub ul Haq, with ideas from Amartya Sen.
The HDI is built from three dimensions: Health (life expectancy at birth), Education (mean and expected years of schooling) and Standard of living (GNI per capita in PPP). It uses the geometric mean of the three.
Categories: very high (0.800 and above), high (0.700 to 0.799), medium (0.550 to 0.699) and low (below 0.550).
India in HDR 2025: HDI 0.685, up from 0.676; it is still in the medium category and close to the 0.700 "high" threshold. India shares its rank with Bangladesh. Inequality reduces India's HDI by about 30.7%.
Related UNDP indices: IHDI (inequality-adjusted), GDI (gender development), Gender Inequality Index (GII) and PHDI (planetary pressures-adjusted). India's Gender Inequality Index rank in HDR 2025 is 102 of 166.
The global MPI is published by UNDP with OPHI (see Chapter 9).
17.3 Other Major Indices
Index |
Key Facts |
Global Gender Gap Index (WEF) |
Published since 2006. Four sub-indices: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, political empowerment. Scored 0 to 1 (1 = full parity). In 2026, Iceland led, followed by Finland and Norway; India's economic participation score was 41.2% |
Global Innovation Index (WIPO) |
Published with Cornell University and INSEAD; started in 2007; ranks 139 economies on 80+ indicators in seven pillars. Switzerland has topped it for 16 years. India ranks 49th in inputs and 25th in outputs; Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai feature among the top 100 innovation clusters |
Global Hunger Index |
By Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. Four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality. Scale of 0 to 100: low (up to 9.9), moderate (10 to 19.9), serious (20 to 34.9), alarming (35 to 49.9), extremely alarming (50 and above). The Government of India has objected to the method, especially its heavy use of child data |
Corruption Perceptions Index |
By Transparency International (Berlin); scale 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean); based on expert and business surveys, so it measures perception. Denmark led in 2025 with 89; the global average was 42 |
Sustainable Development Report |
By SDSN (UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network); ranks countries on the 17 SDGs. Finland led in 2026. In the 2026 edition India rose from 99th to 94th, though only about a third of its targets are on track |
Logistics Performance Index |
By the World Bank; India moved from 44th (2018) to 38th (2023) |
17.4 Reports of International Economic Institutions
Publisher |
Major Reports |
IMF |
World Economic Outlook (April and October, with updates in January and July); Global Financial Stability Report; Fiscal Monitor; External Sector Report |
World Bank |
Global Economic Prospects (January and June); World Development Report; Migration and Development Brief (remittances); Human Capital Index; Logistics Performance Index. The Doing Business report was discontinued in 2021 and replaced by B-READY |
UNCTAD |
World Investment Report; Trade and Development Report; Review of Maritime Transport; Digital Economy Report |
ILO |
World Employment and Social Outlook; Global Wage Report; India Employment Report (with the Institute for Human Development) |
FAO |
State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI); State of the World's Forests |
UNDP |
Human Development Report; global Multidimensional Poverty Index (with OPHI) |
WEF |
Global Gender Gap Report; Global Risks Report; Future of Jobs Report; Travel and Tourism Development Index. The annual Global Competitiveness Report is no longer published in its old form |
OECD |
Economic Outlook; PISA (education assessment) |
Others |
Oxfam (inequality reports); UBS (Global Wealth Report); IEP (Global Peace Index); Heritage Foundation (Index of Economic Freedom) |
17.5 Indian Reports and Surveys
Report / Survey |
Key Facts |
Economic Survey |
Prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, under the Chief Economic Adviser; presented in Parliament just before the Union Budget; first presented in 1950-51. It is not required by the Constitution |
RBI Financial Stability Report |
Published twice a year (June and December); reviews risks to the financial system |
RBI Monetary Policy Report |
Published twice a year (April and October), with the inflation and growth outlook |
RBI Report on Currency and Finance |
Annual theme-based study on a major economic issue |
RBI Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India |
Annual review of the banking sector |
NITI Aayog indices |
SDG India Index, Export Preparedness Index, India Innovation Index, Composite Water Management Index, School Education Quality Index, State Health Index and the National Multidimensional Poverty Index |
PLFS |
Employment and unemployment data from the NSO, MoSPI; now released monthly |
NFHS |
National Family Health Survey, by the Ministry of Health and the IIPS, Mumbai; NFHS-5 (2019-21) is widely used for health and poverty data |
Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) |
NSO survey on household spending; basis for poverty and CPI weights |
Agriculture Census |
Every five years, by the Ministry of Agriculture |
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