Reports & Indices (June 2025 )

1. Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025

• India's Rank: 115th out of 163 countries.
• Movement: A marginal improvement from 116th in 2024.
• The Score: India’s peace score remained relatively stable at 2.229.
• Key Observations: * Regional Context: India remains the most peaceful in the immediate South Asian neighborhood after Bhutan and Nepal, ranking higher than Bangladesh (123), Pakistan (144), and Afghanistan (158).
  • Drivers: The rank is affected by persistent border tensions and internal security dynamics, though "Societal Safety and Security" saw slight improvements due to lower violent crime rates.
• Global Toppers: Iceland retained the 1st rank (most peaceful since 2008), followed by Ireland and New Zealand.

2. Global Gender Gap Report 2025 (WEF)

• India's Rank: 131st out of 148 countries.
• Movement: A slip of 2 positions from 129th in 2024.
• Gender Parity Score: 64.1% (meaning 64.1% of the gap has been closed).
• Dimension-wise Analysis:
  • Educational Attainment: India’s strongest pillar at 97.1% parity (high literacy and enrollment).
  • Economic Participation: Improvement in income parity, but women's labor force participation remains a challenge at 41.7%.
  • Political Empowerment: Witnessed a slight decline in the percentage of women in Parliament and ministerial positions.
• Regional Leader: Bangladesh (24th) remains the top performer in South Asia, primarily due to its long history of women in head-of-state roles.

3. World Investment Report 2025 (UNCTAD)

• FDI Destination Rank: India climbed to 15th globally (up from 16th).
• FDI Inflow: Attracted $27.6 billion, a slight dip of 1.8% from the previous year.
• Greenfield Powerhouse: India ranked 4th globally for greenfield project announcements (new factories/offices), with over 1,000 projects—a sign of long-term investor trust despite global volatility.
• FDI Outflow: India’s rank as an investor jumped from 23rd to 18th, as Indian MNCs expanded footprints abroad.

4. IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2025

• India's Rank: 41st among 69 economies (dropped 2 places from 39th).
• The "Efficiency" Factor: While India's Business Efficiency (25th) and Government Efficiency (45th) remained stable, a slight dip in "Economic Performance" was noted due to global trade headwinds.
• Global Leader: Switzerland returned to the #1 spot, overtaking Denmark.

5. Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2024-25

• India's Rank: 176th out of 180 countries.
• Strength: India performed better in Climate Change (133rd) due to its rapid renewable energy expansion.
• Weakness: Heavy reliance on coal and poor air quality metrics in urban centers dragged the overall score down to 27.6.

6. Sustainable Development Report 2025 (SDG Index)

Published on June 24, 2025, by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

• India's Rank: 99th out of 167 countries.
• The Milestone: This is the first time India has entered the Top 100 in the SDG Index.
• The Score: India achieved a score of 67/100.
• Key Drivers: Progress in poverty reduction (SDG 1), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and affordable energy (SDG 7).
• Global Context: Nordic countries continue to lead (Finland #1), while India is the fastest improver in South Asia alongside Nepal.

7. Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2025

Released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on June 18, 2025.

• India's Rank: 71st out of 118 countries (a drop from 63rd in 2024).
• The Paradox: Despite the rank drop, the WEF noted that India showed one of the strongest improvements in transition readiness and energy efficiency among large economies.
• Top Performers: Sweden (#1), Finland, and Denmark.
• Areas for Improvement: India needs to focus on energy equity (rural access) and grid reliability to match its massive renewable capacity.

8. QS World University Rankings 2026

Although branded "2026," these rankings were released in mid-June 2025.

• India's Representation: India is now the 4th most represented country globally with 54 universities (behind the US, UK, and China).
• Top Indian Performer: IIT Delhi (123rd) overtook IIT Bombay to become India’s #1 institution.
• Major Climber: IIT Madras jumped 47 places to reach the 180th spot globally.
• The "Top 500" Club: 11 Indian institutions now feature in the Global Top 500, a record high.

9. Human Development Index (HDI) 2025 — Update

• India's Rank: 130th out of 193 countries (Report Title: "A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI").
• Movement: An improvement from 133rd.
• HDI Value: Increased to 0.685, keeping India in the "Medium Human Development" category but nearing the "High" threshold (0.700).