India's Rank in Indices 2026: Quick Answer
India's rank in the main indices of 2026: Global Hunger Index 100th of 122, World Happiness Report 116th of 147, Global Innovation Index 38th of 139, Global Gender Gap Index 131st of 145, World Press Freedom Index 157th of 180, Global Peace Index 127th of 163, Sustainable Development Report 94th, and Environmental Performance Index 176th of 177. In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 (released February 2026) India is 91st of 182 with a score of 39.
Key takeaway: Improved in 2026 = Hunger (102 → 100), Happiness (118 → 116), CPI (96 → 91), SDG Index (best ever, 94th). Slipped = Press Freedom (151 → 157), Peace (115 → 127), IMD Competitiveness (41 → 44). Unchanged = Innovation (38) and Gender Gap (131).
Each rank was checked on 22 October 2026 against the publisher (globalhungerindex.org, rsf.org, weforum.org, transparency.org, WIPO, UN) or, where the publisher page could not be opened, against at least two national newspapers reporting the release.
India's Rank in Global Indices 2026: Complete List
| Index (edition) | Published by | India's rank | Previous | Top country | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Hunger Index 2026 | Welthungerhilfe (Germany) with partner organisations | 100 of 122 (score 24.1, "serious") | 102 of 123 | – (low-hunger countries share ranks 1–24) | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Global Innovation Index 2026 | WIPO | 38 of 139 | 38 | Switzerland | 30 Sep 2026 |
| Global Gender Gap Index 2026 | World Economic Forum | 131 of 145 (64.5% gap closed) | 131 | Iceland | 16 Sep 2026 |
| Environmental Performance Index 2026 | Yale and Columbia universities | 176 of 177 (score 22.46) | – | Estonia | Jul 2026 |
| Global Peace Index 2026 | Institute for Economics & Peace | 127 of 163 | 115 | Iceland | Jun 2026 |
| Sustainable Development Report 2026 (SDG Index) | UN SDSN | 94 (score 68.3, India's best ever) | 99 | Finland | Jun 2026 |
| IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2026 | IMD, Switzerland | 44 of 70 | 41 | – | Jun 2026 |
| World Press Freedom Index 2026 | Reporters Without Borders (RSF) | 157 of 180 (score 31.96) | 151 | Norway | 30 Apr 2026 |
| Global Terrorism Index 2026 | Institute for Economics & Peace | 13th most affected (score 6.428) | – | Pakistan (most affected) | Mar 2026 |
| World Happiness Report 2026 | Wellbeing Research Centre (Oxford), Gallup, UN SDSN | 116 of 147 | 118 | Finland (9th year in a row) | Mar 2026 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 | Transparency International | 91 of 182 (score 39) | 96 | Denmark (89) | 10 Feb 2026 |
| Henley Passport Index (January 2026) | Henley & Partners | 80 | 85 | Singapore | Jan 2026 |
| Henley Passport Index (July 2026) | Henley & Partners | 81 (55 destinations) | – | Singapore | Jul 2026 |
| Global Passport Index 2026 | Global Citizen Solutions | 125 of 197 | 124 | Sweden | Jul 2026 |
| Human Development Index (HDR 2025, latest) | UNDP | 130 of 193 (HDI 0.685) | 133 | Iceland | May 2025 |
Why do different websites show different passport ranks (75, 80, 81, 82)? Henley updates its table every month. India was 80th in January 2026, rose to 75th (56 destinations) in February and was 81st in the July 2026 edition. Always quote the month with the rank.
Indices Where India Improved in 2026
| Index | Change | Exam point |
|---|---|---|
| Global Hunger Index | 102nd → 100th | Score 24.1, still "serious"; India shares 100th with Ethiopia |
| World Happiness Report | 118th → 116th | Theme 2026: happiness and social media; India is still below Nepal and Pakistan |
| Corruption Perceptions Index | 96th → 91st | Score rose from 38 to 39; India tied with the Maldives |
| Sustainable Development Report | 99th → 94th | India's highest rank so far |
Indices Where India Slipped in 2026
| Index | Change | Exam point |
|---|---|---|
| World Press Freedom Index | 151st → 157th | RSF flagged a decline in the legal indicator; most neighbours rank above India |
| Global Peace Index | 115th → 127th | Iceland remains the most peaceful country |
| IMD World Competitiveness | 41st → 44th | 70 economies ranked in 2026 |
Global Hunger Index 2026: India's Rank and Indicators
- Rank: 100th of 122 countries with enough data; score 24.1 = "serious" (South Asia 23.5, world 18.1).
- Four indicators for India: undernourishment 9.8%, child stunting 29.3%, child wasting 19.0% (highest of all countries in the report), under-five mortality 2.7%.
- Child stunting has fallen from 50.0% in 2000 to 29.3%.
- A higher GHI score means worse hunger. The Government of India has questioned the index's method, because three of the four indicators relate only to children under five.
Global Innovation Index 2026: Where India Stands
- 38th of 139 economies (same as 2025).
- 1st among the 36 lower-middle-income economies and 1st in Central and Southern Asia.
- 1st in the world for ICT services exports; 25th in innovation outputs and 49th in innovation inputs.
- Published by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), Geneva.
Global Gender Gap Index 2026: India 131st
- 131st of 145, the same rank as last year; 64.5% of the gap closed (global average 69.2%).
- Best sub-index: Educational Attainment (96.6%). Weakest: Political Empowerment (24.5%), though India ranks 67th on it.
- Published by the World Economic Forum; Iceland has closed about 93% of its gap and leads again.
Who Publishes Which Index (One-liners)
| Index / report | Publisher |
|---|---|
| Global Innovation Index | WIPO |
| Global Gender Gap Index, Travel & Tourism Development Index, Energy Transition Index | World Economic Forum |
| Human Development Index | UNDP |
| World Happiness Report | Wellbeing Research Centre (University of Oxford) with Gallup and UN SDSN |
| Sustainable Development Report (SDG Index) | UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network |
| World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Paris |
| Corruption Perceptions Index | Transparency International, Berlin |
| Global Peace Index, Global Terrorism Index | Institute for Economics & Peace, Sydney |
| Environmental Performance Index | Yale and Columbia universities |
| World Competitiveness Ranking | IMD, Lausanne (Switzerland) |
| Henley Passport Index | Henley & Partners, London |
| Global Hunger Index | Welthungerhilfe (Germany) with partners |
Memory hook: "WIPO for Innovation, WEF for Women (gender gap), IEP for Peace and Terror."
Common Mistakes in Index Questions
- Rank 1 is not always "best". In the Global Terrorism Index, rank 1 (Pakistan) is the most affected. In the Global Hunger Index, a lower score is better.
- CPI year: the index released in February 2026 is the CPI 2025. India is 91st in it.
- HDI: no Human Development Report 2026 has been released yet; the latest HDI rank is 130th (HDR 2025).
- Two passport indices: Henley (India about 80th) and Global Passport Index by Global Citizen Solutions (India 125th) are different rankings.
- Gender gap total: 2026 covers 145 economies (2025 covered 148). Do not write "131 of 148" for 2026.
Indices and Reports 2026 Questions with Answers (Practice Set)
- What is India's rank in the Global Hunger Index 2026? Answer: 100th of 122 (score 24.1, "serious").
- Which organisation publishes the Global Innovation Index? Answer: WIPO. India is 38th in GII 2026.
- India's rank in the World Press Freedom Index 2026? Answer: 157th of 180, down from 151st.
- Which country tops the World Happiness Report 2026? Answer: Finland, for the ninth year in a row. India is 116th.
- India's rank in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026? Answer: 131st of 145.
- India's rank in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025? Answer: 91st, score 39 out of 100.
- Which country is the most peaceful in the Global Peace Index 2026? Answer: Iceland. India is 127th of 163.
- Which country topped the Environmental Performance Index 2026? Answer: Estonia. India is 176th of 177, ahead of only Laos.
- In the Global Terrorism Index 2026, which country is ranked most affected? Answer: Pakistan. India is 13th.
- In which index did India reach its best-ever rank (94th) in 2026? Answer: the Sustainable Development Report (SDG Index) of UN SDSN.
Revise more GA with the SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01 and the SSC CHSL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01.
India Rank in Index 2026 FAQs
What is India's rank in the Happiness Index 2026?
116th of 147 in the World Happiness Report 2026, up from 118th. Finland is first.
What is India's rank in the Hunger Index 2026?
100th of 122 countries, with a score of 24.1 in the "serious" category. It was 102nd of 123 in 2025.
What is India's rank in the Corruption Index 2026?
The latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI 2025, released 10 February 2026) ranks India 91st of 182 with a score of 39.
What is India's rank in the SDG Index 2026?
94th in the Sustainable Development Report 2026 (score 68.3), India's best rank so far.
What is India's passport rank in 2026?
In the Henley Passport Index India was 80th in January 2026 and 81st in July 2026 (55 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations).
What is India's rank in the Peace Index 2026?
127th of 163 in the Global Peace Index 2026, down from 115th in 2025.
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 02 and SSC CHSL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 02.
- Related notes: important summits and conferences 2026 list, defence exercises 2026 list, international organisations and headquarters, awards and honours 2026 and important days list 2026.
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.