From poverty to happiness, right here’s how India is ranked in numerous international indices in 2024

The yr 2024 has marked the onset of quite a few conflicts, leaving the worldwide group grappling with the implications. Residents throughout totally different nations are confronted with challenges comparable to poverty, starvation, and local weather change, all of which play a vital function in figuring out their high quality of life. Because the world approaches the tip of the yr, with a number of important occasions on the horizon and anticipation constructing for 2025, we’ll look at India’s efficiency in numerous international indices introduced in 2024. From assessments of poverty to measures of happiness, right here’s how India ranked.

International Multidimensional Poverty Index

In response to the International Multidimensional Poverty Index 2024, roughly 1.1 billion folks out of a complete of 6.3 billion are experiencing poverty throughout 112 nations. The report revealed by the United Nations Growth Programme signifies that the poverty fee in India decreased from 55.1 p.c in 2005-06 to only over 16.4 p.c in 2019-21. Regardless of this, the 5 nations with the biggest variety of folks dwelling in poverty are India (234 million), which is medium Human Growth Index (HDI), and Pakistan (93 million), Ethiopia (86 million), Nigeria (74 million) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (66 million), all of which have low HDI. Collectively, these 5 nations signify almost half (48.1 p.c) of the whole 1.1 billion poor folks.

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Greater than half of the 1.1 billion folks dwelling in poverty are kids beneath the age of 18, totalling 584 million. Globally, 27.9 p.c of kids live in poverty, in distinction to 13.5 p.c of adults.

International Starvation Index

The International Starvation Index (GHI) serves as a significant software utilized by worldwide humanitarian organizations to measure and monitor starvation ranges, with scores derived from indicators of undernourishment and baby mortality throughout 127 nations. Within the newest rating, India has been positioned at a hundred and fifth place, categorizing it inside the “critical” class of the evaluation. This locations India amongst 42 nations recognized as “critical,” alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan, whereas neighbouring South Asian nations comparable to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have achieved higher GHI scores, qualifying them for the “reasonable” class.

In response to the 2024 International Starvation Index, India has a rating of 27.3, indicating a critical degree of starvation. The GHI rating for India is derived from 4 key indicators: 13.7 p.c of the inhabitants is undernourished, 35.5 p.c of kids beneath 5 are stunted, 18.7 p.c of those kids are wasted, and a pair of.9 p.c of kids don’t survive to their fifth birthday, as highlighted within the report.

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World Press Freedom Index

India’s rating within the World Press Freedom Index has declined over the previous yr, reducing from 36.62 to 31.28, as reported by Reporters With out Borders (RSF for Reporters sans Frontières), which compiles an annual index assessing the liberty of journalists throughout 180 jurisdictions. Though India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, this transformation was primarily because of the decline of different nations within the rankings. Norway and Denmark secured the highest positions within the RSF index, whereas Eritrea occupied the bottom rank, with Syria positioned simply above it.

The RSF nation report on India famous that “India’s media has fallen into an ‘unofficial state of emergency’ since Narendra Modi got here to energy in 2014 and engineered a spectacular rapprochement between his social gathering, the BJP, and the massive households dominating the media.”

International Gender Hole Index

India has fallen two positions within the World Financial Discussion board’s (WEF) International Gender Hole index, now rating 129th, whereas Iceland continues to carry the highest spot. Inside South Asia, India is ranked fifth, following Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, with Pakistan occupying the final place. On a worldwide scale, Sudan ranks final among the many 146 nations assessed, whereas Pakistan has dropped three locations to 145th.

India demonstrated the strongest gender parity in secondary schooling enrollment and achieved a commendable sixty fifth rank within the political empowerment of girls. By way of the period of feminine and male management over the previous 50 years, India is ranked tenth.

Editorial | Two steps again: on India and the International Gender Hole report 2024

The WEF reported that the worldwide gender hole has been decreased by 68.5 p.c, however on the present fee, it is going to take an extra 134 years—equal to 5 generations—to realize full gender parity. Over the previous yr, the gender hole has narrowed by 0.1 proportion factors.

World Happiness Index

Indians are among the many unhappiest folks on this planet, as indicated by the annual World Happiness Report, which assesses international life satisfaction primarily based on components comparable to well being, economic system, and freedom. Within the newest report, India is ranked 126 out of 143 nations, reflecting a slight decline from final yr’s a hundred and twenty fifth rank. This locations India behind conflict-affected areas like Palestine and Ukraine, in addition to neighbouring nations comparable to Pakistan and Nepal.

The report is the results of a collaboration between Gallup, the U.N. Sustainable Growth Options Community, and the Oxford Wellbeing Analysis Centre. Notably, the findings reveal that older people in India report greater ranges of life satisfaction.

Human Growth Index

India’s Human Growth Index (HDI) worth, which skilled a decline in 2021 and remained steady in subsequent years, has risen to 0.644 in 2022. This enchancment positions India at 134th amongst 193 nations and territories, as reported within the not too long ago revealed 2023/24 Human Growth Report (HDR) titled “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World.” The present HDR builds upon the findings of the 2021–2022 report, which marked the primary decline in international HDI values for 2 consecutive years.

With an HDI worth of 0.644, India is positioned within the medium human growth class. From 1990 to 2022, the nation has achieved a exceptional 48.4 p.c enhance in its HDI worth, rising from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2022.

Local weather Change Efficiency Index

India has been ranked tenth from a listing of greater than 60 nations evaluated for his or her initiatives to fight local weather change, regardless of a decline of two locations from the earlier yr. This rating is attributed to India’s low per capita emissions and its swift development in renewable power deployment. The Local weather Change Efficiency Index (CCPI 2025) report, unveiled throughout the annual UN local weather convention in Baku, doesn’t assign the highest three positions, with Denmark occupying the fourth spot and the Netherlands following.

The CCPI, produced by suppose tanks together with Germanwatch, New Local weather Institute, and Local weather Motion Community Worldwide, displays the efficiency of the world’s main emitters regarding emissions, renewable power, and local weather insurance policies. Specialists from the CCPI have famous that India has made substantial strides in renewable power coverage over the previous yr, notably via the implementation of large-scale solar energy tasks and the launch of the Rooftop Photo voltaic Scheme. Among the many G20 nations, India and the UK are acknowledged as the one excessive performers within the CCPI.

International Peace Index

The report signifies that India’s total degree of peacefulness has elevated by 1.6 p.c over the previous yr, marking the very best degree of peace for the reason that inception of the index. As of the International Peace Index (GPI) 2024, India holds the 116th place globally, with an total rating of two.319. This represents a notable development from its 126th rank in 2023, 139th in 2020, and 141st in 2019.