As the curtain falls on 2024, it is time to take stock of how the world rated Pakistan in its surveys and indices during the outgoing year. The international rankings may provide an idea as to how the country is mirrored in world’s eyes, particularly in times when the government is following its stabilization agenda under the slogan of ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’.
Since Special Investment Facilitation Council is spearheading the stabilization drive as part of government’s ambitious reform agenda for ‘ease of doing business’ let’s first see where Pakistan stood in the World Bank’s B-Ready report (the Bank published its last report on ease of doing business in 2020 in which Pakistan was ranked at 108). The good news is that in the Bank’s recent study Pakistan figures in top scoring countries in ‘Business Entry’ category.
In the backdrop of the ‘image challenge’ Pakistan was placed at 81st slot by the Brand Finance in a group of 193 countries, which is an upswing from the position of 83rd in 121 countries in the previous year, given the fact that this time 72 new countries were added to the list.
One hopes that as Pakistan has been pulled from the brink it may further move up the scale in next year’s soft power index. In order to achieve this, the government may consider establishing an apex coordinating forum with clearly defined strategies under a national branding policy by following a whole-of-government-plus-private sector approach.
An important policy objective in government’s national agenda is to increase country’s charm for holidaymakers from around the world. A major initiative aimed at simplifying visa procedures was launched by the government. The scheme consists of visa-prior-approval for prospective businessmen and tourists from 126 countries.
While it may take time to gauge impact of this measure, Pakistan, meanwhile, was positioned at 101st rung out of 119 countries in the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024. Though it is a twenty position leap from 2019 registering 3.6 percent increase in score over previous five years, yet more concerted efforts are required to enhance travel and tourism competitiveness.
It perplexes the mind that a country known for philanthropy ranks 110 among 142 countries in World Giving Index 2024. Though this ranking was an improvement by 20 notches as compared with Pakistan’s position of 130 in previous year’s generosity survey, yet given the high activism of our civil society the position in our flagship attribute must record as pike in 2025 and beyond. Let’s not forget that in 2013 giving index Pakistan sat at 53rd slot in 135 countries.
Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy may launch a study into the reasons for our present unenviable status in the survey since the Centre itself believes that estimated charity donations in Pakistan amount to more than one percent of country’s GDP which is similar to giving trends in developed countries.
Amid government’s endeavors to accelerate digitization it is important to see Pakistan’s place in Global Digitalization Index in 2024. According to Huawei’s latest study, Pakistan is positioned at 68th rung in 77 countries in the bottom ten countries in the category of ‘starters’ trailing behind ‘adopters’ and ‘frontrunners’. In the last such study Pakistan was among bottom five countries in Global Connectivity Index 2020.
This score was, however, off-set by Pakistan’s inclusion in the top forty countries in Tier-I (Role-Modeling) of Global Cyber Security Index issued by International Telecommun-ication Union. One hopes that establishment of National Digital Commission headed by the Prime Minister may fast-track the process of digitization in various domains.
In UN HDI Pakistan’s position was recorded at 161among 191 countries in 2024. Though it showed a positive trend as compared with 164th rank in 2023, the country occupied 161st slot from 2019 to 2022 during pandemic pressure and its immediate aftermath. Pakistan’s ranking in Sustainable Development Index Report 2024, based on country’s performance on SDGs, dived to 137th from 128th in 2023.
Our ranking in both indices in future will depend on progress in achieving the targets set by the government in its vision document. Akin to these indices is Legatum Prosperity Index which put Pakistan at 136 among 167 countries. Pakistan registered improvement in terms of more countries added to the list.
In UNDP’s Global Knowledge Index Pakistan was at 120 among 142 countries in 2024. It is an improvement when compared with our position of 117 among 133 countries in 2023, yet a lot remains to be done to step up efforts towards making the country a knowledge-driven economy. It is thought that in the context of education emergency launched by the government, higher education may get due attention.
Sadly, Pakistan could not obtain higher benchmark in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024.The country was almost at the bottom with a ranking of 145th among 146 countries. Last year Pakistan’s position was relatively better with 142nd rank. The continuing dismal record deserves urgent attention of our policy planners for serious efforts towards gender parity in the domains of economy, politics, education and health. Next index will show how the country fares under government’s over 10 billion rupees Women Empowerment Programme.
Pakistan retained its 108thrank in 150 plus countries in UN-sponsored World Happiness Report 2024, outshining India though. An improvement on 2022 ranking of 121, it deserves to be pushed further up as Pakistan was at number 75 in 2018 survey. Pakistan’s ranking in 2025 may register an upswing as the country gains macroeconomic stability with its trickle-down effect on the citizens.
According to Transparency International survey 2024, Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index improved by seven notches from 140 to 133 in 180 countries. Transparency International predicted that policies aimed at better governance and effective enforcement of the law are expected to yield positive results in the future.
Like previous year, Henley Passport Index 2024 ranked Pakistan’s passport at the fourth last position. Pakistani citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 33 nations and territories. It is time relevant government departments shake off the inertia to pull national travel document upwards from the rock bottom by successfully negotiating visa-on-arrival/visa-free entries of Pakistani nationals in more countries/territories.
It may take another couple of years before Pakistan starts moving up in international indices provided socio-economic indicators continue to improve. At the close of the year, international agencies’ analyses are terming the economic outlook as positive in addition to giving hopeful projections for the next year. The findings in 2025 will set the stage for ranking trends in coming years as the government pushes ahead with an ambitious national economic transformation plan.
(The writer is an Islamabad-based free-lancer)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024