Key Global Reports & Indices 2025‑2026 for UPSC Prelims – Rankings, Scores and Relevance
With the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 slated for 24 May 2026, aspirants must master the latest international reports that frequently appear in the syllabus. The following list captures the most news‑worthy indices, India’s position in each, and the UPSC relevance of the data.
Important Reports – Quick Reference
- Responsible Nations Index (RNI): India scores 0.5515, ranking 16th.
- Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026: India 13th, Pakistan 1st.
- World Happiness Report 2025: India improves to 116th.
- Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025: India 115th (score 2.229).
- Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025: India 91st (score 39).
- Global Risks Report 2026: Geoeconomic confrontation tops immediate‑term risks; cyber insecurity flagged for India.
- Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026: India falls to 23rd (score 61.31).
- Human Development Index (HDI) 2025: India 130th, showing steady rise.
Key Facts & Trends
• The Responsible Nations Index evaluates 16 parameters beyond GDP, placing Singapore first and India 16th.
• In the GTI 2026, 66 countries reported at least one terrorist incident – the highest since 2018 – while South Asia recorded the highest average score.
• The World Happiness Report 2025 shows Finland’s ninth consecutive top rank; India climbs two places to 116th.
• The GPI 2025 notes a 0.36% global decline in peacefulness; Iceland remains the most peaceful.
• The CPI 2025 indicates worsening corruption worldwide; Denmark tops with a score of 89, while India improves marginally to 39.
• The Global Risks Report 2026 identifies geoeconomic confrontation as the dominant immediate‑term risk and extreme weather events as the long‑term threat.
• The CCPI 2026 shows no country achieving a “very high” rating; Denmark leads, while India drops 13 places to 23rd.
• The HDI 2025 places India at 130, reflecting progress in health, education and income.
Exam Relevance
These indices intersect with multiple GS papers:
- GS‑2 (Polity & International Relations): RNI, GTI, GPI, Global Risks Report – useful for questions on global governance, security trends and diplomatic challenges.
- GS‑3 (Economy, Environment & Development): CPI, CCPI, HDI, Climate Risk Index – essential for discussions on governance quality, climate mitigation, and human development.
- GS‑1 (Society & Culture): World Happiness Report – provides data for societal well‑being and SDG‑related queries.
- GS‑4 (Ethics & Integrity): CPI and RNI – illustrate ethical governance and corruption perception.
Way Forward for Aspirants
1. Create a tabular cheat‑sheet listing each report, year, India’s rank/score and the top‑ranked country.
2. Link each index to the relevant GS syllabus (e.g., GTI → GS‑2 security, CCPI → GS‑3 climate change).
3. Practice MCQs that ask for rankings, trends or policy implications drawn from these reports.
4. Monitor updates as the WEF, UN and other bodies release mid‑year revisions; the 2026 editions are the most exam‑relevant.
By integrating these data points into your revision plan, you will be equipped to tackle fact‑based and analytical questions that UPSC frequently frames around global indices.