India Rankings and Indices 2026 Notes for SSC Exams: HDI, GHI, Press Freedom and More

Indices and reports are asked in every SSC exam in the form of two simple questions: "Which organisation publishes this index?" and "What is the rank of India?". These India rankings and indices 2026 notes for SSC give you the latest rank of India in the most important global and national indices, the publisher of each index, the top country and the key facts in simple tables, followed by 20 practice questions. Read them with the Who is Who of India 2026 Notes, Summits 2026: G20, BRICS and SCO Notes and Union Budget 2026-27 Highlights Notes notes.

How to Study Indices and Reports for SSC

• Learn every index in three parts: the publisher, the latest rank of India and the top country.
• The ranks change every year, so note the year of the edition together with the rank.
• Most questions are about the publisher (UNDP, WEF, WIPO, RSF and so on), the number of countries and whether India's rank went up or down.
• The ranks in this note are taken from the news up to October 2026. Check the latest edition of an index before your exam.

India's Rank in the Major Global Indices (Latest Editions)

National Indices and Reports (Released in India)

Who Publishes Which Index? (Quick Table)

Key Facts About Important Indices

• HDI measures three things: a long and healthy life (life expectancy), knowledge (education) and a decent standard of living (income per capita). The value ranges from 0 to 1, and a value above 0.8 is "very high" human development. The idea was given by Mahbub ul Haq (Pakistan) and Amartya Sen in 1990.
• GHI is calculated using four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality. A lower score is better, and a score of 20 to 34.9 is "serious".
• World Happiness Report is released on 20 March every year (International Day of Happiness) and uses six factors: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
• Press Freedom Index is released every year before World Press Freedom Day (3 May).
• GII ranks the innovation of the economies; India has been rising from 81st in 2015 to 38th in 2025.
• Global Gender Gap measures the gap between men and women in four areas: economic participation, education, health and political empowerment.
• EPI ranks the countries on environmental health and ecosystem vitality.
• Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): NITI Aayog's national MPI shows that about 24.82 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23 (reported in 2024).

Economy and Business Indices

Remember that an index published by an Indian body (NITI Aayog, MoHUA, MoSPI) is a national index, while an index that is published by a foreign or an international body is a global index.

Latest Rankings Linked with Reports and Days

Important Questions Explained

Question 1: Which organisation publishes the Human Development Index?
Answer: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Question 2: What is the rank of India in the Human Development Index (2025 report)?
Answer: 130th out of 193 countries, with an HDI value of 0.685.

Question 3: What is the rank of India in the Global Hunger Index 2025?
Answer: 102nd out of 123 countries, with a score of 25.8 in the serious category.

Question 4: Who publishes the World Press Freedom Index and what is India's rank in 2026?
Answer: Reporters Without Borders (RSF); India is 157th out of 180 countries.

Question 5: What is the rank of India in the Global Innovation Index 2025?
Answer: 38th out of 139 economies; Switzerland is first.

Question 6: Which body publishes the SDG India Index?
Answer: NITI Aayog.

Question 7: In which Global Gender Gap Report 2025 rank is India?
Answer: 131st out of 148 countries.

Quick Tips to Remember

• Learn the index with the publisher first; this is the most common question.
• Remember the direction: "up" or "down" from the last year and the number of countries.
• For the GHI, a lower score is better; for the HDI, a higher value is better.
• Remember the headquarters of the publishers: Geneva for WEF and WIPO, Paris for RSF, Berlin for Transparency International.
• Learn the top country (Iceland for HDI and gender gap, Norway for press freedom, Switzerland for GII).
• Keep a separate list for the NITI Aayog indices.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Writing UNDP as the publisher of the Global Hunger Index.
• Confusing the World Press Freedom Index (RSF) with the Freedom in the World report (Freedom House).
• Mixing the rank of India in the HDI (130) with the GHI (102).
• Writing the number of countries wrongly (193 for the HDI, 123 for the GHI, 180 for the PFI).
• Confusing a national index (NITI Aayog) with a global index.

Quick Revision Points

• HDI 2025: UNDP; India 130th of 193; value 0.685.
• GHI 2025: Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide; India 102nd of 123; score 25.8.
• World Happiness Report 2026: India 116th of 147.
• Press Freedom Index 2026: RSF; India 157th of 180.
• GII 2025: WIPO; India 38th of 139.
• Gender Gap 2025: WEF; India 131st of 148.
• SDG India Index (NITI Aayog): India's score 71.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which organisation publishes the Human Development Report?
   Answer: UNDP (New York).
2. What is India's HDI rank in the 2025 report?
   Answer: 130 (Out of 193).
3. Which country is first in the HDI 2025?
   Answer: Iceland (Very high human development).
4. Who publishes the Global Hunger Index?
   Answer: Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide (Not UNDP).
5. What is India's rank in GHI 2025?
   Answer: 102 (Out of 123).
6. What is the category of India in GHI 2025?
   Answer: Serious (Score 25.8).
7. Which organisation publishes the World Press Freedom Index?
   Answer: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (Paris).
8. What is India's rank in the Press Freedom Index 2026?
   Answer: 157 (Out of 180).
9. Which country is first in the Press Freedom Index 2026?
   Answer: Norway (RSF).
10. Who publishes the Global Innovation Index?
    Answer: WIPO (Geneva).
11. What is India's rank in GII 2025?
    Answer: 38 (Out of 139).
12. Which country is first in GII 2025?
    Answer: Switzerland (Innovation).
13. Who publishes the Global Gender Gap Report?
    Answer: World Economic Forum (Geneva).
14. What is India's rank in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025?
    Answer: 131 (Out of 148).
15. Which body publishes the SDG India Index?
    Answer: NITI Aayog (National index).
16. Which index does Transparency International publish?
    Answer: Corruption Perceptions Index (Berlin).
17. What is the rank of India in the World Happiness Report 2026?
    Answer: 116 (Out of 147).
18. On which date is the World Happiness Report released?
    Answer: 20 March (International Day of Happiness).
19. Which index measures the gap between men and women in four areas?
    Answer: Global Gender Gap Index (WEF).
20. Which institute publishes the Global Peace Index?
    Answer: Institute for Economics and Peace (Sydney).

How to Practise This Topic

1. Make a table with four columns: index, publisher, India's rank and the top country.
2. Learn five indices a day, and revise the previous ones.
3. Revise the headquarters of the publishers and the days related to the indices.
4. Attempt the practice questions without looking at the answers.
5. Check the latest edition news before the exam and solve the SSC practice papers and the previous year papers.

Related Notes and Practice

• Who is Who of India 2026 Notes
• Summits 2026: G20, BRICS and SCO Notes
• Union Budget 2026-27 Highlights Notes
• Important Government Schemes Notes
• All Current Affairs notes
• SSC practice papers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rank of India in the Human Development Index?

In the Human Development Report 2025 of the UNDP, India ranked 130th out of 193 countries with an HDI value of 0.685.

What is the rank of India in the Global Hunger Index 2025?

India ranked 102nd out of 123 countries with a score of 25.8, which is in the serious category.

What is the rank of India in the World Happiness Report 2026?

India ranked 116th out of 147 countries in the World Happiness Report 2026.

What is the rank of India in the World Press Freedom Index 2026?

India ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 Index of Reporters Without Borders, down from 151st in 2025.

What is the rank of India in the Global Innovation Index 2025?

India ranked 38th out of 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2025 of WIPO.

What is the rank of India in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025?

India ranked 131st out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 of the World Economic Forum.

Who publishes the SDG India Index?

NITI Aayog publishes the SDG India Index; the fourth edition gave India a score of 71 out of 100.

Which indices does NITI Aayog publish?

NITI Aayog publishes the SDG India Index, the India Innovation Index, the Composite Water Management Index, the Export Preparedness Index and the School Education Quality Index.

Why is it important to know the publisher of an index?

SSC exams often ask which organisation publishes an index, so the publisher with the rank of India gives two answers in one study.

How many questions come on indices in SSC exams?

Usually 1 to 2 questions on indices and reports come in the General Awareness section.

In which index is a lower score better?

In the Global Hunger Index, a lower score is better, because it shows less hunger.

How can I remember the indices easily?

Make a table of the index, the publisher, the latest rank of India and the top country, and revise it weekly.