From Dawn · Amin Ahmed · · 1m 50s
Pakistan Ranks 95th in Global Innovation Index 2026
Pakistan climbs 4 ranks to 95th globally in 2026 innovation report.
In brief
Pakistan climbs 4 ranks to 95th globally in 2026 innovation report. Pakistan rose to 95th place in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, reclaiming 'overperformer' status for the fourth time. Originally reported by Dawn.
Pakistan's Global Innovation Rank
Pakistan rose to 95th place among 139 economies in the 2026 Global Innovation Index.
Reclaimed Overperformer Status
Pakistan reclaimed its 'overperformer' status for the fourth time, holding it in 2022 and 2024.
Innovation Performance Metrics
Pakistan ranked 121st in innovation inputs and 72nd in innovation outputs in 2026.
Innovation Overperformance
Innovation overperformance shows innovation does not follow a straight line from income to results.
Digital Economy Strengths
Pakistan's strengths concentrated in digital economy: mobile app creation, ICT services exports, high-tech imports, software spending.
Regional Ranking
Pakistan ranked 15th among 36 lower middle-income economies and eighth in central and southern Asia.
Historical Trend
Pakistan's GII ranking rose from 107th in 2020 to 99th in 2025.
Top Innovation Economies
Switzerland, Sweden, and United States remained world's top three innovation economies.
Continuity in Innovation
The report highlighted continuity rather than new entrants in the innovation frontier.
Asian Innovation Leaders
South Korea, Singapore, China, Japan, and Hong Kong ranked in top 25 innovation economies.
Innovation Tracker Insights
Global R&D intensity close to two per cent of GDP with continued but slower progress.
Economic Outlook
Global growth expected to ease from 3.4pc in 2025 to 3pc in 2026.
AI Investment Engine
Largest hyper-scalers set to spend over $1 trillion on AI infrastructure across 2025 and 2026.
Emerging Economies Opportunity
Emerging economies including Pakistan could build on standout strengths to improve innovation performance.
The big picture
Pakistan rose to 95th place in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, reclaiming 'overperformer' status for the fourth time.
