From Dawn · Amin Ahmed · · 2m
Pakistan Ranks 95th in Global Innovation Index 2026
Pakistan climbs 4 ranks to 95th globally in 2026 innovation index, reclaiming 'overperformer' status.
In brief
Pakistan climbs 4 ranks to 95th globally in 2026 innovation index, reclaiming 'overperformer' status. Pakistan rose to 95th place in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, advancing from 99th in 2025 and regaining its '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 published by WIPO.
Ranking Improvement
Pakistan advanced from 99th place in 2025 to 95th in 2026, reclaiming 'overperformer' status for the fourth time.
Overperformer Status
Pakistan holds 'overperformer' status for the fourth time, having held it in 2022 and 2024.
Innovation Performance
Pakistan ranked 121st in innovation inputs and 72nd in innovation outputs in 2026, both higher than last year.
Innovation Overperformance
The report states innovation overperformance shows innovation does not follow a straight line from income to results.
Digital Economy Strengths
Pakistan's strengths are concentrated in digital economy, particularly mobile app creation, ICT services exports, high-tech imports, and software spending.
Scientific Production
The country's relatively strong scientific production and university quality supported a developing digital economy.
Regional Ranking
Pakistan ranked 15th among 36 lower middle-income group economies and eighth among 11 central and southern Asian economies.
Historical Trend
Pakistan's GII ranking rose from 107th in 2020 to 95th in 2026, with improvements in 2021-2025.
Top Innovation Economies
Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States remained the world's top three innovation economies with Switzerland ranking first for 16th consecutive year.
Asian Economies
Five Asian economies ranked in top 25: South Korea, Singapore, China, Japan, and Hong Kong, China.
Innovation Tracker
The GII 2026 Innovation Tracker showed continued but slower progress across the innovation cycle.
Global R&D Intensity
Global research and development intensity remained close to two percent of GDP, at a historic high.
Economic Outlook
Global growth is expected to ease from 3.4pc in 2025 to around 3pc in 2026, held back by higher energy prices and elevated uncertainty.
AI Investment
The largest hyper-scalers will spend over $1 trillion on AI infrastructure across 2025 and 2026.
In short
Pakistan rose to 95th place in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, advancing from 99th in 2025 and regaining its 'overperformer' status for the fourth time.
