According to the ‘Asia Power Index 2024 Edition‘ released by Lowy institute, based in Sydney, Australia, India is ranked 3rd with score of 39.1 out of 100 surpassing Japan amid strong post-COVID 19 economic growth.
- The 2024 index is topped by the United States of America (USA) with a score of 81.7, followed by China at 2nd place (72.7). Papua New Guinea, ranked last at 27th with a score of 4.2.
- India’s rank i.e. comprehensive power ranking rose by 1 in 2024, with a 2.8-point (+8%) score increase. This marks the first edition of the Asia Power Index where India has raised its power score, though still below 2018-2019 levels.
About Asia Power Index:
i.The Asia Power Index annually measures resources and influence to assess state power in Asia since 2018. The index consists of 8 measures of power, 30 thematic sub-measures and 131 indicators.
ii.It ranks 27 countries and territories based on their resources and how they use them.
- The scope of the index covers as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand, and the USA.
iii.The 2024 edition, spanning six years of data, is the most comprehensive assessment of power distribution in Asia to date.
Top 5 on Asia Power Index 2024:
| Rank | Country | Score/100 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 81.7 |
| 2 | China | 72.7 |
| 3 | India | 39.1 |
| 4 | Japan | 38.9 |
| 5 | Australia | 31.9 |
Note:
i.The countries with more than 70 points are regarded as superpowers.
ii.While the countries with a score more than 10 are regarded as middle powers.
iii.Countries with score lower than 10 are minor powers.
India’s rank under 8 thematic measures:
| Indicators | India’s rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Capability | 4 | 26.1 |
| Military Capability | 4 | 45.2 |
| Resilience | 5 | 56.5 |
| Future Resources | 3 | 55.9 |
| Economic Relationships | 10 | 17.5 |
| Defence Networks | 9 | 19 |
| Diplomatic Influence | 4 | 70.2 |
| Cultural Influence | 4 | 38.7 |
Key Points:
i.India saw the greatest gains in future resources (+8.2) in 2024.
ii.The largest drop was in defense networks (−2.5).
iii.Improvements were made in resilience (+5.2), diplomatic influence (+4.5), economic capability (+4.2), economic relationships (+2.1), and military capability (+1.1).
iv.Cultural influence remained unchanged.
v.India’s lowest-ranked measure is economic relationships, as it is outside the regional economic integration agenda.
vi.India’s score improved across resource measures in 2024, but it did not gain a ranking in any category.
vii.It dropped one rank in economic relationships and defense networks to 10th and 9th, respectively.
viii.India’s large population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth solidify its position as the world’s third-largest economy in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) terms.
ix.Participation in dialogues and leadership in the Quad strengthen India’s role in regional security, despite being outside formal military alliances.
Recent Related News:
i.Uttarakhand became the first state in the world to launch a Gross Environmental Product (GEP)Â index to assess the overall development of the ecosystem.
ii.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the New World Soil Health Index at an International Conference on Soils in Agadir, Morocco to establish global standards for soil quality assessment.
About Lowy Institute:
Chairman of the Board– Sir Frank Lowy AC
Headquarters– Sydney, Australia
