Pakistan 'overperformer' in innovation, climbs 4 ranks globally in 2026: report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rose to 95th place among the 139 economies of the world featured in the ‘Global Innovation Index 2026’ published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), it emerged on Thursday. Advancing in rank from 99th place in 2025, Pakistan also reclaimed its “overperformer” status for the fourth time, a status given to economies identified as performing above expectations…
Pakistan gained four ranks globally, climbing to the 95th position in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, following its ranking of 99th in 2025. The country was labeled an "overperformer" for the fourth time, a label reserved for economies that outperform their economic development levels. This status was previously held in 2022 and 2024.
The index indicated that Pakistan's performance was better in innovation outputs rather than inputs, with a higher ranking in the latter (72nd) compared to the former (121st). The report emphasized that Pakistan's innovation strengths lie within its digital economy, specifically in mobile app development, ICT services exports, high-tech imports, and software spending.
Additionally, the nation's scientific production and university quality bolstered its digital economy development. Pakistan secured the 15th spot among lower middle-income economies and the 8th among the 11 countries in central and southern Asia. The Global Innovation Index report also noted that Pakistan's overall innovation performance had been progressively improving over the past seven years, moving up from 107th in 2020 to 95th in 2026.
Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States were identified as the top three innovation economies, with Switzerland holding the top position for an unprecedented 16th consecutive year.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
