Pakistan 'overperformer' in innovation, climbs 4 ranks globally in 2026: report

Pakistan has made significant strides in global innovation, climbing four ranks to 95th place in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation. This advancement, from 99th position last year, marks Pakistan's fourth consecutive time being classified as an "overperformer" in innovation.

This designation signifies that the country's innovation performance surpasses expectations given its economic development level. The index revealed that Pakistan excelled in innovation outputs over inputs in 2026, ranking 121st in inputs and 72nd in outputs, both an improvement from the previous year. The report noted that Pakistan's strengths lie in the digital economy, particularly mobile app development, ICT services exports, high-tech imports, and software spending.

Additionally, the nation's robust scientific production and university quality have bolstered its digital economy. Despite its impressive global ranking, Pakistan did not rank among the top innovation clusters in any specific pillar, such as human capital and research, infrastructure, etc. Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States retained their top three positions as the world's most innovative economies, with Switzerland maintaining its first-place ranking for a record 16th year.

The report emphasized that the innovation leadership remains largely stable amid global turmoil, with no new entrants in the top 15 countries since last year and Europe accounting for 14 of the top 25 innovation economies. Five Asian economies—South Korea, Singapore, China, Japan, and Hong Kong—were also among the top 25. The Global Innovation Index 2026's Innovation Tracker indicated continued, albeit slower, progress across the innovation cycle, with most indicators advancing.

However, research effort remained at a historic high, with global R&D intensity close to 2% of GDP. The report highlighted that AI-related investment would be a significant driver of innovation upside, with leading tech companies set to spend over $1 trillion on AI infrastructure between 2025 and 2026.