{
  "id": 17098953,
  "title": "Pakistan 'overperformer' in innovation, climbs 4 ranks globally: report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/pakistan-overperformer-in-innovation-climbs-4-ranks-globally-report",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T18:07:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2040752/pakistan-overperformer-in-innovation-climbs-4-ranks-globally-report"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Global Innovation Index 2026 ranked Pakistan in the 95th position among the world's 139 economies, an improvement from its 99th place in 2025. Pakistan has secured this \"overperformer\" status for the fourth consecutive year, a distinction given to countries that surpass expectations given their economic development level. This status was previously held in 2022 and 2024. In 2026, Pakistan performed better in innovation outputs than inputs, ranking 72nd in outputs and 121st in inputs. This indicates that the country is generating more innovation than expected for its level of development. The report attributes Pakistan's success to its digital economy, particularly in mobile app creation, ICT services exports, high-tech imports, and software spending. Additionally, the country's scientific production and university quality contribute to its developing digital economy. In terms of rankings within its income group, Pakistan stands 15th among lower middle-income economies and 8th among the 11 economies in central and southern Asia. However, it did not rank among the top innovation clusters in any specific pillar of the index. Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States maintain their positions as the top three innovation economies, with Switzerland holding the first spot for the 16th consecutive year. In a year marked by geopolitical and economic turbulence, the top of the ranking remains largely unchanged, with no new top 15 entrants since last year. Europe accounts for 14 out of the 25 innovation leaders. Five Asian economies, including South Korea, Singapore, China, Japan, and Hong Kong, also feature in the top 25. The report suggests that Asian economies are now a consistent feature of the top ranks. The Global Innovation Index 2026 Innovation Tracker indicates continued but slower progress across the innovation cycle, with most indicators advancing, albeit remaining below the decade average in many cases. Research effort has been at a historic high, with global R&D intensity close to 2% of GDP. Emerging economies like Pakistan are being encouraged to leverage their standout strengths to further enhance their overall innovation performance.",
  "summary": "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) 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 for their…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pakistan ranks 95th globally in innovation, up from 99th in 2025",
    "Pakistan is an overperformer, ranking 72nd in innovation outputs",
    "Pakistan excels in digital economy, particularly mobile app creation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}