The trap of global rankings

Sometimes, we get to spot unusual anomalies. Take, for example, the Global Gender Gap Index. India ranked 26th connected acquisition attainment successful 2023 but mysteriously dropped to 112th fertile successful 2024. As acold arsenic I know, nary Taliban-style attacks connected Indian girls’ acquisition person taken place. This accelerated descent remains inexplicable. Could determination beryllium immoderate anomalies successful the data?

All planetary rankings are not equivalent. Some, similar the Human Development Index, are good thought retired and cautiously constructed, though they besides look challenges successful getting close country-level data. Others look to beryllium hastily enactment together, often excluding perspectives from the Global South. For example, the now-abandoned World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index focused connected constricted liability companies, covering lone 14 per cent of Indian businesses and excluding sole proprietorships, the mainstay of Indian businesses. The Global Gender Gap Index focusses connected the sex spread successful net but not successful poorness — an indicator connected which the United States mightiness bash poorly owed to a ample fig of mother-only families, but wherever South Asian countries mightiness fare better.

Nonetheless, fixed however overmuch planetary organisations and foundations that money them emotion ranking countries and are convinced these are effectual tools successful holding countries accountable, it is improbable that immoderate disapproval volition vanquish this industry. However, it is imaginable to clasp it accountable done elemental steps.

First, we indispensable expect that immoderate scale volition incorporate a methodological appendix that justifies wherefore circumstantial indicators were chosen to beryllium a portion of the scale and the rationale underlying the differential weights fixed to these indicators. The publications indispensable see links to root data. The lazy attack of citing the World Bank indicators oregon the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s indicators is insufficient. Index authors indispensable mention the archetypal sources for each indicator for each country. As it stands, information errors successful scale operation are intolerable to decipher, adjacent erstwhile we spot absurd results similar India’s descent from fertile 26 to 112 successful acquisition attainment successful the Gender Gap Index successful a year. This does impact a sizeable magnitude of work, but hard enactment is what probe is each about, what the nationalist and policymakers deserve. Where superior information is presented, illustration sizes, sampling methodology and assurance intervals indispensable beryllium presented.

Second, those who screen the merchandise of assorted indices indispensable find a mode of fact-checking the results. An editorial moratorium of sum for 48 hours aft the merchandise of the scale volition springiness clip to critically analyse the results and consult experts. The unreserved to beryllium the archetypal to study that India is beneath war-torn Sudan connected the Global Hunger Index without a captious introspection does not service the public. In particular, the rankings that bash not supply citations to root information and methodology should not beryllium covered.

Third, governments indispensable halt taking these results seriously. Countries are good alert of their priorities and hopefully effort to guarantee that due information are disposable to show their progress. However, these efforts person small to bash with however a state is ranked globally. Take, for example, the Global Hunger Index (GHI). India’s kid mortality fell from 9.1 astatine the crook of the period to 3.1 successful 2 decades, and stunting, defined arsenic debased height-for-age, fell from 51 per cent to 36 per cent. Where India is lagging is successful caloric intake and debased weight-for-height resulting successful it being ranked astatine 117 connected GHI. Data challenges for these 2 indicators are good recognised.

Caloric intake is estimated from depletion expenditure data, which is simply a mediocre approximation astatine best. Moreover, the underlying figures for undernourishment, calculated by FAO harvester the 2011-12 NSS depletion information and a caller Gallup canvass of 3,000 radical to estimation undernourishment. These models merit greater scrutiny for outer validity. Similarly, the wasting information for India is affected by astir of the 5th National Family Health Survey interviews being conducted during the monsoon owed to the pandemic-related delays. Greater intestinal infections during the monsoons are associated with value loss, which biases wasting estimates. Instead of focussing excessively connected rankings with well-recognised shortcomings, recognising achievements and refining goals accordant with nationalist priorities volition beryllium a much fruitful approach.

Amartya Sen, 1 of the originators of the Human Development Index, has suggested it whitethorn beryllium clip to determination beyond rankings. If we can’t get distant from these rankings, astatine a minimum, we should acceptable up parameters nether which they are close and sensibly used.

The writer is Professor and Centre Director, NCAER National Data Innovation Centre and Professor Emerita, University of Maryland. Views are personal