India's overall score in the latest 2026 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) rose for a second consecutive year, following three straight years of decline between 2021 and 2024. India remains South Asia's top performer overall, ranking 76th globally. The findings were released as part of CGGI's Asia Pacific regional engagement.
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Chandler Good Government Index 2026 Asia Pacific Rankings
Now in its sixth year, the CGGI measures the capabilities and effectiveness of 133 governments worldwide, across seven pillars: Leadership & Foresight, Robust Laws & Policies, Strong Institutions, Financial Stewardship, Attractive Marketplace, Global Influence & Reputation, and Helping People Rise.
“India's data shows three years of decline followed by two years of modest improvement. That pattern is more informative than either year on its own, signalling a change in trajectory rather than a single-year movement. India's overall score remains below its 2021 level, so there is still meaningful ground to be covered,” said Dinesh Naidu, Director (Knowledge) at the Chandler Governance Group (CGG).
Leading a challenging region
India ranks first in South Asia across five of the seven pillars: Leadership & Foresight, Robust Laws & Policies, Strong Institutions, Attractive Marketplace, and Global Influence & Reputation. Its scores in these pillars remain well above every other South Asian country, despite all five declining since 2021. Bangladesh leads the region in Financial Stewardship, and Sri Lanka in Helping People Rise.
South Asia as a whole had a difficult five years. Only Nepal improved its overall score in the region since 2021. India's own overall score also declined over the same period, with the steepest fall in Leadership & Foresight, though its lead over regional peers held throughout.
Helping People Rise, which measures outcomes for citizens such as education, health and economic opportunity, was the only pillar in which India's score improved since 2021. India recorded South Asia's largest score gain in that pillar, and its score continued to improve between 2025 and 2026.
Financial Stewardship followed a different pattern. India's score in this pillar declined every year since 2021, before rising for the first time between 2025 and 2026. It was India's largest pillar-level gain in that period, the main driver of its overall recovery. Despite that score gain, India's global rank in the pillar fell further, from 93rd in 2025 to 104th in 2026, a reminder that rank is shaped by other countries' movements as well.
India's turnaround came amidst a strong year for the wider region. Since 2021, Asia Pacific recorded the world's sharpest regional governance improvement, though South Asia lagged behind that broader trend. More recently in 2026, 79% of the region's governments, including four of five South Asian countries, posted higher scores year-on-year.
A practical tool for governments
Designed by practitioners for practitioners, the CGGI offers governments a diagnostic tool to benchmark performance and identify areas for capability development, drawing on evidence from peers across the region and around the world.
“India's data this year points to slight recovery, but also to where that recovery is uneven. The CGGI's value lies in making that distinction visible, showing governments not just how they compare to others, but where their own progress is concentrated and where it still needs to be built,” said Naidu.
The full 2026 Index, including country profiles, pillar scores, and historical comparisons, is available at chandlergovernmentindex.com.
