When the world will start looking beyond the Scoreboard: Why Country Rankings Don't Tell the Whole Story?

Imagine you're planning a trip to Southeast Asia. You're scrolling through endless travel blogs, each raving about a different paradise. Thailand boasts stunning beaches, Vietnam offers a rich history, and Laos promises a slower pace of life. But then you stumble upon a list: "Top 10 Most Adventurous Countries in Southeast Asia." Now you're stuck. Do you pick the one with the highest ranking, or follow your gut and seek the adventure that truly resonates with you?

Country rankings are a bit like those travel blogs. They offer a glimpse into a nation's soul, highlighting its strengths in development, freedom, happiness, or whatever the list might be. But just like with travel blogs, it's important to remember there's a story behind the score.

Here's why I think we should approach these rankings with a critical eye:

The first pitfall is picking the right ingredients. Rankings often focus on a limited set of statistics, like income or education. These are important, sure, but they don't capture the essence of a place. Does a country with a booming economy prioritize environmental sustainability? Does a nation ranking high in education foster a rich cultural scene? Rankings designed with a Western perspective might overlook these aspects entirely, making it tough to compare countries with vastly different values and priorities.

Think about it this way: you wouldn't judge a delicious Pad Thai solely on its spice level, would you? The perfect balance of sweet, savory, and just a touch of heat is what makes it truly special. Country rankings need to consider that balance as well.

Rankings are only as good as the information they're based on. Imagine if restaurants started inflating their spice levels just to climb the "Hottest Food" list! In the real world, data can be inconsistent, with missing information or even manipulation by governments. How can you fairly compare a country with robust data collection systems to one where information is scarce? Different stages of development add another layer of complexity. What works for a developed nation might not be relevant for a developing one.

A critique of the HDI's focus on income could be - James Tobin "Stabilization Policy with Incomplete Information" American Economic Review, Vol. 61, No. 1. (Mar., 1971), pp. 1-19, which argues for a broader definition of well-being.

This index has been criticized for favoring deregulation over social protections. A report by the Center for Global Development critiques this (https://archive.doingbusiness.org/en/methodology).

Many international organizations publish data that can be used to compare countries across various aspects. Explore datasets from the UN Statistics Division (UNdata: https://data.un.org/), World Bank Open Data (World Bank Open Data: https://data.worldbank.org/), or OECD iLibrary (OECD iLibrary: https://stats.oecd.org/). Use this data to compare how a specific ranking weights factors against the actual data.

For instance, the Happy Planet Index (Happy Planet Index: https://happyplanetindex.org/) focuses on well-being and ecological sustainability, offering a counterpoint to GDP-centric rankings. Compare results of these alternative rankings with the original ones.

Sala-i-Martin, Xavier "The Classical Approach to Development Economics" Handbook of Development Economics, Vol. 1, Edited by Jere Behrman and Nancy Birdsall, pp. 1-268, North-Holland, Amsterdam 2002, critiques the overemphasis on economic growth in development economics.

Charron, N. "The tyranny of good intentions: Power, knowledge and the measurement of development" Progress in Human Geography 2008; 32(4): 487–502, discusses how power dynamics can influence data collection and skew development measurement.

Indices might be designed with a Western perspective, neglecting cultural nuances or priorities of other regions. Like - Arturo Escobar, Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World (Princeton University Press, 1995), critiques the Western-centric approach to development and alternative development models.

This report prioritizes subjective well-being, but its methodology might struggle to capture happiness in cultures with different expressions of happiness. Diener, Ed and Richard E. Lucas "Subjective Well-Being: The Science of Happiness and Life Satisfaction" Psychological Inquiry 15.3 (2004): 343–374, discusses challenges in measuring subjective well-being across cultures.

The people who create these rankings also wield a lot of power. Their choices about what gets measured, how much weight it carries, and where the data comes from can drastically change the outcome. Remember that "Doing Business" ranking everyone was obsessed with a while back? Turns out it was discontinued because the creators messed with the data! Funding sources and political leanings can also influence the results. A democracy ranking might favor a specific type of government, just like some restaurants might favor a specific spice blend!

Finally, there's the danger of oversimplification. A single score simply can't capture the heart and soul of a country. Rankings paint an overly simplified picture, ignoring the unique challenges and complexities each place faces. Just like your backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, every country has its own story. Focusing too much on the ranking can even lead to bad decisions. Imagine a government obsessed with climbing the "Ease of Doing Business" ladder. They might loosen regulations to get a higher score, even if it hurts the environment or workers' rights. Not exactly a recipe for long-term success.

Ever taken a glance at Bharat's Ranking on Democracy? Last time I checked, we were sitting at 108th place, on the Electoral Democracy Index 2023, and look at the nations who are there within 100. And a nation that transitioned itself to an Electronic Voting System long back in the 1990s, long back, 33 years ago, was sitting at 108th place against the nations who are still conducting their elections using paper ballots.

Rankings can be a starting point, but they shouldn't be the finish line. We need to dig deeper and understand the "why" behind a country's score. Transparency about data and methods is key, and maybe we need different rankings for different situations. The real story lies beyond the number. So next time you see a country ranking, keep this in mind and explore further – you might just discover a hidden gem that perfectly suits your travel style or your curiosity about the world.