In a country where a GPA 5 holder in SSC examination says the capital of Nepal is Neptune, it is only natural that Bangladesh ranks last in South Asia on the Global Knowledge Index.
Bangladesh ranked 112th out of 138 countries on the Global Knowledge Index 2020 published on Wednesday by the United Nations Development Programme and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation.
The country scored 35.9, which is well below the global average of 46.7.
Right above Bangladesh are two countries, Nepal and Pakistan, in 110th and 111th positions.
Neighbouring India is the top among South Asian countries, securing the 75th position while Sri Lanka and Bhutan are in 87th and 94th positions.
Switzerland topped the ranking, with the US rising to second place from its third position in 2019, and Finland slipping to third place from its second position last year. Chad was ranked lowest on the 2020 index.
The Global Knowledge Index, produced annually since 2017, is a summary measure for tracking the knowledge performance of countries at the level of seven areas, namely pre-university education, technical and vocational education and training, higher education, research, development and innovation, information and communications technology, economy and the general enabling environment, according to UNDP.
In the Global Knowledge Index 2020, Bangladesh ranked 117th with a score of 43.9 in the pre-university education category while in the higher education sector, the country ranked 129th with a score of 24.1.
Among seven categories, Bangladesh ranked best in the technical and vocational education and training sector by securing the 69th position with a score of 49.
The country also ranked 96th with a score of 16.4 in the research, development & innovation category, 97th with a score 43.1 in the information and communications technology (ICT) category, 114th with a score of 31.5 in the economy category, and 115th with a score of 46.4 in the general enabling environment category.
Other global rankings
Bangladesh ranked 33rd out of 163 countries in the Global Terrorism Index 2020, while it was 30th in 2019. Bangladesh is the most successful South Asian country in countering terrorism.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh ranked 78th out of 82 economies in the Global Mobility Index 2020.
In the Human Development Index for 2018, the country secured the 135th position among 189 countries.