Asia Power Index 2021

Recently, Sydney-based Lowy Institute released the Asia Power Index 2021. It is being published annually since 2018.

About the Index: The index measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in the Indo-Pacific.

It ranks 26 countries and territories.

Criteria: The index evaluates international power in Asia through 128 indicators across the following eight thematic measures:

Resources: Economic capability (17.5%), Military capability (17.5%), Resilience (10%), and Future resources (10%).
Influence: Economic relationships (15%), Defense networks (10%), Diplomatic influence (10%), and Cultural influence (10%).

Key Highlights

As per the index, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven down the power of Asian giants like China and India in the Indo-Pacific region and has weakened their capacity to shape the external environment.
The US managed to expand its power through better diplomacy and retained its position as the most influential nation in the region.
India is the fourth most powerful country in the region after the US, Japan and China.
India saw a loss of ranking in critical parameters like diplomatic influence and economic relationships in the last one year.
India also lagged in economic diplomacy, dropping one place and finishing eighth behind Thailand.
Japan and India - the two nations with the most potential to contribute to a regional multipolar order - lost more ground in 2021 than China.