Asia Pacific demonstrated the strongest governance improvement globally in the 2026 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), with 79% of its governments recording higher scores this year. The region, which covers 19 countries, saw the largest improvement in average overall score since 2021. Singapore retained its position as the top-ranked government worldwide for a fourth consecutive year.

The findings were presented by Dinesh Naidu, Director (Knowledge) at the Chandler Governance Group (CGG), during a session in Bangkok as part of the OECD-UNDP-OPDC "Transforming Public Services in Thailand" programme. The CGGI measures the capabilities and effectiveness of 133 governments across seven pillars: Leadership & Foresight, Robust Laws & Policies, Strong Institutions, Financial Stewardship, Attractive Marketplace, Global Influence & Reputation, and Helping People Rise.

Regional Performance Highlights

The Asia Pacific region places five countries in the global top 20, with 11 nations in the top half of the index. The sharpest gains were concentrated in the Strong Institutions and Helping People Rise pillars. Progress was uneven across sub-regions:

• East Asia: All four countries assessed—China, Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia—improved their overall scores since 2021.
• Oceania: Australia and New Zealand ranked in the global top 20.
• South Asia: Only Nepal improved its overall score since 2021. India showed gains in Financial Stewardship and Helping People Rise in its most recent year-on-year results.
• Vietnam: Recorded the largest overall score improvement in Asia Pacific since the index began.

Thailand ranked 58th globally, situated in the upper half of the index. Its position was anchored by an 18th-place global rank in the Financial Stewardship pillar, notably higher than its overall standing. However, Financial Stewardship remains a persistent challenge across Asia Pacific; only three countries—Mongolia, Vietnam, and Japan—strengthened their scores in that pillar since 2021.

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between Thailand’s overall rank (58th) and its Financial Stewardship rank (18th) highlights a specific strength in fiscal management that is not fully reflected in its broader governance score. Conversely, the fact that only three out of 19 Asia Pacific countries improved their Financial Stewardship scores since 2021 suggests that while institutional and social capabilities are advancing, fiscal consolidation remains a significant structural hurdle for the majority of governments in the region.

Future-Ready Governance Index

The session also introduced the Future-Ready Governance Index (FRGI), a new benchmarking tool being jointly developed by the UNDP and CGG. Designed for practitioners, the FRGI aims to help governments navigate uncertainty and structural transformation. Naidu noted that the region’s progress indicates sustained investment in institutions pays off even in difficult global environments.

The full 2026 Index, including country profiles and pillar scores, is available at chandlergovernmentindex.com.