MELBOURNE, 26 February 2024 : The world’s most populous country, India, is No. 11 in the recently released Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index. It has diplomats in 137 countries, in 194 cities and 194 posts. Compared to its population, the Index key findings say, India has historically underinvested in its diplomatic network, but it is the fastest growing globally.
The Index covers 66 countries and territories, where countries have diplomatic missions. China and the United States (US) are neck and neck with diplomats in 176 and 66 countries/territories respectively.
Key findings of the Index reveal Turkey and India have expanded a lot and Russia’s war in Ukraine has come at a heavy cost to its global diplomatic reach. And, Taiwan has lost ground to China on formal recognition.
Key findings about India:
“India has historically underinvested in the size of its diplomatic network relative to its demographic and economic weight, sitting just outside the top ten countries in the Global Diplomacy Index. However, together with Türkiye, India has the fastest growing network of any Index country, also adding 11 posts since 2021. Almost three-quarters of these new posts (8) are in Africa, in part reflecting India’s grow- ing economic ties with the region and its ambition to position itself as leader of the Global South.
India’s diplomatic footprint is most pronounced in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and it is represented in every country in Asia, Eastern Africa, and the Indian Ocean Region. India has limited diplomatic representation in the Pacific, operating only two posts among the Pacific Islands Forum members (excluding Australia and New Zealand).”
Australia’s diplomatic footprint:
“Australia’s diplomatic footprint, ranked 26th on the overall Index, remains undersized relative to its economic weight as the fourteenth-largest economy in the world and status as a high-income middle power. With 124 posts, the size of Australia’s global diplomatic network is near the bottom of the G20, ahead of only South Africa, which closed nine posts during the pandemic, citing fiscal constraints.
Australia’s network is concentrated in Asia (38 posts), with a particular focus on Southeast Asia (17), followed by Europe (30) and the Pacific Islands (17). Canberra has expanded its presence most rapidly in the South Pacific, opening six missions in the Pacific Islands since 2017. Australia now has official representation in every Pacific Islands Forum member country.”
