Pakistan has been ranked at the top spot on the Global Normalcy Index, a list compiled by The Economist to track how well the countries are performing in returning to pre-Coronavirus pandemic life.
According to the Global Normalcy Index, Pakistan has a normalcy score close to 100 which shows that the country is almost near to returning to pre-Coronavirus pandemic life. Pakistan is followed by Nigeria, the UK, Germany, and the US.
The Global Normalcy Index ranks 50 of the world’s largest economies that together account for 90% of global GDP and 76% of the world’s population.
It ranks the countries on the basis of eight indicators split across three categories and gives them a score. This score is then compared with the pre-Coronavirus pandemic level of activity that has been given a score of 100 for ease of comparison.
Here are the categories and indicators of the Global Normalcy Index.
Category 1: Transport and Travel
- Public transport in big cities
- The amount of traffic congestion in big cities
- The number of international and domestic flights
Category 2: Recreation and Entertainment
- Time spent outside the home
- Cinema box-office revenues
- Attendance at professional sports events
Category 3: Retail and work
- Footfall in shops
- Occupancy of offices
According to the list, the average global normalcy score in November has jumped up to 79 points as COVID-19 restrictions have been eased in many countries. This is the highest average global normalcy score since March last year.
The average score on the previous edition of the Global Normalcy Index that was released in July was 66. However, the report has foreshadowed that the average global normalcy score will drop in the next edition because a number of countries have reimposed restrictions recently after outbreaks of Coronavirus.
For instance, Beijing Marathon, scheduled to be held on 30 October, was canceled after the emergence of new COVID-19 cases. Shanghai Disneyland quarantined and tested 33,000 visitors after a Coronavirus case was reported on the premises. Last month, Latvia reimposed restrictions, becoming the first European country to do so after lifting them last summer. The Netherlands and Romania have followed Latvia in reimposing restrictions to curb the resurgence of Coronavirus.
