Reports and Indices Current Affairs MCQs

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According to the latest report from New World Wealth by Henley and Partners, Monaco is ranked as the most expensive city in the world as of 2024–25. Over 40% of Monaco’s population are millionaires, the highest percentage of any city globally. New York City holds the second position for being among the world’s costliest cities for luxury real estate. Hong Kong is ranked third, followed by London in the fourth spot. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in France stands at fifth place, while Paris has moved up to sixth place this year. Sydney ranks just behind Paris among the top expensive cities. France dominates the list with six cities, while Switzerland, Italy, and the United Kingdom have multiple entries. The United States features four cities, while Singapore and Tokyo are notable Asian entries, standing at 11th and 16th positions respectively.

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In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India ranks 151 out of 180 countries. This is a slight improvement from 159th in 2024 and 161st in 2023, but India still remains in the “very serious” press freedom category. India ranks lower than neighbours like Nepal (90th), Maldives (104th), Sri Lanka (139th), and Bangladesh (149th). Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands are the top three performers in press freedom globally. For the first time, global press freedom is seen as in a “difficult situation” due to rising economic pressures.

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The Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Outlook 2025 was released by the International Energy Agency (IEA). In 2024, more than one in four cars sold globally was electric. China led the world with nearly 50% of global EV car sales. Asia and Latin America, especially Thailand, Vietnam, and Brazil, are becoming new EV growth hubs. Despite some challenges, EVs are expected to make up over 40% of global car sales in the coming years. China also leads in EV production, contributing more than 70% of global output. Two and three-wheelers were the most electrified transport segment in 2024. India led global growth in electric three-wheelers with around 20% year-on-year growth in 2024, supported by the Prime Minister Electric Deployment and Renewable Integration for Vehicles Expansion (PM E-DRIVE) initiative.

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The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025 shows that over 295 million people in 53 countries faced acute hunger. This marks an increase of 13.7 million people compared to 2023, showing a worsening food crisis. The report was published by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) with the Food Security Information Network (FSIN). The GRFC is released every year to track and analyse global food insecurity and malnutrition. It highlights that conflicts, extreme climate events, economic troubles, and forced displacement are the main causes. The report warns of a deepening global hunger and nutrition emergency.

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The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) recently released the Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2025 titled “Resilience Pays: Financing and Investing for our Future.” The report shows how risk-aware investments can lower debt, reduce uninsurable losses, and ease rising humanitarian needs. Disaster costs now exceed US$2.3 trillion annually, with most losses uninsured, even in developed countries. In India, Cyclone Fani in 2019 caused about US$1.2 billion in damage to Odisha’s power infrastructure. India has seen 10 to 30 million internal displacements due to climate-related disasters. Changing weather could reduce India’s living standards by 9% by 2050. India’s disaster insurance coverage is still below 1%, limiting financial protection.

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The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025 ranks countries based on their efforts to combat climate change. The top three positions are left unfilled, showing that no country is fully on track. Denmark holds the 4th position with very high performance in renewable energy, high in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate policy, and medium in energy use. India ranks 10th. India scores high in GHG emissions and energy use, medium in climate policy, and low in renewable energy.

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The World Wealth Report 2025, released by Capgemini Research Institute, shows India had 378,810 millionaires in 2024 with total wealth of $1.5 trillion. India’s high-net-worth individual (HNWI) wealth rose by 8.8 percent, with strong gains in the “millionaires next door” segment. India had 333,340 millionaires next door and 4,290 ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) in 2024. The report covers 71 countries and highlights U.S. leadership in wealth growth, while India and Japan led in Asia-Pacific.

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On June 5, 2025, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 8th edition of “EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics” during a national workshop in New Delhi. The report follows the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES) 2013 and compiles data from various ministries and departments. Inland fish production rose from 61.36 lakh tonnes to 139.07 lakh tonnes, showing strong aquaculture growth. The publication includes data on Ramsar sites, population access to electricity, transport, sanitation, and environmental temperature changes. The highest government expenditure was on the Environment Sustainability Sector with Rs. 2433.24 crore in 2021-22.

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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released its 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report titled ‘The Real Fertility Crisis’. It highlights that one in three adult Indians face unintended pregnancies. It also states that 30% of Indians experience unfulfilled desires to have more or fewer children. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was created to support population and reproductive health programmes. Its mission is to ensure every pregnancy is wanted, childbirth is safe, and youth potential is fulfilled.

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India now ranks second globally in social security coverage, protecting over 94 crore people. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s ILOSTAT database, India’s coverage rose from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025. This 45 percentage point rise is the fastest expansion in the world, achieved through pro-poor and labour welfare schemes. The Ministry of Labour and Employment highlighted this during the International Labour Conference in Geneva. India is the first country to update its 2025 social protection data in the ILOSTAT system.