Developmental Performance Ranking of SAARC Nations: An Application of TOPSIS Method of Multi-Criteria Decision Making

Abstract

To be developed, nations are trying to cope up with the fast-changing economy and technology of the world. But the development of a nation does not depend only on these two factors rather several other indicators are essential to a country’s development. The present study deals with the progress of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries towards development through social, economic and environmental stability. This study aims at analyzing the comparative developmental performance of the SAARC nations in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we have prioritized the 8 SAARC nations based on 4 indicators (economic, demographic, health and environment indicators) and 20 variables using the multi-criteria decision-making method (MCDM). The result showed that Sri Lanka has prioritized 1st followed by Bhutan. India has been ranked 4th and Afghanistan was least prioritized.