Measuring need, directing aid.
CAPE Vulnerability Index
The Compassion, Assertive action, Pragmatism and Evidence (CAPE) Vulnerability Index is a global
foreign policy tool that ranks countries by their need for foreign aid and helps determine how that
aid should be prioritised. Grounded in evidence and structured reasoning, it approaches bilateral
agreements through the lens of mental health, offering a principled framework for aid allocation.
The Index draws on nine indicators measured at a country level, spanning health outcomes,
economic conditions, and governance. Specifically, these cover: life expectancy, disability-adjusted
life years (DALYs), physicians per person, GDP per capita, income inequality as measured by the Gini
coefficient, active conflicts, refugees by country of origin, corruption perceptions, and external aid
received per capita. Where available, each indicator is displayed at country level in the map below,
with data drawn from the most recent source as of March 2026.
Sources: World Development Indicators (Life expectancy, Physicians per 1,000 people, GDP per
capita, GINI coefficient, Current conflicts (deaths) ≥1,000 per year; Refugees; Net Overseas
Development Aid received per capita (current US$))
Global Burden of Disease (DALYs)
Corruption Perception Index (Corruption perception metrics)
This page will be updated in December of each year to reflect ongoing changes to this publicly available data.
Prior editions of the CAPE have been published, beginning in 2020, at both a global and regional
level. These can be viewed in more detail through the following links.
Learn more about the idea and methodology behind the CAPE Vulnerability Index in this interview involving our Senior Fellow, Dr. Helena Moura, hosted by our Distinguished Founding President, Prof. Dr. Dinesh Bhugra CBE.
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