Logistics Performance and Sustainability Outcomes: A Global Structural Analysis

The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is a widely used benchmarking tool for assessing national logistics capabilities. However, its role in sustainability-oriented research remains unclear. This study reconceptualizes the LPI as a multidimensional analytical framework for examining the structural associations between logistics performance and sustainability outcomes. Using cross-country data from 2023, the analysis evaluates the alignment of the six disaggregated LPI dimensions with economic (GDP per capita), social (Human Development Index), and environmental (CO2 emissions) indicators across approximately 120 countries. The analysis applies an integrated framework combining linear models, ensemble learning techniques, explainable artificial intelligence (SHAP), and clustering analysis to assess the consistency and interpretability of these relationships. The results indicate that logistics performance is more strongly aligned with economic and social outcomes than with environmental indicators. Infrastructure quality, tracking and tracing, and timeliness emerge as key logistics dimensions associated with higher income levels and human development. In contrast, the moderate alignment observed for CO2-related outcomes highlights the influence of broader structural factors, such as energy systems and industrial composition, beyond logistics performance. Clustering analysis further reveals distinct logistics–environmental configurations, underscoring substantial heterogeneity in sustainability trajectories among countries with similar logistics capabilities. Overall, these findings establish the LPI as a system-level lens for diagnosing logistics–sustainability relationships and for designing context-sensitive policies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 8, 9, 11, and 13.