Human Development Index

HDI2022Incrimental

HDI explained the best way

Human Development Index regions evolution 1990-2021-fr

Human Development Index trends

Average annual HDI growth from 2010 to 2021 published in 2022

Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistical tool used to rank countries based on human development levels. It is a measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living. The HDI was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and Indian economist Amartya Sen. Its goal is to provide a more comprehensive measure of development than the use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita alone.

Overview[edit | edit source]

The Human Development Index is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development:

A long and healthy life, measured by Life expectancy at birth.
Access to knowledge, measured by mean years of education for adults aged 25 years or more and expected years of schooling for children entering school.
A decent standard of living, measured by Gross National Income (GNI) per capita adjusted for the price level of the country (Purchasing Power Parity, PPP).

Countries are then ranked based on their HDI score into four tiers of human development: very high, high, medium, and low.

Calculation[edit | edit source]

The HDI is calculated by aggregating normalized indices for each of the three dimensions. The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth; the education dimension is measured by a mean of the average years of education among adults aged 25 years and older and the expected years of schooling for children; the standard of living dimension is measured by GNI per capita (PPP USD).

The formula for calculating the HDI is the geometric mean of the normalized indices for each of the three dimensions:

\[ \text{HDI} = \sqrt[3]{\text{Life Expectancy Index} \times \text{Education Index} \times \text{Income Index}} \]

Global Ranking[edit | edit source]

The UNDP publishes an annual Human Development Report which ranks countries based on their HDI. The report classifies countries into four categories of human development, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of global development issues and to offer comparative data for policy-making and analysis.

Criticism and Limitations[edit | edit source]

Despite its widespread use, the HDI has faced criticism. Critics argue that it is overly simplistic and does not adequately capture the complexity of human development or the quality of life. It has also been criticized for not including factors such as inequality, poverty, and gender disparities. In response, the UNDP has introduced other indices such as the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), which takes inequality into account, and the Gender Inequality Index (GII), which assesses gender disparities.

External Links[edit | edit source]

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References[edit | edit source]

Human Development Index Resources
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