Interpreting development data
Human Development Index (HDI)
In order to try to streamline the many different measures that were being used to measure A measure of wealth and quality of life for humans within a country or area. Each country will make economic and social progress or change at a different rate., in 1990 the United Nations decided that it was time to combine some measures into a more usable format.
The HDI was introduced to combine three measures 鈥 life expectancy (a social measure), education (average number of years of schooling and expected years of schooling鈥 a social measure) and gross national income per capita (an economic measure).
Each of the different measures is then ranked in order. A country with a very high life expectancy will score +1 and a country with a low score will be close to 0. The two other measures are also scored and a final rank order is achieved.
The UN Human Development Report is released every year with updated figures. The table below shows the top five and bottom five countries as featured in the Human Development Report 2021/22.
| Country | HDI value | Life expectancy (years) | Expected years of schooling (years) | Mean years of schooling (years) | GNI per capita ($PPP) |
| 1. Switzerland | 0.962 | 84.0 | 16.5 | 13.9 | 66,933 |
| 2. Norway | 0.961 | 83.2 | 18.2 | 13.0 | 64,660 |
| 3. Iceland | 0.959 | 82.7 | 19.2 | 13.8 | 55,782 |
| 4. Hong Kong, China (SAR) | 0.952 | 85.5 | 17.3 | 12.2 | 62,607 |
| 5. Australia | 0.951 | 84.5 | 21.1 | 12.7 | 49,238 |
| Country | 1. Switzerland |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.962 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.0 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 16.5 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 13.9 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 66,933 |
| Country | 2. Norway |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.961 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.2 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 18.2 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 13.0 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 64,660 |
| Country | 3. Iceland |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.959 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.7 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 19.2 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 13.8 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 55,782 |
| Country | 4. Hong Kong, China (SAR) |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.952 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 85.5 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 17.3 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 12.2 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 62,607 |
| Country | 5. Australia |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.951 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.5 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 21.1 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 12.7 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 49,238 |
| Country | HDI value | Life expectancy (years) | Expected years of schooling (years) | Mean years of schooling (years) | GNI per capita ($PPP) |
| 187. Burundi | 0.426 | 61.7 | 10.7 | 3.1 | 732 |
| 188. Central African Republic | 0.404 | 53.9 | 8.0 | 4.3 | 966 |
| 189. Niger | 0.400 | 61.6 | 7.0 | 2.1 | 1,240 |
| 190. Chad | 0.394 | 52.5 | 8.0 | 2.6 | 1,364 |
| 191. South Sudan | 0.385 | 55.0 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 768 |
| Country | 187. Burundi |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.426 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 61.7 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 10.7 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 3.1 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 732 |
| Country | 188. Central African Republic |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.404 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 53.9 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 8.0 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 4.3 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 966 |
| Country | 189. Niger |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.400 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 61.6 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 7.0 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 2.1 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 1,240 |
| Country | 190. Chad |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.394 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 52.5 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 8.0 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 2.6 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 1,364 |
| Country | 191. South Sudan |
|---|---|
| HDI value | 0.385 |
| Life expectancy (years) | 55.0 |
| Expected years of schooling (years) | 5.5 |
| Mean years of schooling (years) | 5.7 |
| GNI per capita ($PPP) | 768 |