UN Human Development Index
The UN Human Development Index (HDI) measures poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, and other factors. It is a standard means of measuring well-being, especially child welfare. The index was developed in 1990 by the Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, and has been used since 1993 by the United Nations Development Programme in its annual report.
The HDI measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development:
- A long and healthy life, as measured by life expectancy at birth
- Knowledge, as measured by the adult literacy rate (with two-thirds weight) and the combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrollment ratio (with one-third weight).
- A decent standard of living, as measured by GDP per capita (PPP US$).
Each year, countries are ranked according to these measures. Those high on the list often brag about it, as a means of attracting talented migrants (economically, individual capital) or discouraging potential emigrants from leaving. Canada is well known for doing this, as it led the index for seven years in the 1990s.
Top ten countries in 2004
As of 2004, the top ten countries in the index are :
- Norway
- Sweden
- Australia
- Canada
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Iceland
- United States
- Japan
- Ireland
Past top countries
The number one ranked country in each year of the index.
See also
