Human Development Index (HDI)

What is human development?

Creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives according to their needs and interests. It is about expanding people’s choices and enhancing their capabilities, having access to knowledge, health and a decent standard of living, and participating in the life of their community and decisions affecting their lives.

Briefly explain the human development index (HDI).

Refers to a tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank a country's social and economic development. It is presented as a single statistic from 0 to 1 that considers three dimensions (a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living) and four indicators of human development (life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and GNI per capita).

What is life expectancy at birth?

An indication of how long a person can expect to live; it is the number of years of life remaining to a person at birth if death rates do not change

What is mean years of schooling?

The average number of years of education achieved by those aged 25 years and over.

What is expected years of schooling?

The number of years of education expected for a child of school entrance age.

What is gross national income (GNI) per capita?

The overall income of a country after expenses owing to other countries have been paid, divided by the population of the country.

Considering the factors taken into account, what is an advantage of the HDI?

It provides a more comprehensive representation of the level of human development experienced by taking more than just economic factors into account such as social development.

Considering the single statistic, what is an advantage of the HDI?

It provides a single statistic, making comparison between countries easier as numerous statistics do not have to be sorted through and compared.

Considering the simple statistic from 0 to 1 for tracking patterns, what is an advantage of the HDI?

It is useful for measuring progress made by countries over time as the simple statistic is classified from 0 to 1 making it easy to track patterns.

Considering the aspects of the HDI, what is a limitation of the HDI?

The HDI only reflects selected aspects of human development and therefore does not capture the richness and depth of human development.

Considering the inequalities WITHIN countries, what is a limitation of the HDI?

The HDI is based on averages in a country and therefore does not provide an indication of the inequalities that exist within countries. Those from cultural minorities, females, those with disabilities and those living outside major cities often experience lower levels of human development than the rest of the population.

Considering survey data, what is a limitation of the HDI?

No survey data are collected in the HDI, so people's feelings about their lives and issues facing communities are not reflected, including social, emotional, mental, spiritual health and wellbeing, and feelings about physical safety.

Considering the concept of human development, what is a limitation of the HDI?

In some situations, the concept of human development has been equated with the three dimensions of the HDI, which neglects key aspects of human development including freedom, choices, and capabilities.