View source for Human Development Index

{{Short description|Composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and income indices}}
{{Redirect2|HDI|Hdi|other uses|HDI (disambiguation)}}
{{For|the complete ranking of countries|List of countries by Human Development Index}}
{{Pp-pc}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}

[[File:HDI2023Incrimental2.svg|thumb|World map of countries or territories by HDI scores in increments of 0.050 (based on 2023 data, published in 2025) {{legend-col|thumb size = |{{Legend|#001a00|≥ 0.950}}|{{Legend|#003c00|0.900–0.950}}|{{Legend|#007f00|0.850–0.899}}|{{Legend|#00c400|0.800–0.849}}|{{Legend|#00f900|0.750–0.799}}|{{Legend|#d3ff00|0.700–0.749}}|{{Legend|#ffee00|0.650–0.699}}|{{Legend|#ffd215|0.600–0.649}}|{{Legend|#ffa83c|0.550–0.599}}|{{Legend|#ff852f|0.500–0.549}}|{{Legend|#ff5b00|0.450–0.499}}|{{Legend|#ff0000|0.400–0.449}}|{{Legend|#a70000|≤ 0.399}}|{{Legend|#C0C0C0|Data unavailable}}}}|alt=World map of Countries scored by HDI|300x300px]]

The '''Human Development Index''' ('''HDI''') is a statistical composite index of [[life expectancy]], [[Education Index|education]] (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the [[education system]]), and [[per capita income]] indicators, which is used to rank countries into four tiers of [[Human development (humanity)|human development]]. A country scores a higher level of HDI when the [[life expectancy at birth|lifespan]] is higher, the [[education]] level is higher, and the gross national income [[GNI (PPP) per capita]] is higher. It was developed by Pakistani economist [[Mahbub ul-Haq]] and was further used to measure a country's development by the [[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP)'s Human Development Report Office.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=A. Stanton|first=Elizabeth|date=February 2007|title=The Human Development Index: A History|url=https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1101&context=peri_workingpapers |publisher=ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |journal=PERI Working Papers|pages=14–15|access-date=28 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228191918/https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1101&context=peri_workingpapers|archive-date=28 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Human Development Index|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/human-development-index|website=Definition of 'Human Development Index' |access-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030929/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/human-development-index|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=About Human Development |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/|publisher=UNDP|access-date=29 July 2011|website=HDR |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415134936/http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/|archive-date=15 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Human development index |url=https://www.who.int/data/nutrition/nlis/info/human-development-index |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103061653/https://www.who.int/data/nutrition/nlis/info/human-development-index |archive-date=2022-01-03 |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=World Health Organization}}</ref>

The 2010 [[Human Development Report]] introduced an [[List of countries by inequality-adjusted Human Development Index|inequality-adjusted Human Development Index]] (IHDI). While the simple HDI remains useful, it stated that "the IHDI is the actual level of human development (accounting for this [[Social inequality|inequality]]), while the HDI can be viewed as an index of 'potential' human development (or the maximum level of HDI) that could be achieved if there was no inequality."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/understanding/indices |title= Composite indices — HDI and beyond |website=Human Development Reports |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810022820/http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/understanding/indices |archive-date=10 August 2016 |access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>

The index is based on the human development approach, developed by Mahbub ul-Haq, anchored in [[Amartya Sen]]'s work on human capabilities, and often framed in terms of whether people are able to "be" and "do" desirable things in life. Examples include — being: well-fed, sheltered, and healthy; doing: work, education, voting, participating in community life. The freedom of choice is considered central — someone choosing to be hungry (e.g. when [[Fasting in religion|fasting for religious reasons]]) is considered different from someone who is hungry because they cannot afford to buy food, or because the country is going through a [[famine]].<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|title=What is Human Development|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/what-human-development|publisher=UNDP|access-date=27 October 2017|date=February 19, 2015 |website=HDR |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027132851/http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/what-human-development|archive-date=27 October 2017|url-status=live|quote=...&nbsp;human development approach, developed by the economist Mahbub Ul Haq&nbsp;...  }}</ref>

The index does not take into account several factors, such as the [[List of countries by wealth per adult|net wealth per capita]] or the relative [[Quality (business)|quality of goods]] in a country. This situation tends to lower the ranking of some of the most [[developed countries]], such as the [[G7]] members and others.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2D0AAAAMAAJ|title=The Courier|date=1994|publisher=Commission of the European Communities|language=en}}</ref>

== Origins ==

The origins of the HDI are found in the annual Human Development Reports produced by the Human Development Report Office of the [[United Nations Development Programme]] (UNDP). These annual reports were devised and launched by Pakistani economist [[Mahbub ul-Haq]] in 1990, and had the explicit purpose "to shift the focus of development economics from [[national income]] accounting to [[People-centered development|people-centered policies]]". He believed that a simple composite measure of human development was needed to convince the public, academics and politicians that they can, and should, evaluate development not only by economic advances but also improvements in human [[well-being]].
[[File:Human Development Index Underlying Principles.svg|thumb|upright=3.5|center|The underlying principle behind the Human Development Index<ref name="auto1"/>]]
{{Break}}

== Dimensions and calculation ==
=== New method (2010 HDI onwards) ===
[[File:Human Development Index regions evolution 1990-2021-fr.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|HDI trends between 1990 and 2021

{| style="width:100%;"
|-
| valign=top |
{{legend|#7f7f7f|[[List of sovereign states|World]]}}
{{legend|#1f77b4|[[OECD]] countries}}
| valign=top |
Developing countries:
{{legend|#ff7f0e|[[Arab States]]}}
{{legend|#2ca02c|[[East Asia]] and the Pacific}}
{{legend|#d62728|[[Europe]] and [[Central Asia]]}}
{{legend|#9467bd|[[Latin America]] and the [[Caribbean]]}}
{{legend|#8c564b|[[South Asia]]}}
{{legend|#e377c2|[[Sub-Saharan Africa]]}}
|}
]]

Published on 4 November 2010 (and updated on 10 June 2011), the 2010 Human Development Report calculated the HDI combining three dimensions:<ref>{{cite web |title=Human Development Report 2010 |date=4 November 2010 |publisher=UNDP |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2010 |access-date=15 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222145515/http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2010 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=live  |last1=Nations |first1=United }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Technical notes |year=2013 |publisher=UNDP |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr_2013_en_technotes.pdf |access-date=15 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616130523/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr_2013_en_technotes.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

* A long and healthy life: [[Life expectancy at birth]]
* [[Education index|Education]]: Mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling
* A decent standard of living: [[Gross national income|GNI]] per capita ([[Purchasing power parity|PPP]] [[international dollar]]s)
In its 2010 Human Development Report, the UNDP began using a new method of calculating the HDI. The following three indices are used:

1.{{anchor|Life Expectancy Index}} Life Expectancy Index (LEI) <math>= \frac{\textrm{LE} - 20}{85-20} = \frac{\textrm{LE} - 20}{65}</math>
::LEI is equal to 1 when [[life expectancy at birth]] is 85 years, and 0 when life expectancy at birth is 20 years.
2. [[Education Index]] (EI) <math>= \frac{{\textrm{MYSI} + \textrm{EYSI}}} {2}</math><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/141517-New-method-of-calculation-of-Human-Development-Index-HDI.aspx|title=New method of calculation of Human Development Index (HDI)|date=1 June 2011|work=India Study Channel|access-date=19 November 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110171412/http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/141517-New-method-of-calculation-of-Human-Development-Index-HDI.aspx|archive-date=10 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
:2.1 Mean Years of Schooling Index (MYSI) <math>= \frac{\textrm{MYS}}{15}</math><ref>Mean years of schooling (of adults) (years) is a calculation of the average number of years of education received by people ages 25 and older in their lifetime based on education attainment levels of the population converted into years of schooling based on theoretical duration of each level of education attended. Source: {{cite journal |last1=Barro |first1=R. J. |author-link=Robert Barro |first2=J.-W. |last2=Lee |year=2010 |title=A New Data Set of Educational Attainment in the World, 1950–2010 |journal=NBER Working Paper No. 15902 |series=Working Paper Series |url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w15902 |doi=10.3386/w15902 |access-date=29 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807191234/http://www.nber.org/papers/w15902 |archive-date=7 August 2011 |url-status=live  |doi-access=free }}</ref>
:: Fifteen is the projected maximum of this indicator for 2025.
:2.2 Expected Years of Schooling Index (EYSI) <math>= \frac{\textrm{EYS}}{18}</math><ref>(ESYI is a calculation of the number of years a child is expected to attend school, or university, including the years spent on repetition. It is the sum of the age-specific enrollment ratios for primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education and is calculated assuming the prevailing patterns of age-specific enrollment rates were to stay the same throughout the child's life. Expected years of schooling is capped at 18 years. (Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2010). Correspondence on education indicators. March. Montreal.)</ref>
:: Eighteen is equivalent to achieving a [[master's degree]] in most countries.
3. Income Index (II) <math>= \frac{\ln(\textrm{GNIpc}) - \ln(100)}{\ln(75,000) - \ln(100)} = \frac{\ln(\textrm{GNIpc}) - \ln(100)}{\ln(750)}</math>
::II is 1 when GNI per capita is $75,000 and 0 when GNI per capita is $100.
Finally, the HDI is the [[geometric mean]] of the previous three normalized indices:

: <math>\textrm{HDI} = \sqrt[3]{\textrm{LEI}\cdot \textrm{EI} \cdot \textrm{II}}.</math>

<small>LE: [[Life expectancy at birth]]<br />
MYS: Mean years of schooling (i.e. years that a person aged 25 or older has spent in formal education)<br />
EYS: Expected years of schooling (i.e. total expected years of schooling for children under 18 years of age, incl. young men and women aged 13–17)<br />
GNIpc: [[List of countries by GNI (PPP) per capita|Gross national income at purchasing power parity per capita]]</small>
{{Break}}

=== Old method (HDI before 2010) ===
The HDI combined three dimensions last used in its 2009 report:

* [[Life expectancy]] at birth, as an index of population health and longevity to HDI 
* Knowledge and education, as measured by the adult [[literacy]] rate (with two-thirds weighting) and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary [[gross enrollment ratio]] (with one-third weighting).
* [[Standard of living]], as indicated by the [[natural logarithm]] of [[gross domestic product]] [[per capita]] at [[purchasing power parity]].

[[File:Human Development Index trends.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|HDI trends between 1975 and 2004

{| style="width:100%;"
|-
| valign=top |
{{legend|black|[[OECD]]}}
{{legend|#FF0000|[[Europe]] (not in the OECD), and [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]]}}
{{legend|#E45600|[[Latin America]] and the [[Caribbean]]}}
{{legend|#D09B00|[[East Asia]]}}
| valign=top |
{{legend|#00FF00|[[Arab League]]}}
{{legend|#003FD9|[[South Asia]]}}
{{legend|#C600FF|[[Sub-Saharan Africa]]}}
|}
]]

This methodology was used by the UNDP until their 2011 report.

The formula defining the HDI is promulgated by the United Nations Development Programme ([[UNDP]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/faq/question,68,en.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220162154/http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/faq/question%2C68%2Cen.html|url-status=dead|title=Definition, Calculator, etc. at UNDP site|archive-date=20 December 2007|access-date=26 May 2020}}</ref> In general, to transform a raw [[Variable (mathematics)|variable]], say <math>x</math>, into a unit-free [[Index (economics)|index]] between 0 and 1 (which allows different indices to be added together), the following [[formula]] is used:

* <math>x\text{ index} = \frac{x - a}{b - a}</math>

where <math>a</math> and <math>b</math> are the [[maxima and minima|lowest and highest values]] the variable <math>x</math> can attain, respectively.

The Human Development Index (HDI) then represents the uniformly weighted sum with {{frac|1|3}} contributed by each of the following factor indices:

* [[Life Expectancy Index]] <math> = \frac{\text{LE} - 25} {85-25} = \frac{\text{LE} - 25} {60}</math>
* [[Education Index]] <math> = \frac{2} {3} \times \text{ALI} + \frac{1} {3} \times \text{GEI} </math>
** [[Adult Literacy Index]] (ALI) <math> = \frac{\text{ALR} - 0} {100 - 0} = \frac{\text{ALR}} {100}</math>
** [[Gross Enrollment Index]] (GEI) <math> = \frac{\text{CGER} - 0} {100 - 0} =\frac{\text{CGER}} {100}</math>
* [[GDP]] <math> = \frac{\log(\text{GDPpc}) - \log(100)} {\log(40000) - \log(100)} = \frac{\log(\text{GDPpc}) - \log(100)} {\log(400)}</math>
{{Break}}

== 2023 Human Development Index (2025 report) ==
{{Main|List of countries by Human Development Index}}
{{See also|List of countries by inequality-adjusted Human Development Index}}
[[File:Average annual HDI growth from 2010 to 2023 published in 2025.svg|alt=World map|thumb|Average annual HDI growth from 2010 to 2023 (published in 2025){{legend-col
|thumb size=wide
|{{Legend|#00112B|≥ 1.4%}}
|{{Legend|#08306B|1.2%…1.4%}}
|{{Legend|#08519c|1%…1.2%}}
|{{Legend|#2171b5|0.8%…1%}}
|{{Legend|#4292c6|0.6%…0.8%}}
|{{Legend|#6baed6|0.4%…0.6%}}
|{{Legend|#9ecae1|0.2%…0.4%}}
|{{Legend|#c6dbef|0%…0.2%}}
|{{Legend|#fcbba1|−0.5%…0%}}
|{{Legend|#fc9272|−1%…−0.5%}}
|{{Legend|#af321e|< −1%}}
|{{Legend|#e3dbdb|No data}}
}}]]
{{owidslider
|start   = 2023
|list    = Template:OWID/human development index#gallery
|location = commons
|caption = 
|title   = 
|language = 
|file    = [[File:human-development-index,World,2023 (cropped).svg|link=|thumb|upright=1.6|Human development index]]  
|startingView = World
}}
The Human Development Report 2025 by the [[United Nations Development Programme]] was released on 6 May 2025; the report calculates HDI values based on data collected in 2023.

Ranked from 1 to 74 in the year 2023, the following countries are considered to have "very high human development":<ref name="2022 components3">{{cite book |url=https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 - A matter of choice: People and possibilities in the age of AI |date=6 May 2025 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |isbn= |publication-date=6 May 2025 |pages= |access-date=6 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506064128/https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025 |archive-date=6 May 2025}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ {{sronly|Table of countries by HDI}}

<!-- Very High, High, Medium & Low HDI labels should not be added due to accessibility and sorting issues, mainly [[WP:DTAB]]. See also [[Talk:List of countries by Human Development Index#Very High, High, Medium & Low HDI labels]] for more details. -->
|-
!scope="colgroup"; colspan="2";  | Rank
!scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em; "| Country or territory
!scope="colgroup" colspan="2";| HDI
|-
!scope="col" style="width:5em;" data-sort-type="number"| 2023 data (2025 report){{Zero width space}}
!scope="col" style="width:5em;" data-sort-type="number"| Change since 2015{{Zero width space}}
!scope="col" style="width:5em;" data-sort-type="number"| 2023 data (2025 report){{Zero width space}}<ref name="2022 components32">{{cite book |url=https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 - A matter of choice: People and possibilities in the age of AI |date=6 May 2025 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |isbn= |publication-date=6 May 2025 |pages= |access-date=6 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506064128/https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2025 |archive-date=6 May 2025}}</ref>
!scope="col" style="width:5em;" data-sort-type="number"| Average annual growth (2010–2023){{Zero width space}}
|-
| 1|| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Iceland}}
| 0.972|| {{sort|0.28|{{increase}} 0.28%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2|| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Norway}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.970|| {{sort|0.25|{{increase}} 0.25%}}
|-
| {{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Switzerland}}
| {{sort|0.24|{{increase}} 0.24%}}
|-
| 4|| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Denmark}}
| 0.962|| {{sort|0.35|{{increase}} 0.35%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |5
| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Germany}}
| rowspan="2" |0.959
| {{sort|0.19|{{increase}} 0.19%}}
|-
| {{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Sweden}}
| {{sort|0.38|{{increase}} 0.38%}}
|-
|7
| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Australia}}
|0.958
| {{sort|0.20|{{increase}} 0.20%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 8|| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Netherlands}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.955|| {{sort|0.26|{{increase}} 0.26%}}
|-
| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Hong Kong}}
| {{sort|0.38|{{increase}} 0.38%}}
|-
|10
| {{sort|3|{{increase}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Belgium}}
|0.951
| {{sort|0.26|{{increase}} 0.26%}}
|-
| 11|| {{sort|4|{{increase}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Ireland}}
| 0.949|| {{sort|0.38|{{increase}} 0.38%}}
|-
|12
| {{sort|-4|{{decrease}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Finland}}
|0.948
| {{sort|0.27|{{increase}} 0.27%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 13|| {{sort|-2|{{decrease}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Singapore}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.946|| {{sort|0.25|{{increase}} 0.25%}}
|-
| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| {{sort|0.24|{{increase}} 0.24%}}
|-
| 15|| {{sort|27|{{increase}} (27)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
| 0.940|| {{sort|1.04|{{increase}} 1.04%}}
|-
| 16|| {{sort|-2|{{decrease}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Canada}}
| 0.939|| {{sort|0.22|{{increase}} 0.22%}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 17|| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Liechtenstein}}
| rowspan="3" | 0.938|| {{sort|0.23|{{increase}} 0.23%}}
|-
| {{sort|-5|{{decrease}} (5)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|New Zealand}}
| {{sort|0.13|{{increase}} 0.13%}}
|-
| {{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|United States}}
| {{sort|0.10|{{increase}} 0.10%}}
|-
| 20|| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|South Korea}}
| 0.937|| {{sort|0.36|{{increase}} 0.36%}}
|-
| 21|| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Slovenia}}
| 0.931|| {{sort|0.33|{{increase}} 0.33%}}
|-
|22
| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Austria}}
|0.930
| {{sort|0.21|{{increase}} 0.21%}}
|-
|23
| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Japan}}
|0.925
| {{sort|0.16|{{increase}} 0.16%}}
|-
|24
| {{sort|5|{{increase}} (5)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Malta}}
|0.924
| {{sort|0.50|{{increase}} 0.50%}}
|-
|25
| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Luxembourg}}
|0.922
| {{sort|0.14|{{increase}} 0.14%}}
|-
| 26|| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|France}}
| 0.920|| {{sort|0.28|{{increase}} 0.28%}}
|-
| 27|| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Israel}}
| 0.919|| {{sort|0.26|{{increase}} 0.26%}}
|-
| 28|| {{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Spain}}
| 0.918|| {{sort|0.40|{{increase}} 0.40%}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 29|| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Czechia}}
| rowspan="3" | 0.915|| {{sort|0.22|{{increase}} 0.22%}}
|-
| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Italy}}
| {{sort|0.24|{{increase}} 0.24%}}
|-
| {{sort|-2|{{decrease}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|San Marino}}
| {{sort|-0.32|{{decrease}} 0.32%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 32|| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Andorra}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.913|| {{sort|0.20|{{increase}} 0.20%}}
|-
| {{sort|3|{{increase}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Cyprus}}
| {{sort|0.45|{{increase}} 0.45%}}
|-
| 34|| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Greece}}
| 0.908|| {{sort|0.18|{{increase}} 0.18%}}
|-
|35
| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Poland}}
|0.906
| {{sort|0.35|{{increase}} 0.35%}}
|-
| 36|| {{sort|-5|{{decrease}} (5)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Estonia}}
| 0.905|| {{sort|0.33|{{increase}} 0.33%}}
|-
|37
| {{sort|9|{{increase}} (9)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|0.900
| {{sort|0.70|{{increase}} 0.70%}}
|-
| 38|| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Bahrain}}
| 0.899|| {{sort|0.80|{{increase}} 0.80%}}
|-
|39
| {{sort|-4|{{decrease}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Lithuania}}
|0.895
| {{sort|0.32|{{increase}} 0.32%}}
|-
| 40|| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Portugal}}
| 0.890|| {{sort|0.42|{{increase}} 0.42%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 41|| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Croatia}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.889|| {{sort|0.53|{{increase}} 0.53%}}
|-
| {{sort|4|{{increase}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Latvia}}
| {{sort|0.51|{{increase}} 0.51%}}
|-
| 43|| {{sort|-4|{{decrease}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Qatar}}
| 0.886|| {{sort|0.45|{{increase}} 0.45%}}
|-
|44
| {{sort|-6|{{decrease}} (6)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Slovakia}}
|0.880
| {{sort|0.14|{{increase}} 0.14%}}
|-
| 45|| {{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Chile}}
| 0.878|| {{sort|0.47|{{increase}} 0.47%}}
|-
| 46|| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Hungary}}
| 0.870|| {{sort|0.22|{{increase}} 0.22%}}
|-
| 47|| {{sort|-7|{{decrease}} (7)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Argentina}}
| 0.865|| {{sort|0.15|{{increase}} 0.15%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 48|| {{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Montenegro}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.862|| {{sort|0.38|{{increase}} 0.38%}}
|-
| {{sort|13|{{increase}} (13)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Uruguay}}
| {{sort|0.47|{{increase}} 0.47%}}
|-
|50
| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Oman}}
|0.858
| {{sort|0.22|{{increase}} 0.22%}}
|-
| 51|| {{sort|7|{{increase}} (7)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Turkey}}
| 0.853|| {{sort|1.10|{{increase}} 1.10%}}
|-
| 52|| {{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Kuwait}}
| 0.852|| {{sort|0.36|{{increase}} 0.36%}}
|-
| 53|| {{sort|-5|{{decrease}} (5)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}
| 0.851|| {{sort|0.18|{{increase}} 0.18%}}
|-
|54
|{{sort|5|{{increase}} (5)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Seychelles}}
|0.848
|{{sort|0.30|{{increase}} 0.30%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |55
|{{sort|1|{{increase}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Bulgaria}}
| rowspan="2" |0.845
|{{sort|0.09|{{increase}} 0.09%}}
|-
| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Romania}}
| {{sort|0.14|{{increase}} 0.14%}}
|-
|57
| {{sort|6|{{increase}} (6)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Georgia}}
|0.844
| {{sort|0.54|{{increase}} 0.54%}}
|-
| 58|| {{sort|-4|{{decrease}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
| 0.840|| {{sort|0.49|{{increase}} 0.49%}}
|-
|59
| {{sort|6|{{increase}} (6)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Panama}}
|0.839
| {{sort|0.47|{{increase}} 0.47%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 60|| {{sort|-12|{{decrease}} (12)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Brunei}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.837|| {{sort|+0.13|{{increase}} 0.13%}}
|-
|{{sort|-1|{{decrease}} (1)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
|{{sort|0.38|{{increase}} 0.38%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |62
| {{sort|3|{{increase}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Costa Rica}}
| rowspan="2" |0.833
| {{sort|0.39|{{increase}} 0.39%}}
|-
| {{sort|5|{{increase}} (5)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Serbia}}
| {{sort|0.39|{{increase}} 0.39%}}
|-
| 64|| {{sort|-12|{{decrease}} (12)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Russia}}
| 0.832|| {{sort|0.25|{{increase}} 0.25%}}
|-
|65
|{{sort|-10|{{decrease}} (10)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Belarus}}
|0.824
|{{sort|0.12|{{increase}} 0.12%}}
|-
| 66|| {{sort|-3|{{decrease}} (3)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Bahamas}}
| 0.820|| {{sort|0.21|{{increase}} 0.21%}}
|-
| 67|| {{sort|2|{{increase}} (2)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Malaysia}}
| 0.819|| {{sort|0.41|{{increase}} 0.41%}}
|-
|68
|{{sort|4|{{increase}} (4)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|North Macedonia}}
|0.815
|{{sort|0.21|{{increase}} 0.21%}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 69|| {{sort|9|{{increase}} (9)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Barbados}}
| rowspan="2" | 0.811|| {{sort|0.18|{{increase}} 0.18%}}
|-
|{{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Armenia}}
|{{sort|0.52|{{increase}} 0.52%}}
|-
|71
|{{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Albania}}
|0.810
|{{sort|0.25|{{increase}} 0.25%}}
|-
| 72|| {{sort|-10|{{decrease}} (10)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
| 0.807|| {{sort|0.30|{{increase}} 0.30%}}
|-
| 73|| {{sort|0|{{steady}}}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Mauritius}}
| 0.806|| {{sort|0.44|{{increase}} 0.44%}}
|-
|74
|{{sort|7|{{increase}} (7)}}
! style="text-align:left" scope="row" | {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
|0.804
|{{sort|0.68|{{increase}} 0.68%}}
|}

== Past top countries ==
The list below displays the top-ranked country from each year of the Human Development Index. Norway has been ranked the highest sixteen times, Canada eight times, Iceland three times, and Switzerland and Japan 2 times each.

=== In each original HDI ===
The year represents the time period from which the statistics for the index were derived. In parentheses is the year when the report was published.
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|* 2023 (2025): {{Flagcountry|Iceland}}
* 2022 (2024): {{Flagcountry|Switzerland}}
* 2021 (2022): {{Flagcountry|Switzerland}}
* 2019 (2020): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2018 (2019): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2017 (2018): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2015 (2016): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2014 (2015): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2013 (2014): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2012 (2013): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2011 (2011): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2010 (2010): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2007 (2009): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2006 (2008): {{Flagcountry|Iceland}}
* 2005 (2007): {{Flagcountry|Iceland}}
* 2004 (2006): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2003 (2005): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2002 (2004): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2001 (2003): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 2000 (2002): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 1999 (2001): {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
* 1998 (2000): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1997 (1999): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1995 (1998): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1994 (1997): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1993 (1996): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1992 (1995): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1994 (1994): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1993 (1993): {{Flagcountry|Japan}}
* 1990 (1992): {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
* 1990 (1991): {{Flagcountry|Japan}}
}}

== Geographical coverage ==
The HDI has extended its geographical coverage: David Hastings, of the [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]], published a report geographically extending the HDI to 230+ economies, whereas the UNDP HDI for 2009 enumerates 182 economies and coverage for the 2010 HDI dropped to 169 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unescap.org/publications/detail.asp?id=1308 |last=Hastings |first=David A. |year=2009 |title=Filling Gaps in the Human Development Index |work=United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Working Paper WP/09/02 |access-date=1 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430104401/http://www.unescap.org/publications/detail.asp?id=1308 |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.humansecurityindex.org/?page_id=204 |last=Hastings |first=David A. |year=2011 |title=A "Classic" Human Development Index with 232 Countries |work=HumanSecurityIndex.org |access-date=9 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503210307/http://www.humansecurityindex.org/?page_id=204 |archive-date=3 May 2011 |url-status=live  }} Information Note linked to data</ref>

==Country/region specific HDI lists==
{{Div col}}
* [[List of regions of Afghanistan by Human Development Index|Afghan regions]]
* [[List of provinces of Angola by Human Development Index|Angolan provinces]]
* [[List of African countries by Human Development Index|African countries]]
* [[List of counties of Albania by Human Development Index|Albanian counties]]
* [[List of Algerian regions by Human Development Index|Algerian regions]]
* [[List of Argentine provinces by Human Development Index|Argentine provinces]]
* [[List of Armenian provinces by Human Development Index|Armenian provinces]]
* [[List of Australian states and territories by Human Development Index|Australian states and territories]]
* [[List of Austrian states by Human Development Index|Austrian states]]
* [[List of regions of Azerbaijan by Human Development Index|Azerbaijani regions]]
* [[List of regions of Baltic States by Human Development Index|Baltic regions]]
*[[List of regions of Bangladesh by Human Development Index|Bangladeshi districts and divisions]]
* [[List of Belgian provinces by Human Development Index|Belgian provinces]]
* [[List of Bolivian departments by Human Development Index|Bolivian departments]]
* [[List of regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Human Development Index|Bosnia and Herzegovina regions]]
* [[List of Brazilian federative units by Human Development Index|Brazilian states]]
* [[List of Canadian provinces and territories by Human Development Index|Canadian provinces and territories]]
* [[List of Chilean Regions by Human Development Index|Chilean regions]]
* [[List of Chinese administrative divisions by Human Development Index|Chinese administrative divisions]]
* [[List of Colombian departments by Human Development Index|Colombian departments]]
* [[List of Croatian counties by Human Development Index|Croatian counties]]
* [[List of Danish regions by Human Development Index|Danish regions]]
* [[List of provinces of the Netherlands by Human Development Index|Dutch provinces]]
* [[List of governorates of Egypt by Human Development Index|Egyptian governorates]]
* [[List of Ethiopian regions by Human Development Index|Ethiopian regions]]
* [[List of sovereign states in Europe by Human Development Index|European countries]]
* [[List of Finnish regions by Human Development Index|Finnish regions]]
* [[List of French regions by Human Development Index|French regions]]
* [[List of German states by Human Development Index|German states]]
* [[List of Georgian regions by Human Development Index|Georgian regions]] 
* [[List of Greek regions by Human Development Index|Greek regions]] 
* [[List of Indian states by Human Development Index|Indian states]]
* [[List of districts in Tamil Nadu by Human Development Index|Tamil Nadu districts (India)]]
* [[List of Indonesian provinces by HDI|Indonesian provinces]]
* [[List of Iranian provinces by Human Development Index|Iranian provinces]]
* [[List of Governorates of Iraq by Human Development Index|Iraqi governorates]]
* [[List of Italian regions by Human Development Index|Italian regions]]
* [[List of regions of Kazakhstan by Human Development Index|Kazakhstan regions]]
* [[List of Japanese prefectures by Human Development Index|Japanese prefectures]]
* [[List of Jordanian governorates by Human Development Index|Jordanian governorates]]
* [[List of Latin American countries by Human Development Index|Latin American countries]]
* [[List of Malaysian states by Human Development Index|Malaysian states]]
* [[List of Mexican states by Human Development Index|Mexican states]]
* [[List of administrative divisions of Myanmar by Human Development Index|Myanmar administrative divisions]]
* [[List of Nepalese provinces by Human Development Index|Nepalese provinces]]
* [[List of regions of New Zealand by Human Development Index|New Zealand regions]]
* [[List of Nigerian states by Human Development Index|Nigerian states]]
*[[List of Norwegian regions by Human Development Index|Norwegian regions]]
* [[List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index|Pakistani administrative units]]
* [[List of Philippine provinces by HDI|Philippine provinces]]
* [[List of regions of Palestine by Human Development Index|Palestinian regions]]
* [[List of Polish voivodeships by Human Development Index|Polish voivodeships]]
* [[List of Portuguese regions by Human Development Index|Portuguese Regions]]
* [[List of Romanian regions by Human Development Index|Romanian regions]]
* [[List of federal subjects of Russia by Human Development Index|Russian federal subjects]]
* [[List of Serbian regions by Human Development Index|Serbian Regions]]
* [[List of South African provinces by HDI|South African provinces]]
* [[List of regions of South Korea by Human Development Index|South Korean regions]]
* [[List of Spanish autonomous communities by Human Development Index|Spanish communities]]
* [[List of Swedish regions by Human Development Index|Swedish regions]]
* [[List of governorates of Syria by Human Development Index|Syrian governorates ]]
* [[List of regions of Switzerland by Human Development Index|Swiss regions]]
* [[List of regions of Thailand by Human Development Index|Thai regions]]
* [[List of Turkish regions by Human Development Index|Turkish regions]]
* [[List of regions of the United Kingdom by Human Development Index|UK regions]]
* [[List of Ukrainian regions by Human Development Index|Ukrainian regions]]
* [[List of U.S. states by Human Development Index|U.S. states]] ([[American Human Development Report]] (AHDR))
* [[Ranked list of Venezuelan states#By human development index|Venezuelan states]]
* [[List of Vietnamese regions by Human Development Index|Vietnamese regions]]
{{Div col end}}

== Criticism ==
[[File:Per-capita-co-emissions-vs-human-development-index.svg|thumb|HDI in relation to consumption-based {{chem2|CO2}} emissions per capita]]
The Human Development Index has been criticized on a number of grounds, including focusing exclusively on national performance and ranking, lack of attention to development from a global perspective, measurement error of the underlying statistics, and on the UNDP's changes in formula which can lead to severe misclassification of "low", "medium", "high" or "very high" human development countries.<ref name="Wolff et al. 2011">{{cite journal |last1=Wolff |first1=Hendrik |last2=Chong |first2=Howard |last3=Auffhammer |first3=Maximilian |year=2011 |title=Classification, Detection and Consequences of Data Error: Evidence from the Human Development Index |journal=Economic Journal |volume=121 |issue=553 |pages=843–870 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0297.2010.02408.x |s2cid=18069132 |url=https://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/articles/338 |hdl=1813/71597 |hdl-access=free |access-date=13 July 2019 |archive-date=8 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808041651/https://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/articles/338/ |url-status=live  |issn=0013-0133}}</ref>

There have also been various criticism towards the lack of consideration regarding sustainability<ref>{{Cite journal |last=WWF |first=WWF |title=Living Planet Report 2014 |url=http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/723/files/original/WWF-LPR2014-low_res.pdf?1413912230 |journal=[[Living Planet Report]] |volume=2014 |pages=60–62 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214183721/http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/723/files/original/WWF-LPR2014-low_res.pdf?1413912230 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (which later got addressed by the [[planetary pressures-adjusted HDI]]), social inequality<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Harttgen |first1=Kenneth |last2=Klasen |first2=Stephan |date=2012-05-01 |title=A Household-Based Human Development Index |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X11002336 |journal=World Development |volume=40 |issue=5 |pages=878–899 |doi=10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.09.011 |issn=0305-750X|hdl=10419/37505 |hdl-access=free |url-access=subscription }}</ref> (which got addressed by the [[inequality-adjusted HDI]]), [[unemployment]]<ref name="b208"/> or [[democracy]].<ref name="b208">{{cite journal | last=Leiwakabessy | first=Erly | last2=Amaluddin | first2=Amaluddin | title=A Modified Human Development Index, Democracy And Economic Growth In Indonesia | journal=Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews | volume=8 | issue=2 | date=2 May 2020 | issn=2395-6518 | doi=10.18510/hssr.2020.8282 | pages=732–743| doi-access=free }}</ref>

The removal of [[literacy]] from HDI has been criticized because [[educational attainment]] evaluates only the quantity of education but not the quality or the outcomes of education and can result in [[perverse incentive]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kovacevic |first=Milorad |date=2011 |title=Review of HDI Critiques and Potential Improvements |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdrp201033.pdf |access-date=27 August 2025 |website=United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Reports, Research Paper 2010/33}}</ref> 

Economists Hendrik Wolff, Howard Chong and [[Maximilian Auffhammer]] discuss the HDI from the perspective of data error in the underlying health, education and income statistics used to construct the HDI. They have identified three sources of data error which are: (i) data updating, (ii) formula revisions and (iii) thresholds to classify a country's development status. They conclude that 11%, 21% and 34% of all countries can be interpreted as currently misclassified in the development bins due to the three sources of data error, respectively. Wolff, Chong and Auffhammer suggest that the United Nations should discontinue the practice of classifying countries into development bins because the cut-off values seem arbitrary, and the classifications can provide incentives for strategic behavior in reporting official statistics, as well as having the potential to misguide politicians, investors, charity donors and the public who use the HDI at large.<ref name="Wolff et al. 2011" />

In 2010, the UNDP reacted to the criticism by updating the thresholds to classify nations as low, medium, and high human development countries. In a comment to ''[[The Economist]]'' in early January 2011, the Human Development Report Office responded<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/user/UNDP%2BHuman%2BDevelopment%2BReport%2BOffice/comments |title=UNDP Human Development Report Office's comments |date=January 2011 |newspaper=The Economist |access-date=12 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211083547/http://www.economist.com/user/UNDP%2BHuman%2BDevelopment%2BReport%2BOffice/comments |archive-date=11 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to an article published in the magazine on 6&nbsp;January 2011<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/international/2011/01/06/wrong-numbers |title=The Economist (pages 60–61 in the issue of Jan 8, 2011) |date=6 January 2011 |access-date=12 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113063006/http://www.economist.com/node/17849159?story_id=17849159 |archive-date=13 January 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> which discusses the Wolff ''et al.'' paper. The Human Development Report Office states that they undertook a systematic revision of the methods used for the calculation of the HDI, and that the new methodology directly addresses the critique by Wolff ''et al.'' in that it generates a system for continuously updating the human-development categories whenever formula or data revisions take place.

In 2013, Salvatore Monni and Alessandro Spaventa emphasized that in the debate of GDP versus HDI, it is often forgotten that these are both external indicators that prioritize different benchmarks upon which the quantification of societal welfare can be predicated. The larger question is whether it is possible to shift the focus of policy from a battle between competing paradigms to a mechanism for eliciting information on well-being directly from the population.<ref name="Monni and Spaventa, 2013">{{cite journal |last1=Monni |first1=Salvatore |last2=Spaventa |first2=Alessandro |year=2013 |title=Beyond Gdp and HDI: Shifting the focus from Paradigms to Politics |journal=Development |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=227–231 |doi=10.1057/dev.2013.30 |s2cid=84722678 }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Modern history|World}}

* [[Corruption Perceptions Index]]
* [[Gender Inequality Index]]
* [[International development]]
* [[Legatum Prosperity Index]]
* [[List of sovereign states by percentage of population living in poverty]]
* [[OECD Better Life Index]] (BLI)
* [[Right to an adequate standard of living]]
* [[Social Progress Index]]
* [[Sustainable Development Goals]] (SDGs)
* [[Where-to-be-born Index]]
* [[World Happiness Report]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Human Development Index}}
* [http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi Human Development Index]
* [http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/ Human Development Tools and Rankings]

{{Global economic classifications}}
{{Population country lists}}
{{Quality of life country lists}}
{{Deprivation Indicators}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Human Development Index| ]]
[[Category:Development economics]]
[[Category:Environmental economics]]
[[Category:International rankings]]
[[Category:Science and technology in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistani inventions]]
[[Category:1990 establishments]]

[[sah:HDI]]