Human Development Index (HDI): India ranks 132 out of 191 countries

A report on the 2021 Human Development Index (HDI) is part of the Human Development Report 2021-2022 released by the United Nations Development Programme.

Human Development Index (HDI)

The Human Development Index HDI measures the average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development — a long and healthy life, education and a decent standard of living. Human Development Index is calculated using four indicators — life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita.

HDI Rank of India 2023

This score is a remarkable improvement compared to the South Asian region’s average value of 0.508 and is close to the world average of 0.465, and India ranks 132 out of 191 countries.

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Top 10 Countries Names with the Highest Human Development Index (HDI) – 2022

Human Development Index Rank report is given below.

1. Switzerland — .962
2. Norway — .961
3. Iceland — .959
4. Hong Kong (China) — .952
5. Australia — .951
6. Denmark — .948
7. Sweden — .947
8. Ireland — .945
9. Germany — .942
10. Netherlands — .941

UNDP’s Human Development Index HDI: Notably

• For the first time on record, the global Human Development Index (HDI) has dropped for two years in a row, taking the world back to just after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.
• Every year a few countries face declines on the HDI, but over 90 per cent of countries saw their HDI value drop in either 2020 or 2021.
• Furthermore, while only a third of very high HDI countries saw a decline in 2021 (compared with over 90 per cent in 2020), about 60 per cent of low and medium HDI and high HDI countries did (in 2021)”, the report notes.

Human Development Index- Indian Scenario

India ranked 132nd among 191 countries and territories on the 2021 Human Development Index (HDI). In the 2020 report, India had ranked 131st among 189 countries and territories. The decline in the country’s performance from its previous level was on account of a fall in life expectancy.

Human Development Index- Key points

• India’s latest HDI value of 0.633 places the country in the medium human development category, lower than its value of 0.645 in the 2020 report. The report attributes the drop in HDI from 0.645 in 2019 to 0.633 in 2021 to India’s falling life expectancy — from 69.7 years to 67.2 years during the survey period.
• India’s expected years of schooling stand at 11.9 years, down from 12.2 years in the 2020 report, although the mean years of schooling is up at 6.7 years from 6.5 years in the 2020 report.
• Although India retained its 132nd position in the Gender Development Index, the female life expectancy dropped from 71 years in the 2020 report to 68.8 years in the 2021 report.
• The mean years of schooling for females declined from 12.6 to 11.9 years in the corresponding period.
• India scored 0.123 in the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) with a headcount ratio of 27.9 per cent, with 8.8 per cent population reeling under severe multidimensional poverty. Over the last decade, India has lifted a staggering 271 million out of multidimensional poverty, the report noted.

Human Development Index- Asian Countries

Among India’s neighbours, Sri Lanka (73rd), China (79th), Bangladesh (129th), and Bhutan (127th) are ranked above India, while Pakistan (161st), Nepal (143rd), and Myanmar (149th) are worse off. The report said around 90 per cent of countries registered a decline in their HDI value in 2020 or in 2021.

Human Development Index: Top and Important countries in the list 2021

HDI rank	Country	HDI Value 2021
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
4	Hong Kong, China (SAR)	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
6	Denmark	0.948
7	Sweden	0.947
8	Ireland	0.945
9	Germany	0.942
10	Netherlands	0.941
18	United Kingdom	0.929
19	Japan	0.925
21	United States	0.921
79	China	0.768
132	India	0.633

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