HDI Report 2025: Check Highest and Lowest Human Development Index Scored Countries; India’s Position May Surprise You

Measuring a nation's success involves more than just its buildings or economy; it also involves how well its citizens live. The HDI, or Human Development Index, is a suitable indicator in this situation. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) created it to offer a more comprehensive viewpoint that takes national income, health, and education into account. It allows one to concentrate on a far more important question: do people have the chance to live long, healthy, and satisfying lives?

The significance of HDI rankings lies in their ability to cut past clichéd, superficial statistics and reveal which nations are actually fostering circumstances that enable people to live decent lives. They provide you with information on progress that goes beyond GDP numbers.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest HDI

According to the 2023 Human Development Index (HDI), Iceland leads the world with the highest score. 

The table below lists the top-ranking countries and includes India's position for comparison.

Developed Countries Vs Least Developed Countries

The majority of developed nations fall into the very high human development tier with an HDI score of 0.8 or higher. These nations have strong, expanding economies, stable governments, high life expectancies and quality of life, and widely available, reasonably priced healthcare and education.

The world's least-developed nations (LDCs), on the other hand, fall into the "low human development" category and typically have HDI scores below 0.55. These countries deal with poor education, insecure governments, widespread poverty, and limited access to healthcare. These nations also have high birth rates, low incomes, and short life expectancies. This demonstrates the HDI's primary goal, which is to assist the UN in identifying which nations—particularly the least-developed nations—need the most aid.

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Countries with the Lowest Human Development Index

South Sudan, an African nation, has the lowest score and the most serious development issues according to the 2023 Human Development Index (HDI). The nations with the lowest HDI scores are listed in the table below.

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India’s HDI Rank among Neighbouring Countries

India has gotten its best HDI ranking in the latest UNDP HDI Ranking report, coming fourth in its neighbouring countries.

India’s Consistent Rise in Human Development 

India continues to rise in the HDI rankings, coming in at number 130 in the UNDP report from 2025. With an HDI value of 0.685 in 2023 compared to 0.676 in 2022, India moved closer to the high human development threshold (HDI > 0.700) and has already reached the medium human development category.

India's HDI score has increased by more than 53% since 1990, surpassing both the world and South Asian averages. This is a result of steady progress in significant areas of human development, strengthened by economic expansion and targeted welfare programs.