What is Human Development Index, How is HDI Measured? Check Here

Human Development Index (HDI) 2025 Ranking List: According to the most recent UNDP 2025 Human Development Report, trade tensions, growing debt crises, and unemployment in a variety of industries are causing human development to slow down and make slow progress worldwide.

The Human Development Index (HDI) has been used by the UN since 1990 to assess and contrast the social and economic development of different countries. It is produced for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) by the Human Development Report Office.

What is Human Development Index?

The United Nations Development Programme created the Human Development Index, or HDI, as a way to measure a nation's "average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living." Since its initial release in 1990, the HDI has been published yearly, with the exception of 2012 and 2020–21. Even though HDI tends to rise over time internationally, in 2020 and 2021, the total HDI declined in over 90% of the 191 nations examined for the 2021/22 HDI report. A major factor in these decreases was the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftereffects.

How is HDI Calculated?

A country's Human Development Index value is calculated by adding up a nation's scores in a wide range of indicators, such as life expectancy, literacy rate, access to electricity for rural populations, GDP per capita, exports and imports, homicide rate, multidimensional poverty index, income inequality, internet availability, and many more. The sum of these indicators yields a single number between 0 and 1.0, where 1.0 represents the maximum level of human development. 

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Human Development Index (HDI) Categories 

HDI can be divided into four categories, depending on the scores from extremely high to low human development Index:

• Extremely High Human Development (HDI score of 0.8 to 1.0): This category represents countries with very high standards of living, excellent healthcare systems, long life expectancies, and a highly advanced education system.

• High Human Development (HDI score of 0.7 to 0.79): This category is for the countries that have achieved a high level of human development, indicated by advanced healthcare and education systems, good income levels, and high life expectancies.

• Medium Human Development (HDI score of 0.55 to 0.70): Countries in this category are still in a developing stage. However, these countries are showing progress in improving access to education and healthcare, but still face challenges in raising individual income levels and life expectancy to higher standards.

• Low Human Development (HDI score below 0.55): This score indicates countries are facing significant challenges, widespread poverty, limited access to basic education and healthcare, and a low standard of living and life expectancy.

The Human Development Index is a crucial instrument for measuring and assessing the advancement of different countries. The index provides crucial information regarding economic, educational, and health circumstances, helping nations in prioritizing measures that improve human welfare.

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