Explaining the Human Development Index (HDI)

This topic video looks at the Human Development Index published each year by the UN Development Programme.

The data for the 2022 Human Development Index is now available and Switzerland has overtaken Norway to claim top spot in this composite indicator of development. However, for the second year in a row, the overall Global Human Development Index has fallen reflecting the damage on incomes, education and health outcomes wrought by the covid-19 pandemic.

The Human Development Index provides an accessible measure of progress in three important aspects of human life - education, health and a decent standard of living. Naturally however, there are limitations in the basic approach to HDI measurement including the absence of weighting given to income and wealth inequality, gender inequality, well-being and perceived human security and also sustainable development indicators.