Global Human Development Index falls for 2nd straight year, India at 132
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has published its Human Development Index (HDI) report for 2021-22, noting that for the first time in 32 years that the UN agency has been calculating HDI, the index declined globally for two straight years. The report, titled ‘Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World’, and released on September 8, also stated that more than 90% countries saw a decline in their HDI score in either 2020 or 2021, while over 40% nations declined in both the years.The study identified the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war as the two primary reasons behind this fall.Here are a few things to know about the 2021-22 edition of the report:(1.) A total of 191 countries were analysed under this exercise, which is carried out annually. As always, the matrices were used to used to prepare the report were life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and gross national income (per capita).(2.) India, with an HDI score of 0.633, stood at 132, a spot down from its position in the 2020-21 rankings, when it scored 0.645. The study attributed this drop to failing life expectancy in the world’s fifth-largest economy (69.7 to 67.2 years).(3.) At 73 and with index value of 0.782, Sri Lanka emerged as the best performer from the Indian sub-continent. The island nation was followed by China (79 and 0.768), Bhutan (127 and 0.666), Bangladesh (129 and 0.661), India, Nepal (143 and 0.602) and Pakistan (161 and 0.544).(4.) European states were among the best overall performers, with as many as 8 in the top 10 of the list. These are Switzerland (1; 0.962), Norway (2; 0.961), Iceland (3; 0.959), Denmark (6; 0.948), Sweden (7; 0.947), Ireland (8; 0.945), Germany (9; 0.942) and Netherlands (10; 0.941).(5.) The only two non-European members among the top 10 were Hong Kong and Australia. The former, with an HDI value of 0.952, came fourth, while the latter was fifth with 0.951.
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