O Human development Index (HDI) is a comparative assessment prepared in 1990 by economists Amartya Sen and Mahbub ul Haq.
Its purpose is to measure the development of humanity based on information about the quality of life and the economy of a territory.
Origin of HDI
The HDI arose from the need to create a new index that took into account the social factors and not just the economic factors of a country.
Therefore, the Indian economist Amartya Sen and the Pakistani Mahbub ul Haq created a methodology that considered the role of the state for the well-being of society.
With this, the HDI breaks with the deterministic function of economic analysis, based only on indices such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), consumption, industrialization and family income.
The HDI became the main component of the Human Development Report (HDR), produced by UN (United Nations Organization). This report is part of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and helps United Nations agencies to prepare humanitarian aid plans.
In practice, the HDI is used in a comparative way, to distinguish countries by their degree of socioeconomic development.
Criticism of the HDI
However, some criticisms are made of this index and its implications.
Among them, the exclusion of ecological and sustainability data analysis stands out. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the HDI is flawed because it measures the quantity and quality of some sectors such as education.
Likewise, the HDI would only be a potential indicator that masks the inequality in the distribution of human development across the globe.
Calculation of HDI
In order to calculate the Human Development Index (HDI), three factors are considered: education, health and economy.
Let's see what data is used for each of these items.
education
Two numbers are taken into account: the literacy rate and the length of schooling.
The literacy level of a population reveals that everyone had the opportunity to receive the most elementary education, acquiring reading, writing and math skills.
The length of schooling, on the other hand, measures the time each citizen must remain in school to consider themselves educated.
These two numbers can reveal how extended the education of a territory is.
Health
Access to medicine, treatments and aspects that measure longevity demonstrate the real local health and quality of life conditions. All these numbers are considered to calculate the HDI.
Economy
Data such as GDP per capita and unemployment rate provide us with information about the standard of living and purchasing power achieved in each nation.
HDI scale
The HDI consists of a scale from 0.000 to 1 (0 to 1) and the closer to nº 1, the most developed is the nation. On the other hand, the closer to 0, the more underdeveloped the country.
- Countries with an index above 0.800 have a high HDI.
- Between 0.500 and 0.799 are considered to have a median HDI.
- From 0 to 0.499, the HDI is ranked below average.
HDI in the World
The countries that exhibit the best Human Development Index, according to 2016 data, are:
| Position | Parents | HDI |
|---|---|---|
| 1º | Norway | 0,949 |
| 2º | Australia | 0,939 |
| 2º | Switzerland | 0,939 |
| 4º | Germany | 0,926 |
| 5º | Denmark | 0,925 |
| 5º | Singapore | 0,925 |
| 7º | Netherlands | 0,924 |
| 8º | Ireland | 0,923 |
| 9º | Iceland | 0,921 |
| 10º | Canada | 0,920 |
| 10º | U.S | 0,920 |
The countries with the worst Human Development Indices in the world, according to 2016 data, are:
| Position | Parents | HDI |
|---|---|---|
| 179º | Sierra Leone | 0,420 |
| 179º | erythea | 0,420 |
| 181º | Mozambique | 0,418 |
| 181º | Southern Sudan | 0,418 |
| 183º | guinea | 0,414 |
| 184º | Burundi | 0,404 |
| 185º | Burkina Faso | 0,402 |
| 186º | Chad | 0,396 |
| 187º | Niger | 0,353 |
| 188º | Central African Republic | 0,353 |
HDI in Brazil
In Brazil, the HDI reached the index of 0.744 in 2014, placing the country in the 79th position among the 187 countries included in the survey.
This number is considered to be of high human development, as it demonstrates socioeconomic advances.
According to 2010 UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Data, the best HDI's by state they are:
- 1º: Federal District – 0,874
- 2º: Santa Catarina – 0,840
- 3º: Sao Paulo – 0,833
US counties Brazilians, stand out:
- 1º: São Caetano do Sul - SP - 0.862
- 2º: Águas de São Pedro - SP - 0.854
- 3º: Florianópolis - SC - 0.847
Curiosity
Amartya Sen was the first economist from an undeveloped country to win the Nobel Prize in Economics. He achieved this feat in 1998.
Also read:
- Developed countries
- Underdeveloped countries
- Emerging Countries
- Scandinavia
- Social inequality
- Enem geography: subjects that fall the most
- Questions about social inequality
