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HDI, Human Development Index — English
A statistical instrument used by the United Nations (UN) to measure the level of human wellbeing of a community or a specific group of people in a spatially demarcated or defined area, such as a city, region, country (but rarely an entire continent except for Australia which is a country as well as a continent). This index enables us to calculate a single figure or score (between 0 and 1) to express the quality of life of a community or group of people (rather than their standard of living). Different human and population attributes, or characteristics, or measurable descriptors can be used to describe the level of wellbeing in a community. The UN’s index uses a variety of descriptors, including cultural development, social wellbeing, as well as economic criteria. Attributes such as life expectancy, literacy, infant mortality, per capita income, gross domestic product (GDP), political rights, representation in decision-making and governance, freedom of speech, and many more, can be used to calculate a single figure, called the human development index (HDI). The UN has, however, standardised on three specific variables to be used to calculate a score (the HDI) for every country. These three variables are: average life expectancy at birth, adult literacy rate (measured as average number of years of schooling), and gross domestic product per capita (person) converted to purchasing power parity dollars (PPP). The UN Development Programme updates the published HDIs for all countries on an annual basis. The UN’s annually published HDIs do not involve any political criteria such as individual freedom and human rights.
