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List of countries by Human Development Index facts for kids

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HDI2022map
World map representing Human Development Index categories (based on 2022 data, published in 2024)
  •      Very high (≥ 0.800)
  •      High (0.700–0.799)
  •      Medium (0.550–0.699)
  •      Low (≤ 0.549)
  •      Data unavailable
HDI2022Incrimental
World map of countries or territories by Human Development Index scores in increments of 0.050 (based on 2022 data, published in 2024)
  •      ≥ 0.950
  •      0.900–0.950
  •      0.850–0.899
  •      0.800–0.849
  •      0.750–0.799
  •      0.700–0.749
  •      0.650–0.699
  •      0.600–0.649
  •      0.550–0.599
  •      0.500–0.549
  •      0.450–0.499
  •      0.400–0.449
  •      ≤ 0.399
  •      Data unavailable

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) compiles the Human Development Index (HDI) of 193 nations in the annual Human Development Report. The index considers the health, education, income and living conditions in a given country to provide a measure of human development which is comparable between countries and over time.

The HDI is the most widely used indicator of human development and has changed how people view the concept. However, several aspects of the index have received criticism. Some scholars have criticized how the factors are weighed, in particular how an additional year of life expectancy is valued differently between countries; and the limited factors it considers, noting the omission of factors such as the levels of distributional and gender inequality. In response to the former, the UNDP introduced the inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) in its 2010 report, and in response to the latter the Gender Development Index (GDI) was introduced in the 1995 report. Others have criticized the perceived oversimplification of using a single number per country.

To reflect developmental differences within countries, a subnational HDI (SHDI) featuring data for more than 1,600 regions was introduced in 2018 by the Global Data Lab at Radboud University in the Netherlands. In 2020, the UNDP introduced another index, the planetary pressures–adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI), which decreases the scores of countries with a higher ecological footprint.

Dimensions and indicators

The HDI was first published in 1990 with the goal of being a more comprehensive measure of human development than purely economic measures such as gross domestic product. The index incorporates three dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and decent living standards. Various indicators are used to quantify how countries perform on each dimension. The indicators used in the 2022 report were life expectancy at birth; expected years of schooling for children; mean years of schooling for adults; and gross national income per capita. The indicators are used to create a health index, an education index and an income index, each with a value between 0 and 1. The geometric mean of the three indices—that is, the cube root of the product of the indices—is the human development index. A value above 0.800 is classified as very high, between 0.700 and 0.799 as high, 0.550 to 0.699 as medium, and below 0.550 as low.

The data used to calculate HDI comes mostly from United Nations agencies and international institutions, such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Rarely, when one of the indicators is missing, cross-country regression models are used. Due to improved data and methodology updates, HDI values are not comparable across human development reports; instead, each report recalculates the HDI for some previous years.

Average annual HDI growth from 2010 to 2021 published in 2022
Average annual HDI growth from 2010 to 2021 published in 2022
  •      ≥ 1.4%
  •      1.2%…1.4%
  •      1%…1.2%
  •      0.8%…1%
  •      0.6%…0.8%
  •      0.4%…0.6%
  •      0.2%…0.4%
  •      0%…0.2%
  •      −0.5%…0%
  •      −1%…−0.5%
  •      < −1%
  •      No data
HDI dimensions and indicators
Dimensions Indicators Dimension index
Long and healthy life Life expectancy at birth Life expectancy index
Knowledge Expected years of schooling
Mean years of schooling		 Education index
A decent standard of living GNI per capita (PPP $) GNI index

List

The Human Development Report includes data for all 193 member states of the United Nations, as well as Hong Kong SAR and the State of Palestine. However, the Human Development Index is not calculated for two UN member states: DPR Korea (North Korea) and Monaco, only some components of the index are calculated for these two countries. The Cook Islands, the Holy See (Vatican City), and Niue are the only three state parties within the United Nations System which are not included in the report. In total, the HDI is available for 192 countries and one territory.

Countries ranked from 1 to 69 in 2022 are designated "very high" HDI; those ranked from 70 to 115 are designated "high" HDI; those ranked from 116 to 159 are denoted "medium" HDI; and those ranked from 160 to 193 are designated "low" HDI.

Data are for the year 2022.


Rank Δ Country or territory HDI value  %
annual growth
(2010–2022)
1 Steady  Switzerland 0.967 Increase 0.24%
2 Decrease (1)  Norway 0.966 Increase 0.25%
3 Steady  Iceland 0.959 Increase 0.28%
4 Increase (2)  Hong Kong 0.956 Increase 0.38%
5 Increase (1)  Denmark 0.952 Increase 0.35%
Steady  Sweden Increase 0.38%
7 Increase (8)  Ireland 0.950 Increase 0.38%
Decrease (3)  Germany Increase 0.19%
9 Decrease (1)  Singapore 0.949 Increase 0.25%
10 Increase (1)  Netherlands 0.946 Increase 0.26%
Decrease (1)  Australia Increase 0.20%
12 Increase (2)  Liechtenstein 0.942 Increase 0.23%
Increase (3)  Belgium Increase 0.26%
Steady  Finland Increase 0.27%
15 Increase (3)  United Kingdom 0.940 Increase 0.24%
16 Decrease (7)  New Zealand 0.939 Increase 0.13%
17 Increase (19)  United Arab Emirates 0.937 Increase 1.04%
18 Decrease (5)  Canada 0.935 Increase 0.22%
19 Increase (3)  South Korea 0.929 Increase 0.36%
20 Decrease (1)  Luxembourg 0.927 Increase 0.14%
Decrease (5)  United States Increase 0.10%
22 Increase (1)  Slovenia 0.926 Increase 0.33%
Decrease (1)  Austria Increase 0.21%
24 Decrease (4)  Japan 0.920 Increase 0.16%
25 Decrease (1)  Israel 0.915 Increase 0.26%
Increase (3)  Malta Increase 0.50%
27 Steady  Spain 0.911 Increase 0.40%
28 Decrease (3)  France 0.910 Increase 0.28%
29 Increase (3)  Cyprus 0.907 Increase 0.45%
30 Steady  Italy 0.906 Increase 0.24%
31 Decrease (2)  Estonia 0.899 Increase 0.33%
32 Decrease (6)  Czech Republic 0.895 Increase 0.22%
33 Decrease (3)  Greece 0.893 Increase 0.18%
34 Increase (3)  Bahrain 0.888 Increase 0.80%
35 Increase (3)  Andorra 0.884 Increase 0.20%
36 Decrease (2)  Poland 0.881 Increase 0.35%
37 Increase (2)  Latvia 0.879 Increase 0.51%
Decrease (2)  Lithuania Increase 0.32%
39 Increase (6)  Croatia 0.878 Increase 0.53%
40 Steady  Qatar 0.875 Increase 0.45%
Increase (6)  Saudi Arabia Increase 0.70%
42 Steady  Portugal 0.874 Increase 0.42%
43 Decrease (10)  San Marino 0.867 Decrease 0.32%
44 Steady  Chile 0.860 Increase 0.47%
45 Increase (9)  Turkey 0.855 Increase 1.10%
Decrease (5)  Slovakia Increase 0.14%
47 Steady  Hungary 0.851 Increase 0.22%
48 Decrease (6)  Argentina 0.849 Increase 0.15%
49 Steady  Kuwait 0.847 Increase 0.36%
50 Increase (1)  Montenegro 0.844 Increase 0.38%
51 Decrease (2)  Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.838 Increase 0.49%
52 Increase (8)  Uruguay 0.830 Increase 0.47%
53 Increase (3)  Romania 0.827 Increase 0.14%
54 Increase (1)  Antigua and Barbuda 0.826 Increase 0.18%
55 Increase (7)  Brunei 0.836 Increase 0.13%
56 Decrease (3)  Russia 0.821 Increase 0.25%
57 Increase (3)  Bahamas 0.820 Increase 0.21%
Increase (5)  Panama Increase 0.47%
59 Decrease (7)  Oman 0.819 Increase 0.22%
60 Decrease (3)  Trinidad and Tobago 0.814 Increase 0.30%
Increase (4)  Georgia Increase 0.54%
62 Increase (2)  Barbados 0.809 Increase 0.18%
63 Increase (6)  Malaysia 0.807 Increase 0.41%
64 Increase (5)  Costa Rica 0.806 Increase 0.39%
65 Increase (3)  Serbia 0.805 Increase 0.39%
66 Increase (6)  Thailand 0.803 Increase 0.65%
67 Decrease (1)  Seychelles 0.802 Increase 0.30%
Decrease (4)  Kazakhstan Increase 0.38%
69 Decrease (11)  Belarus 0.801 Increase 0.12%
70 Decrease (12)  Bulgaria 0.799 Increase 0.09%
71 Increase (3)  Palau 0.797 Increase 0.23%
72 Decrease (1)  Mauritius 0.796 Increase 0.44%
73 Steady  Grenada 0.793 Increase 0.15%
74 Decrease (8)  Albania 0.789 Increase 0.25%
75 Increase (18)  China 0.788 Increase 1.02%
76 Increase (2)  Armenia 0.786 Increase 0.52%
77 Increase (1)  Mexico 0.781 Increase 0.37%
78 Decrease (4)  Iran 0.780 Increase 0.26%
Increase (6)  Sri Lanka Increase 0.50%
80 Increase (7)  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.779 Increase 0.68%
81 Decrease (5)  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.772 Increase 0.17%
82 Increase (12)  Dominican Republic 0.766 Increase 0.67%
83 Decrease (1)  Ecuador 0.765 Increase 0.32%
Decrease (7)  North Macedonia Increase 0.21%
85 Decrease (4)  Cuba 0.764 Decrease 0.16%
86 Increase (5)  Moldova 0.763 Increase 0.53%
87 Increase (13)  Maldives 0.762 Increase 0.81%
Decrease (2)  Peru Increase 0.42%
89 Increase (1)  Azerbaijan 0.760 Increase 0.30%
Steady  Brazil Increase 0.43%
91 Decrease (6)  Colombia 0.758 Increase 0.29%
92 Decrease (1)  Libya 0.746 Decrease 0.31%
93 Increase (5)  Algeria 0.745 Increase 0.27%
94 Increase (7)  Turkmenistan 0.744 Increase 0.52%
95 Increase (27)  Guyana 0.742 Increase 1.11%
96 Decrease (2)  Mongolia 0.741 Increase 0.48%
97 Increase (8)  Dominica 0.740 Increase 0.06%
98 Increase (5)  Tonga 0.739 Increase 0.35%
99 Decrease (3)  Jordan 0.736 Increase 0.10%
100 Decrease (18)  Ukraine 0.734 Decrease 0.35%
101 Increase (1)  Tunisia 0.732 Increase 0.22%
102 Increase (17)  Marshall Islands 0.731 NA
Decrease (6)  Paraguay Increase 0.36%
104 Increase (2)  Fiji 0.729 Increase 0.35%
105 Increase (11)  Egypt 0.728 Increase 0.73%
106 Increase (6)  Uzbekistan 0.727 Increase 0.62%
107 Increase (7)  Vietnam 0.726 Increase 0.60%
108 Decrease (10)  Saint Lucia 0.725 Decrease 0.07%
109 Decrease (21)  Lebanon 0.723 Decrease 0.29%
110 Decrease (6)  South Africa 0.717 Increase 0.50%
111 Decrease (2)  Palestine 0.716 Increase 0.33%
112 Increase (1)  Indonesia 0.713 Increase 0.56%
113 Increase (2)  Philippines 0.710 Increase 0.45%
114 Increase (5)  Botswana 0.708 Increase 0.69%
115 Decrease (7)  Jamaica 0.706 Decrease 0.06%
116 Decrease (7)  Samoa 0.702 Decrease 0.02%
117 Increase (1)  Kyrgyzstan 0.701 Increase 0.49%
118 Decrease (11)  Belize 0.700 Decrease 0.23%
119 Decrease (39)  Venezuela 0.699 Decrease 0.68%
120 Increase (5)  Morocco 0.698 Increase 1.21%
Decrease (1)  Bolivia Increase 0.45%
122 Increase (9)  Nauru 0.696 Increase 1.84%
123 Decrease (6)  Gabon 0.693 Increase 0.46%
124 Decrease (13)  Suriname 0.690 Decrease 0.07%
125 Increase (10)  Bhutan 0.681 Increase 1.32%
126 Increase (2)  Tajikistan 0.679 Increase 0.61%
127 Decrease (4)  El Salvador 0.674 Increase 0.21%
128 Decrease (3)  Iraq 0.673 Increase 0.57%
129 Increase (12)  Bangladesh 0.670 Increase 1.54%
130 Steady  Nicaragua 0.669 Increase 0.76%
131 Decrease (7)  Cape Verde 0.661 Increase 0.15%
132 Decrease (7)  Tuvalu 0.653 Increase 0.39%
133 Decrease (4)  Equatorial Guinea 0.650 Increase 0.54%
134 Increase (4)  India 0.644 Increase 0.99%
135 Decrease (4)  Micronesia 0.634 Decrease 0.13%
136 Decrease (3)  Guatemala 0.629 Increase 0.21%
137 Decrease (2)  Kiribati 0.628 Increase 0.61%
138 Increase (1)  Honduras 0.624 Increase 0.38%
139 Increase (2)  Laos 0.620 Increase 0.90%
140 Increase (4)  Vanuatu 0.614 Increase 0.50%
141 Increase (2)  São Tomé and Príncipe 0.613 Increase 0.86%
142 Increase (5)  Eswatini 0.610 Increase 1.70%
Decrease (8)  Namibia Increase 0.36%
144 Increase (10)  Myanmar 0.608 Increase 1.54%
145 Increase (1)  Ghana 0.602 Increase 0.44%
146 Increase (3)  Nepal 0.601 Increase 0.85%
Increase (2)  Kenya Increase 0.82%
148 Increase (2)  Cambodia 0.600 Increase 0.85%
149 Decrease (10)  Congo 0.593 Increase 0.17%
150 Decrease (5)  Angola 0.591 Increase 1.14%
151 Increase (1)  Cameroon 0.587 Increase 1.10%
152 Increase (3)  Comoros 0.586 Increase 0.94%
153 Decrease (2)  Zambia 0.569 Increase 0.63%
154 Increase (5)  Papua New Guinea 0.568 Increase 1.12%
155 Decrease (18)  Timor-Leste 0.566 Decrease 1.01%
156 Decrease (4)  Solomon Islands 0.562 Increase 0.13%
157 Decrease (1)  Syria 0.557 Decrease 1.42%
158 Decrease (1)  Haiti 0.552 Increase 1.74%
159 Increase (2)  Uganda 0.550 Increase 0.80%
Decrease (1)  Zimbabwe Increase 1.12%
161 Increase (5)  Rwanda 0.548 Increase 1.02%
Increase (2)  Nigeria Increase 0.97%
163 Increase (2)  Togo 0.547 Increase 1.29%
164 Decrease (3)  Pakistan 0.540 Increase 0.71%
Decrease (4)  Mauritania Increase 0.51%
166 Increase (4)  Ivory Coast 0.534 Increase 1.07%
167 Increase (2)  Tanzania 0.532 Increase 0.64%
168 Steady  Lesotho 0.521 Increase 0.86%
169 Increase (1)  Senegal 0.517 Increase 0.80%
170 Decrease (6)  Sudan 0.516 Increase 0.45%
171 Increase (4)  Djibouti 0.515 Increase 1.67%
172 Increase (1)  Malawi 0.508 Increase 0.81%
173 Decrease (7)  Benin 0.504 Increase 0.39%
174 Increase (5)  Gambia 0.495 Increase 0.82%
175 Steady  Eritrea 0.493 Increase 0.62%
176 Increase (5)  Ethiopia 0.492 Increase 1.55%
177 Steady  Liberia 0.487 Increase 0.48%
Decrease (5)  Madagascar Decrease 0.02%
179 Decrease (1)  Guinea-Bissau 0.483 Increase 0.76%
180 Steady  DR Congo 0.481 Increase 1.06%
181 Increase (2)  Guinea 0.471 Increase 1.06%
182 Decrease (8)  Afghanistan 0.462 Increase 0.24%
183 Increase (1)  Mozambique 0.461 Increase 1.04%
184 Increase (1)  Sierra Leone 0.458 Increase 0.80%
185 Increase (2)  Burkina Faso 0.438 Increase 1.37%
186 Decrease (5)  Yemen 0.424 Decrease 1.30%
187 Decrease (1)  Burundi 0.420 Increase 0.32%
188 Steady  Mali 0.410 Increase 0.08%
189 Increase (2)  Niger 0.394 Increase 1.34%
Steady  Chad Increase 0.66%
191 Steady  Central African Republic 0.387 Increase 0.67%
192 Decrease (2)  South Sudan 0.381 Decrease 0.53%
193 NA  Somalia 0.380 NA

Regions and groups

The Human Development Report also reports the HDI for various groups of countries. These include regional groupings based on the UNDP regional classifications, HDI groups including the countries currently falling into a given HDI bracket, OECD members and various other UN groupings. The aggregate HDI values are calculated in the same way as for individual countries with the input data being the weighted average for all countries with available data in the group.


Table of regions and groups by HDI
Region or group 1990 2000 2010 2020 2021 2022
OECD 0.795 0.840 0.875 0.897 0.899 0.906
Very high human development 0.784 0.826 0.868 0.895 0.896 0.902
Europe and Central Asia 0.664 0.681 0.746 0.793 0.796 0.802
East Asia and the Pacific 0.507 0.592 0.684 0.748 0.749 0.766
High human development 0.557 0.625 0.700 0.753 0.754 0.764
Latin America and the Caribbean 0.633 0.689 0.733 0.755 0.754 0.763
World 0.601 0.645 0.697 0.735 0.732 0.739
Small Island Developing States 0.601 0.649 0.693 0.732 0.730 0.730
Arab states 0.555 0.618 0.676 0.708 0.708 0.704
Developing countries 0.513 0.569 0.638 0.687 0.685 0.694
South Asia 0.442 0.500 0.576 0.638 0.632 0.641
Medium human development 0.453 0.506 0.582 0.642 0.636 0.640
Sub-Saharan Africa 0.407 0.430 0.503 0.549 0.547 0.549
Least developed countries 0.357 0.408 0.487 0.542 0.540 0.542
Low human development 0.356 0.399 0.477 0.519 0.518 0.517

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Países por índice de desarrollo humano para niños

  • List of countries by Human Development Index by region
    • Africa
    • Asia and Oceania
    • Europe
    • Latin America
  • List of countries by inequality-adjusted Human Development Index
  • List of countries by planetary pressures–adjusted Human Development Index
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