Switzerland is the country with the best Human Development Index according to 2021 data.
The Human Development Index is a statistical indicator that compiles information on the standard of living that prevails in each nation . It is generally expressed with the acronym HDI .
Originating from the Latin index , the word index describes an indication, a reference or a sign that accounts for a certain thing . The term can be used to identify the numerical structure that reveals the relationship between various classes of indicators or between a pair of quantities.
Development , for its part, is the fact and result of progressing or developing (increasing, increasing or increasing something of an intellectual, physical or moral nature). Human , finally, is that which is associated or related to man .
The HDI is under the responsibility of the United Nations Development Program ( UNDP ), an organization that conceives human development as driving the potential progress of subjects .
The origin of the Human Development Index
The HDI began to be used in 1990 through a project launched by the UN . Until that moment, the development of countries was measured by their economic growth, but given certain research it was noted that this number did not respond to human development, but rather to commercial development, therefore the Human Development Index was specifically created.
This project was announced under the argument that people are the true wealth of a nation and that it was necessary to take them into account more than economic profits. Thanks to it, a list can be established to classify each country taking into account not only economic income , but also indicators that respond to health and education issues, mainly.
African countries usually present the worst indicators in the Human Development Index.
Your measurement
This index includes the average income of each individual and their health and education, taking into account other indicators such as life expectancy and average schooling in adults and school-age children.
At the moment these are the main variables that are taken into account when measuring the development index; However, the UNDP seeks other ways of knowing human development, analyzing the level of democracy , sustainability , freedom of expression and inequality .
According to the various statistics carried out from the numerous censuses carried out in each country, it is possible to obtain knowledge of life expectancy at the time of birth; the level of literacy in adults; student attendance at primary, secondary and higher levels; the years of compulsory education; and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person. These statistics allow us to obtain a figure that reflects the human development of each territory.
Best and worst countries according to the Human Development Index
The most unequal continent in Human Development is Latin America, with countries that occupy the bottom of the list and others that are in the middle. The best country on this continent in terms of HDI is Chile , which ranks 42nd worldwide.
In other data collected in the 2021 report, it can be seen that Switzerland is the country with the best HDI : 0.962 points. They are followed by Norway, Iceland, Hong Kong and Australia , in that order. At the other extreme, the nation with the worst HDI is South Sudan (0.385), with a result barely higher than Chad, Niger and the Central African Republic.