Human Development Index India’s Ranking 134 Out of 193 Countries

Context: According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report “Breaking the gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarised world” India has been ranked 134th in the Human Development Index.

Findings of Human Development Index (HDI)

• Improvement in Ranking: India’s HDI ranking improved to 134 out of 193 countries in 2022 from 135 out of 191 countries in 2021.
• Increased HDI Value: India’s HDI value rose to 0.644 in 2022, up from 0.633 in 2021, marking progress in human development.
• Advancements in HDI Indicators: India saw improvements across all HDI indicators, including life expectancy (from 67.2 to 67.7 years), education (expected years of schooling reached 12.6 and mean years of schooling increased to 6.57), and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (from USD 6,542 to USD 6,951).
• Medium Human Development Category: With the current HDI value, India is placed in the medium human development category.
  • The country’s HDI value has increased by 48.4% from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2022.

Gender Inequality Index (GII)

• Significant Rank Improvement: India’s rank on the GII improved markedly to 108 out of 193 countries in 2022, from 122 out of 191 countries in 2021, with a score improving from 0.490 to 0.437.
• Better Than Global and Regional Averages: India’s GII value of 0.437 is better than the global average of 0.462 and the South Asian average of 0.478.
• Progress in Reducing Gender Inequality: India has shown continuous improvement in reducing gender inequality, moving from rank 127 in 2014 to 108.
  • However, the country also has one of the largest gender gaps in its labour force participation rate — a 47.8 per cent difference between women (28.3 per cent) and men (76.1 per cent).
• Improvement in Reproductive Health: The adolescent birth rate in India improved to 16.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 in 2022, from 17.1 in 2021.

Policy Implications and Global Context

• Government Initiatives: The report credits government policies aimed at women’s empowerment and socio-economic and political development for the improvements in gender equality.
  • Initiatives span education, skill development, entrepreneurship, and safety in the workplace.
• Global Inequality Trends: The report highlights a resurgence in global inequality, noting that the gap between the richest and poorest countries is widening, reversing a two-decade trend of reducing disparities.
• Economic Concentration: It mentions that economic concentration is significant globally, with substantial portions of global trade and the market capitalisation of major tech companies concentrated in a few countries.
• Impact of Inequality on HDI: India’s loss in HDI due to inequality stands at 31.1%, with South Asia’s loss due to inequality being one of the highest globally.

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About Human Development Index

• The Human Development Index (HDI) assesses key aspects of human development beyond just income.
• It measures overall well-being, considering comprehensive criteria that account for more than financial status.
• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publishes the HDI.

Human Development Approach

• The index stems from the human development approach created by Mahbub ul Haq and is further influenced by Amartya Sen’s work on human capabilities.
• The HDI is framed around the ability of individuals to achieve desirable life outcomes.

Indicators

• Health Indicator: Life expectancy at birth is used to measure the health dimension of HDI.
• Education Indicators: The education dimension is assessed using two indicators:
  • Expected years of schooling and
  • Mean years of schooling.
• Living Standard Indicator: Gross National Income per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), evaluates the living standards.

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