After a fall in its HDI in the year 2021, India now ranks 134th out of 193 countries in the recently released Human Development Report titled, “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World.”
Key Highlights-
The report revealed that in the year 2022, India improved across all HDI indicators- life expectancy, education and Gross National Income (GNI). India’s life expectancy improved from 67.2 to 67.7 years. Then the mean years of schooling increased to 6.57, expected years of schooling reached 12.6 and GNI per capita rose from $6,542 to $6,951. With a total score of 0.644 in HDI, the latest Human Development Report placed India in the medium human development category.
Apart from this, India has also shown progress in reducing gender inequality. The Gender inequality Index (GII) measures gender inequalities on three parameters that is, reproductive health, labour market and empowerment. In GII 2022, India ranks 108th out of 193 countries as opposed to its earlier rank of 122 out of 191 countries in 2021. Thereby indicating a jump of 14 ranks. According to the report, India’s score of 0.437 in GII is above global average of 0.462 and the South Asian average of 0.478.
Moreover, India’s performance in reproductive health is better than other countries in the medium human development group and South Asian category. India’s adolescent birth rate improved from 17.1 in 2021 to 16.3 in 2022 (births per 1,000 women aged 15-19). However with respect to labour force participation rate there is a 47.8 % gap between Indian women (28.3%) and men (76.1%) which needs to be addressed and worked upon.
On the whole, over last 10 years, India’s rank in GII has been consistently improving. In 2014, India’s GII rank was 127, it now stands at 108th position.
According To,
Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Resident Representative of UNDP India, “India has shown remarkable progress in human development over the years. Since 1990, life expectancy at birth has risen by 9.1 years; expected years of schooling have increased by 4.6 years, and mean years of schooling have grown by 3.8 years. India’s GNI per capita has grown by approximately 287%. This highlights the country’s commitment over time to not only accelerating economic growth but also improving the quality of life for all its citizens. But there is room for improvement. With a renewed focus on women-led development, and digital public goods for people and planet, I am confident India can further unlock socio-economic progress, paving the way for a brighter and more equitable future for all.”Â
In The End,
The UNDP report highlighted the fact that the inequality across the world is on a rise. There was a convergence in inequalities for 20 years but post 2020 the gap between the rich and poor countries has started widening. according to the report 40% of global trade in goods is concentrated around fewer countries. The report recommended four key areas which require immediate action of all the countries in order to break through current deadlock and for creating a better future. These are – creating global planetary and digital public goods, expanding financial mechanism and dialing down on political polarisation through new governance approach.
Ms Weisen added that, “Whether it is placing the SDGs on the development agenda during India’s G20 Presidency or vaccine diplomacy during COVID, the country has shown leadership in leveraging international cooperation for global public goods, demonstrating that breaking the gridlock is possible. India is already a frontrunner in utilizing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to increase citizens’ access to essential services, which can help shape agile, global AI ecosystems and responses that meet the needs of people most left behind.”