India dropped two ranks in the United Nations’ Human Development Index this year, standing at 131 out of 189 countries. However, if the Index were adjusted to assess the planetary pressures caused by each nation’s development, India would move up eight places in the ranking, according to the report.
Human Development Index is the measure of a nation’s health, education, and standards of living.
Life expectancy of Indians at birth in 2019 was 69.7 years while Bangladesh has a life expectancy of 72.6 years and Pakistan 67.3 years, the 2020 Human Development Report said.
Norway topped the index, followed by Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Iceland. The UNDP report states that indigenous children in Cambodia, India and Thailand show more malnutrition-related issues such as stunting and wasting.
“In India different responses in parent behaviour as well as some disinvestment in girls’ health and education have led to higher malnutrition among girls than among boys as a consequence of shocks likely linked to climate change,” the report informed.
“India’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.645 — which put the country in the medium human development category — positioning it at 131 out of 189 countries and territories. Between 1990 and 2019, India’s HDI value increased from 0.429 to 0.645, an increase of 50.3 percent,” the report said.
Singapore was ranked 11, Saudi Arabia 40, and Malaysia was at 62 in the global index, representing the top bracket among the Asian countries with “very high human development”.
Sri Lanka (72), Thailand (79), China (85) and Indonesia and Philippines (both 107), and Vietnam (117), among others, were “high human development” countries.
In the medium human development, countries like India, Bhutan (129), Bangladesh (133), Nepal (142), and Pakistan (154) were ranked, the report said. India’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.645 which put it in the medium human development category.
UNDP resident representative Shoko Noda said the drop in India’s ranking doesn’t mean “India didn’t do well but other countries did better.” “India can help other countries too and lauded its commitment to reduce carbon emissions.’’
The 30th-anniversary edition of UNDP’s Human Development Report, includes a new experimental index that takes into account countries’ carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint.
Countries must redesign their development pathways to reduce damage to the environment and the natural world, or risk stalling progress for humanity overall, the report warned.