According to a report released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on September 8, India ranks 132 out of 191 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) 2021, after registering a decline in its score over two consecutive years for the first time in three decades. The HDI is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and having a decent standard of living.
In 2020, India ranked 131st among 189 countries and territories. India’s latest HDI value of 0.633 places the country in the medium human development category, lower than its value of 0.645 in the 2020 report. The decline in the country’s performance from its previous level was on account of a fall in life expectancy.
The drop is in line with the global trend since the outbreak of Covid-19 during which 90 percent of the countries have fallen backwards in human development.
Most of India’s neighbours—the financially-hit Sri Lanka (73rd), China (79th), Bangladesh (129th), and Bhutan (127th)—are better off, barring Pakistan (161st), Nepal (143rd), and Myanmar (149th).
“For the first time on record, the global Human Development Index (HDI) has dropped for two years in a row, taking the world back to just after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement,” the report notes.
The report notes that people across the globe are feeling more distressed and insecure about their lives and the future, in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
“While perceived insecurity is higher in low and medium HDI countries, some of the largest increases in feelings of insecurity are in very high HDI countries. Ethnic minorities of both sexes were severely affected in the United Kingdom, with the largest increase in mental distress among men with a background from Bangladesh, India or Pakistan,” the report added.
The report lauds India’s efforts through pilot projects to ensure a minimum guaranteed income. “Compared to 2019, the impact of inequality on human development is lower. India is bridging the human development gap between men and women faster than the world. This development has come at a smaller cost to the environment. India’s growth story reflects the country’s investments in inclusive growth, social protection, gender-responsive policies, and push towards renewables to ensure no one is left behind,” Shoko Noda, UNDP Resident Representative in India, said.
The UNDP report also said India’s policies on the 3Is (investment from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics; insurance including social protection; and innovation) hold promise for the rest of the world. Over the last decade, India has lifted a staggering 271 million out of multidimensional poverty. The country is improving access to clean water, sanitation and affordable clean energy.
