India improves ranking to 134 in Human Development Index
Country also shows progress in reducing gender inequality and ranks 108 out of 166 countries
India ranked 134 out of 193 countries in the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), a notch higher than 135 out of 191 countries in 2021.
On the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022, India ranked 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. Its rank was 122 out of 191 countries, with a score of 0.490 in the GII2021.
This shows a significant jump of 14 ranks in the GII2022 visàvis the GII2021, the Women and Child Development Ministry said.
GENDER GAPS
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).
After a drop in its HDI value in 2021 and following a flat trend over the past few years, India’s HDI value has increased to 0.644 in 2022, placing the country at 134 out of 193 countries and territories in the just released 2023/24 Human Development Report (HDR). India ranked 135 out of 191 countries in 2021 on the back of a marginal increase in its HDI value to 0.644 compared to 0.633 in 2021.
The data was published in the United Nations Development Programme’s report titled “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World”. It builds on the 2021–2022 Human Development Report findings that saw the global HDI value fall for the first time — two years in a row.
The report revealed that while rich countries attained record human development, half of the poorest remain below their precrisis level of progress.
IMPROVEMENTS
In 2022, India saw improvements across all HDI indicators: life expectancy, education, and gross national income (GNI) per capita. Life expectancy rose from 67.2 to 67.7 years, expected years of schooling reached 12.6, mean years of schooling increased to 6.57, and GNI per capita saw an increase from $6,542 to $6,951.
Moreover, India demonstrated progress in reducing gender inequality. The country’s GII value of 0.437 is better than the global and South Asian averages, according to the report.
“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 per cent,” it said.
With an HDI value of 0.644, the latest HDR places India in the medium human development category. Between 1990 and 2022, the country saw its HDI value increase by 48.4 per cent, from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2022.
India has also shown progress in reducing gender inequality and ranks 108 out of 166 countries in the GII2022.