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Summary
Human Development Report 2014
Jul 16, 2014
The 2014 Human Development Report “Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience” - shows that overall global trends in human development are positive. Yet, people at all ages are also facing threats and challenges to their wellbeing, including by natural or human-induced disasters and crises.
While every individual and society is vulnerable to risk, some suffer far less harm and recover more quickly than others when adversity strikes. The Report asks why that is and considers vulnerability and resilience through a human development lens.
The Report takes a people-centred approach. It identifies the ‘structurally vulnerable’ groups of people who are more vulnerable than others by virtue of their history or of their unequal treatment by the rest of society.
Based on analysis of the available evidence, the Report makes a number of important recommendations for achieving a world which addresses vulnerabilities and builds resilience to future shocks. It calls for universal access to basic social services, especially health and education; stronger social protection, including unemployment insurance and pensions; and a commitment to full employment, recognizing that the value of employment extends far beyond the income it generates.
Highlights
- Overall human development levels continue to rise, but at a slower pace than before. The 2013 HDI value at the global level is 0.702, while the 2012 HDI was 0.700.
- More than 15 percent of the world’s people remain vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.
- In 16 countries human development levels for women are equal or higher than those for men.
- The steepest declines in HDI values this year occurred in Central African Republic, Libya and Syria, where ongoing conflict contributed to a drop in incomes.
- Despite registering the biggest drop in overall inequality this year, the Latin America and Caribbean region still faces extensive income inequality.
- South Asia has the largest multidimensionally poor population, with more than 800 million poor and over 270 million near-poor – that is, more than 71 percent of its population.
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2014 Human Development Index (HDI)
Very high human development
High human
developmentMedium human development
Low human development
1 Norway
50 Uruguay
103 Maldives
145 Nepal
2 Australia
51 Bahamas
103 Mongolia
146 Pakistan
3 Switzerland
51 Montenegro
103 Turkmenistan
147 Kenya
4 Netherlands
53 Belarus
106 Samoa
148 Swaziland
5 United States
54 Romania
107 Palestine, State of
149 Angola
6 Germany
55 Libya
108 Indonesia
150 Myanmar
7 New Zealand
56 Oman
109 Botswana
151 Rwanda
8 Canada
57 Russian Federation
110 Egypt
152 Cameroon
9 Singapore
58 Bulgaria
111 Paraguay
152 Nigeria
10 Denmark
59 Barbados
112 Gabon
154 Yemen
11 Ireland
60 Palau
113 Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
155 Madagascar
12 Sweden
61 Antigua and Barbuda
114 Moldova (Republic of)
156 Zimbabwe
13 Iceland
62 Malaysia
115 El Salvador
157 Papua New Guinea
14 United Kingdom
63 Mauritius
116 Uzbekistan
157 Solomon Islands
15 Hong Kong, China (SAR)
64 Trinidad and Tobago
117 Philippines
159 Comoros
15 Korea (Republic of)
65 Lebanon
118 South Africa
159 Tanzania (United Republic of)
17 Japan
65 Panama
118 Syrian Arab Republic
161 Mauritania
18 Liechtenstein
67 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
120 Iraq
162 Lesotho
19 Israel
68 Costa Rica
121 Guyana
163 Senegal
20 France
69 Turkey
121 Viet Nam
164 Uganda
21 Austria
70 Kazakhstan
123 Cape Verde
165 Benin
21 Belgium
71 Mexico
124 Micronesia (Federated States of)
166 Sudan
21 Luxembourg
71 Seychelles
125 Guatemala
166 Togo
24 Finland
73 Saint Kitts and Nevis
125 Kyrgyzstan
168 Haiti
25 Slovenia
73 Sri Lanka
127 Namibia
169 Afghanistan
26 Italy
75 Iran (Islamic Republic of)
128 Timor-Leste
170 Djibouti
27 Spain
76 Azerbaijan
129 Honduras
171 Côte d'Ivoire
28 Czech Republic
77 Jordan
129 Morocco
172 Gambia
29 Greece
77 Serbia
131 Vanuatu
173 Ethiopia
30 Brunei Darussalam
79 Brazil
132 Nicaragua
174 Malawi
31 Qatar
79 Georgia
133 Kiribati
175 Liberia
32 Cyprus
79 Grenada
133 Tajikistan
176 Mali
33 Estonia
82 Peru
135 India
177 Guinea-Bissau
34 Saudi Arabia
83 Ukraine
136 Bhutan
178 Mozambique
35 Lithuania
84 Belize
136 Cambodia
179 Guinea
35 Poland
84 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
138 Ghana
180 Burundi
37 Andorra
86 Bosnia and Herzegovina
139 Lao People's Democratic Republic
181 Burkina Faso
37 Slovakia
87 Armenia
140 Congo
182 Eritrea
39 Malta
88 Fiji
141 Zambia
183 Sierra Leone
40 United Arab Emirates
89 Thailand
142 Bangladesh
184 Chad
41 Chile
90 Tunisia
142 Sao Tome and Principe
185 Central African Republic
41 Portugal
91 China
144 Equatorial Guinea
186 Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
43 Hungary
91 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
187 Niger
44 Bahrain
93 Algeria
44 Cuba
93 Dominica
46 Kuwait
95 Albania
47 Croatia
96 Jamaica
48 Latvia
97 Saint Lucia
49 Argentina
98 Colombia
98 Ecuador
100 Suriname
100 Tonga
102 Dominican Republic