8 September 2021-Freetown: The 2021/2022 Human Development Report (HDR) is published with the theme entitled “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World” focuses on how inequalities and uncertainty are reinforcing one another to impact human development and undermining our sense of control over our lives. The Human Development Report (HDR) also presents the Human Development Index (HDI).

The HDI is a composite statistic of three basic dimensions of human development, life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which is used to assess annually the state of human development worldwide and rank 195 countries by measuring their individual progress using the Human Development Index.

Sierra Leone has shown a minor improvement in the Human Development Index (HDI) with an increase of 0.025 as announced today. Sierra Leone's HDI value for 2021 is 0.477, which puts the country in the low human development category and keeps it 181 out of 195 countries and territories. Life expectancy at birth and average years of schooling increased by 5.4 years and 0.9 years respectively while the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita decreased by 2.8%.

The report indicates that the global Human Development Index has declined two years in a row, with over 90 percent of countries suffering a decline in either 2020 or 2021- erasing the gains of the preceding five years. But, even before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 6 in 7 people at the global level felt insecure.  

“The world is scrambling to respond to back-to-back crises. We have seen with the cost of living and energy crises that, while it is tempting to focus on quick fixes like subsidizing fossil fuels, immediate relief tactics are delaying the long-term systemic changes we must make,” says Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator.

The 2021/2022 Human Development Report extends the conversations of earlier Reports, presents a fresh narrative on human development examining how novel layers of uncertainties are interacting to create new kinds of uncertainty in addition to the everyday uncertainty that people have faced in the past.

A new uncertainty complex is emerging

These novel sources of uncertainty are associated with the Anthropocene’s dangerous planetary change, transition towards new ways of organizing industrial societies, and the intensification of political and social polarization across and within countries. The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have led to a global energy, food and finance crises and are devastating manifestations of today’s uncertainty. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned of a prolonged global food crisis due to the confluence of war, pandemic, and warming temperatures.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a window into a new reality

Now in its third year, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a terrible toll in lives and livelihoods around the world. It is more than a long deviation from normal; it is a window into a new reality. It is also a lesson of the power of technology to transform lives for the better at a time when we hear so much about the ways technology can do just the opposite. But access to Covid-19 vaccines remains appallingly low in many countries in Africa, including Sierra Leone with only a total of 3,493,386 vaccine doses have been administered as of 7 August 2022.

Where we go from here is up to us

Reducing inequalities in human development in the 21st century rests in our hands. By unlocking our human potential, by tapping into our creativity and diversity anchored in trust and solidarity, it challenges us to imagine, aspire, and create futures in which we thrive.

In response to emerging challenges, the new report proposes policies that focus on the three I’s – Investment (ranging from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics and extreme natural hazards), Insurance (social protection and Investments in universal basic services, like health and education), and Innovation (technological, economic, cultural) to help people navigate the new uncertainty complex.

The Human Development Report has made it possible to fundamentally reconsider the place of the individual in development, including the impact of direct intervention by humankind into the earth system and nature. To improve development outcomes, UNDP reiterates its commitment to continue its support to the Government and people of Sierra Leone.

A national launch will follow the global launch to fuel debate on the 2021/2022 theme of the report between the Government, citizens, private sector, development partners, the civil society, and researchers.

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To learn more about the 2022 Human Development Report and UNDP’s analysis on navigating the new uncertainty complex, visit https://hdr.undp.org/human-development-report-2021-22

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mohamed A. Kanu| Communications Associate, UNDP| Mobile: +23277245031| Email: Mohamed.kanu@undp.org