The Human Development Index 2022 is part of the Human Development Report 2021-2022 released by the United Nations Development Programme. In HDI 2022, 191 countries have been ranked based on their HDI value measured on the basis of 4 indices- life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita.
India ranks 132 out of 191 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) 2021. This shows a decline in its score over two consecutive years for the first time in three decades. In 2020, India ranked 130 with an HDI value of 0.642. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the HDI value of India was 0.645 in 2018.
This drop in HDI score is consistent with the global trend which shows countries have fallen backward in human development since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a rank of 132, India is now placed below its south Asian neighbours of Bangladesh (129th), Bhutan (127th), Sri Lanka (73rd) and China (79th). India registered a decline in its HDI score for two consecutive years for the first time in three decades. India’s HDI score of 0.633 placed it in the medium human development category. However, India has improved slightly in the Gender Inequality Index.
However, UNDP says the ranking cannot be comparable as in 2020, the HDI was measured for 189 countries, and this year, the value has been calculated for 191 countries. It also said India’s latest rank reflects global trend as 9 out of 10 countries have fallen backward in human development in the face of multiple crises like Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and dangerous planetary changes.
