In a recent report released by the United Nations, Pakistan ranks 161st out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI), with a score of 0.544 points. This marks a slight improvement from the previous year’s ranking of 164th with 0.540 points. However, the report notes that Pakistan’s HDI rank remained stagnant at 161st place from 2019 to 2021.
The HDI is based on three main indicators: health, education, and income, each ranging from 0 to 1. Sri Lanka leads the South Asian region with a rank of 73rd and 0.782 points, followed by Bangladesh at 129th with 0.661 points, while India is at 132nd with 0.633 points. On the other hand, Afghanistan lags behind at 180th place with 0.478 points, with South Sudan ranking last at 191st with 0.385 points. Switzerland tops the list with 0.962 points, followed closely by Norway.
Despite a global recovery from the pandemic-induced slowdown, the report highlights a widening gap between rich and poor countries. While the world has returned to pre-pandemic levels of development, this recovery masks the unequal progress made by different nations. The pandemic and conflicts like the war in Ukraine have exacerbated these disparities, reversing five years of progress.
Although overall metrics such as life expectancy, education, and standard of living are projected to exceed pre-2019 values, the report warns of a dangerous gridlock in development progress. The poorest nations are being left behind, exacerbating inequality and fueling political polarization globally.
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