Comparing Countries
Geography: Cambridge International GCSE (2027 Exams), topic 8.1.2
The Human Development Index (HDI)
The HDI is a compound index made up of different variables. The HDI is calculated by the UN (United Nations).
Measurement
- Countries are measured on life expectancy at birth, education (average and expected number of years of education at school) and GNI per capita.
- 0 is the worst possible score and 1 is the best score.
- Norway had the highest HDI in 2019 (0.954).
- Niger had the lowest HID in 2019 (0.354).
Rankings
- Out of 188 countries, the top 51 countries are ranked “Very High”.
- 52-106 are ranked “High”.
- 107-147 are ranked “Medium”.
- 148-188 are ranked “Low”.
Test yourself on Comparing Countries
How is HDI measured?
What does HDI stand for?
Which organisation ranks all countries using the HDI?
Out of 188 countries, how many are ranked “Very High”?
What was Norway's HDI in 2019?