Human Development Indices

In this blog I looked at the United Nation's HDI list which is a compilation of countries that are ranked according to their life expectancy, knowledge(literacy level) and wealth(based on many factors besides GDP). This method for rating countries differs from others because it takes into account the distribution of wealth and whether the money is being spent on adequate schooling, health care and other facilities. As we look at the list it is obvious that some of the more developed countries are higher on the HDI list, but it is not a perfect match. Some of the more highly developed countries are ranked lower on the list than others. This is because according to the data used to calculate the HDI, some of the less developed countries have better facilities that enable their citizens to have more fulfilled lives. All of the countries that are at the bottom of the HDI list are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. This can probably be traced back to political and financial corruption that keeps the power, wealth and knowledge among a select few, while keeping the vast majority of the population deprived of basic needs. Many of these countries have dictatorships or a history of corruption, war, drought, etc... All of these factors play a role in the Human Development of a particular country.