Human Development Indices: A Regional Perspective

Abstract

This work undertakes a cross-country comparative study of the trend of Human Development progress in selected countries between 1990 and 2013. Following the UNDP regional classification, countries are evaluated based on the human development aggregates: Low, Medium, High and Very High Human Development. A total of 35 countries, inclusive of the industrial countries are examined and factors such as continual social unrest, engendered socio-political crisis, adverse income distribution, high depth of food deficit, lack of education and health services amidst others were evident as limiting factors for human development, of which synonymously, economic development. However based on the progress made in selected economies, it is recommended that priority attention especially by Developing Economies be given to enabling necessary institutional and
structural changes, pioneering a national development strategy, education
investment and knowledge development, availability of healthcare system and maintaining stable political environment in view to foster human development, which ultimately will lead to actualising economic development.