The UNDP has published Human Development Report 2009, an annual publication that ranks countries based on the level of human development (HDI). This year’s topic is Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development, which explores how better policies towards labor mobility can enhance human development. With Human Development Index (HDI), the development agency ranks countries based on the progress made in human development.The HDI provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income).
The HDI value for Nepal is 0.553, placing it in 144 position out of 182 countries included in the study. The higher the index value, the better is human development in a given country. The report notes that between 1980 and 2007 Nepal's HDI rose by 2.16% annually from 0.309 to 0.553 today. HDI scores in all regions have increased progressively over the years although all have experienced periods of slower growth or even reversals.
| Nepal’s human development index 2007 | ||||
| HDI value | Life expectancy at birth (years) | Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) | Combined gross enrolment ratio (%) | GDP per capita (PPP US$) |
| 1. Norway (0.971) | 1. Japan (82.7) | 1. Georgia (100.0) | 1. Australia (114.2) | 1. Liechtenstein (85,382) |
| 142. Swaziland (0.572) | 113. Guyana (66.5) | 128. Yemen (58.9) | 134. India (61.0) | 163. Uganda (1,059) |
| 143. Angola (0.564) | 114. Tajikistan (66.4) | 129. Papua New Guinea (57.8) | 135. Morocco (61.0) | 164. Afghanistan (1,054) |
| 144. Nepal (0.553) | 115. Nepal (66.3) | 130. Nepal (56.5) | 136. Nepal (60.8) | 165. Nepal (1,049) |
| 145. Madagascar (0.543) | 116. Mongolia (66.2) | 131. Mauritania (55.8) | 137. Swaziland (60.1) | 166. Madagascar (932) |
| 146. Bangladesh (0.543) | 117. Pakistan (66.2) | 132. Morocco (55.6) | 138. Kenya (59.6) | 167. Myanmar (904) |
| 182. Niger (0.340) | 176. Afghanistan (43.6) | 151. Mali (26.2) | 177. Djibouti (25.5) | 181. Congo (Democratic Republic of the) (298) |
The HDI is a broader measure of well being, as opposed to using GDP figures. This is how Nepal stands in HDI and GDP per capita.
In Human Poverty Index (HPI), Nepal ranks 99th among 135 countries for which the index has been prepared.
| Selected indicators of human poverty for Nepal | ||||
| Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) | Probability of not surviving to age 40 (%) | Adult illiteracy rate (%ages 15 and above) | People not using an improved water source (%) | Children underweight for age (% aged under 5) |
| 1. Czech Republic (1.5) | 1. Hong Kong, China (SAR) (1.4) | 1. Georgia (0.0) | 1. Barbados (0) | 1. Croatia (1) |
| 97. Haiti (31.5) | 88. Uzbekistan (10.7) | 128. Yemen (41.1) | 71. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (10) | 125. Pakistan (38) |
| 98. Equatorial Guinea (31.9) | 89. El Salvador (10.7) | 129. Papua New Guinea (42.2) | 72. Occupied Palestinian Territories (11) | 126. Ethiopia (38) |
| 99. Nepal (32.1) | 90. Nepal (11.0) | 130. Nepal (43.5) | 73. Nepal (11) | 127. Nepal (39) |
| 100. Rwanda (32.9) | 91. Kazakhstan (11.2) | 131. Mauritania (44.2) | 74. Kyrgyzstan (11) | 128. Burundi (39) |
| 101. Pakistan (33.4) | 92. Guatemala (11.2) | 132. Morocco (44.4) | 75. Syrian Arab Republic (11) | 129. Afghanistan (39) |
| 135. Afghanistan (59.8) | 153. Lesotho (47.4) | 151. Mali (73.8) | 150. Afghanistan (78) | 138. Bangladesh (48) |
In Gender-related Development Index (GDI), Nepal scored a value of 0.545. Its GDI value is 98.6% of its HDI value. Out of the 155 countries with both HDI and GDI values, 111 countries have a better ratio than Nepal's. Meanwhile, Nepal ranks 83rd out of 109 countries in Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), which reveals whether women take an active part in economic and political life.
| The GDI compared to the HDI – a measure of gender disparity | |||
| GDI as % of HDI | Life expectancy at birth (years) 2004 | Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and older) 2004 | Combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio 2004 |
| | Female as % male | Female as % male | Female as % male |
| 1. Mongolia (100.0%) | 1. Russian Federation (121.7%) | 1. Lesotho (122.5%) | 1. Cuba (121.0%) |
| 110. Algeria (98.4%) | 183. Nigeria (102.1%) | 128. Senegal (63.1%) | 137. Guatemala (92.6%) |
| 111. Iran (Islamic Republic of) (98.4%) | 184. Uganda (102.0%) | 129. Morocco (62.9%) | 138. Zambia (92.0%) |
| 112. Nepal (98.4%) | 185. Nepal (101.9%) | 130. Nepal (62.0%) | 139. Nepal (91.6%) |
| 113. Honduras (98.4%) | 186. Kenya (101.5%) | 131. Bhutan (59.5%) | 140. Senegal (90.0%) |
| 114. Burkina Faso (98.4%) | 187. Pakistan (101.0%) | 132. Burkina Faso (58.8%) | 141. Sudan (89.3%) |
| 155. Afghanistan (88.0%) | 190. Swaziland (98.0%) | 145. Afghanistan (29.2%) | 175. Afghanistan (55.6%) |
Nepal has an emigration rate of 3.9%. The major continent of destination for migrants from Nepal is Asia with 95.0% of emigrants living there. In 2007, US$1,734 million in remittances were sent to Nepal. Average remittances per person were US$61, compared with the average for South Asia of US$33.
| Remittances | |||
| Total remittance inflows (US$ millions) | Remittances per capita (US$) | ||
| 1. India | 35,262 | 1. Luxembourg | 3,355 |
| 1. India | 35,262 | 67. Sri Lanka | 131 |
| 17. Pakistan | 5,998 | ||
| 36. Sri Lanka | 2,527 | ||
| 45. Nepal | 1,734 | 91. Nepal | 61 |
| 63. Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 1,115 | 98. Bangladesh | 41 |
| 151. Maldives | 3 | 102. Pakistan | 37 |
| 133. Maldives | 10 | ||
| 157. Burundi | 0 | 157. Burundi | 0 |
| Global aggregates | |||
| South Asia | 53,201 | South Asia | 33 |
| Least developed countries | 17,293 | Least developed countries | 26 |
| Medium human development | 189,093 | Medium human development | 44 |
| World | 370,765 | World | 58 |
If the political process continues to be as messy as it is today, then once again the human development goals would be overshadowed and progress on these fronts stalled. As of today, stalemate in finding a solution to the political impasse has been the most binding constraint to forging a national strategy to make progress in human development fronts.
