Each year for the past 20 years, the United Nations Development Program published a Human Development Report listing all countries in the world on the basis of an index of progression/regression in human development in their countries. It covers 169 UN member states (out of 192). The remaining UN member states are not included due to lack of data. The basis for the report was 2008.
The Human Development Index for 2010 combined three dimensions:
· A long and healthy life: Life expectancy at birth
· Access to knowledge: Mean years of schooling and Expected years of schooling
· A decent standard of living: GNI per capita (PPP US$)
It is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living for countries worldwide. It is also used to distinguish whether a state is deemed to be a developed, a developing or an under-developed country, and also to measure the impact of economic policies on the quality of life.
The most critical dimensions of human development are: a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living. Additional concerns include social and political freedoms. The concept distinguishes between two sides of human development. One is the formation of human capabilities, such as improved health or knowledge. The other is the enjoyment of these acquired capabilities, for work or for leisure.
Countries are listed according to 4 broad human development categories based on their HDI: very high, high, medium, and low.
The Education Index is measured by the adult literacy rate (with two-thirds weighting) and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrollment ratio (with one-third weighting). The adult literacy rate gives an indication of the ability to read and write, while the GER gives an indication of the level of education from kindergarten to postgraduate education.
Education is a major component of well-being and is used in the measure of economic development and quality of life, which is a key factor determining whether a country is a developed, developing, or underdeveloped country.
The life expectancy at birth index measures the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. Each entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. The figures reflect the quality of healthcare in the countries listed as well as other factors including ongoing wars and HIV/AIDS infections.
Between 1980 and 2010 Malta’s Human Development Index rose by 0.6% annually from 0.683 to 0.815 today, which gives the country a rank of 33 out of 169 countries with comparable data. The HDI of Europe as a region increased from 0.534 in 1980 to 0.717 today, placing Malta above the regional average.
Last year, Malta was placed 38th in the index. This means that Malta advanced 5 places in the past 12 months.
Malta ranks 22nd from 169 countries where it comes to Life Expectancy at birth.
The HDI trends tell an important story both at the national and regional level and highlight the very large gaps in well-being and life chances that continue to divide our interconnected world. The concept of human development is a holistic one putting people at the centre of all aspects of the development process.