United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), 2023

Context

India has climbed four places to rank 130th out of 193 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) 2023, as per the report titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The improvement reflects India’s gains in health, education, and income, but also highlights persistent inequality and gender gaps.

Key Findings of the 2023 HDI Report

India’s Performance:
- HDI Score: Improved from 644 (2022) to 0.685 (2023) — still within the Medium Human Development category.
- Life Expectancy: Rose to 72 years (from 67.7 in 2022).
- Expected Years of Schooling: Increased to 13 years.
- Average Years of Schooling: Rose to 9 years.
- GNI per capita (PPP 2021): Increased from USD 6,951 to USD 9,047.
Inequality-Adjusted HDI (IHDI) drops to 0.475, reflecting a 30.66% loss due to disparities in health, education, and income.
Gender Inequality and Development:
- Gender Development Index (GDI): 0.874 (women: 0.631; men: 0.722).
- Gender Inequality Index (GII): India ranks 102nd, score 403; gaps persist in political participation, workforce presence, and reproductive health.
Comparative Regional Position:
- India shares HDI rank with Bangladesh (130th) but lags in life expectancy.
- Pakistan ranks 168th (score: 0.544), Nepal 145th, and Sri Lanka leads regionally at 89th.
- Among BRICS: India lags behind China (75th), Brazil (89th), Russia (59th), and South Africa (110th).
Global Trends: HDI progress globally has slowed, with widening gaps between high and low HDI countries since 2020. The report warns of potential long-term setbacks to 2030 SDG targets if the trend persists.
AI and Human Development:
- The report highlights the dual role of Artificial Intelligence — as a driver of productivity and risk of inequality.
- India reports the highest global prevalence of self-reported AI skills and plans a national AI computing infrastructure.
- AI is already being applied in agriculture, insurance, and subsidy distribution in India.

About the Human Development Index (HDI)

Published by: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1990.
Purpose: The Index measures average achievements in key dimensions of human development:
- Health – Life expectancy at birth.
- Education – Expected and mean years of schooling.
- Standard of living – Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (PPP).
Index Range: 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest).
Categories: Very High, High, Medium, and Low Human Development.
Complementary Indices:
- IHDI (adjusts for inequality)
- GDI and GII (gender-based disparities)