Published: May 8, 2025, 06:18 PM
Bangladesh has risen to the 130th position in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), moving up one spot from last year`s 131st ranking. The HDI report, titled "A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence", was based on data from 2023 and released on Tuesday.
The country`s HDI value has slightly increased from 0.680 in 2022 to 0.685 in 2023, keeping Bangladesh within the "medium human development" category but edging closer to the threshold for "high human development" (HDI score of 0.700). The HDI measures achievements in three key areas: life expectancy, education, and standard of living.
Since 1990, Bangladesh has averaged an annual HDI growth rate of 1.67%. Life expectancy in the country is reported at 74.7 years, with females living an average of 76.4 years and males 73.0 years. The expected years of schooling is 12.3, and the mean years of schooling is 6.8. Bangladesh`s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita stands at $8,498 in purchasing power parity terms.
The report also sheds light on significant income inequality in Bangladesh. The poorest 40% of the population hold only 20.4% of the national income, while the wealthiest 10% control 27.4%. The richest 1% own 16.2% of the total income.
Among Bangladesh`s neighbors, India shares the 130th spot, while Sri Lanka ranks 89th with an HDI of 0.776. Nepal stands at 145th (HDI of 0.622), and Pakistan ranks 168th (HDI of 0.544).
Iceland tops the global HDI ranking with a value of 0.972, followed by Norway and Switzerland at 0.970. South Sudan remains at the bottom, ranking 193rd with an HDI score of 0.388.
Countries in the report are categorized into four groups based on human development: very high, high, medium, and low. Bangladesh remains in the medium human development category.
