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HDI 2021

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Least Developed Countries 2024

As defined by the United Nations, least developed countries (LDCs) are low-income countries that face significant challenges in their efforts to develop a sustainable and self-supporting economy. There are currently 46 LDC countries, the majority of which are located in Africa, and to a lesser extent, South America and Asia/Oceania.

Least developed countries and the Human Development Index (HDI)

One of the most respected at-a-glance metrics used to measure a country's level of development is the U.N.'s Human Development Index (HDI). This global index tracks and compares more than 150 global indicators, such as life expectancy, education, and per capita income, then combines them to create a single "human development" value for more than 150 countries all over the world. HDI places each country on a scale of 0-1 (with 1.000 being the best possible score and 0.000 the worst) and categorizes them into one of four levels of human development: low human development (0-.55), medium human development (.55-.70), high human development (.70-.80), and very high human development (.80-1.0).

Because their industrial and economic ecosystems are fragile and underdeveloped, LDCs are highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks. They also tend to have poor educational systems, which leads to a less versatile workforce. To help LDCs catch up, the United Nations offers support programs designed to foster the development of agriculture, education, industry, and other aspects of a healthy, stable nation.

Every three years, the United Nations' Committee for Development (CDP) reviews the list of LDCs and assesses each country's progress in fifteen indicators, which are then grouped into three criteria: human assets index/workforce (HAI), economic and environmental vulnerability index (EVI), and gross national income per capita (GNI). The United Nations also holds a larger conference on least developed countries roughly once per decade. Previous conferences have taken place in Paris, France (twice); Brussels, Belgium; and in Istanbul, Turkey in 2011. The 2011 conference set a goal of boosting half of the current LDCs out of the category by 2022. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, this goal seems unlikely to be achieved, but several countries have graduated from the program in the past, and several more are on track to elevate from Least Developed to Developing in the next few years.

Countries that have graduated from the U.N.'s least-developed countries program (or should soon):

CountryGraduation DateExpected Graduation
Botswana1994-
Cabo Verde2007-
Maldives2011-
Samoa2014-
Equatorial Guinea2017-
Vanuatu2020-
Bhutan-2023
Angola-2024
São Tomé and Príncipe-2024
Solomon Islands-2024
Bangladesh-2026
Laos-2026
Nepal-2026

On the other hand, some countries still have far to go. According to the Human Development Index, Niger is the least developed country in the world with an HDI of .354. Niger is afflicted with widespread malnutrition and 44.1% of its people live below the poverty line. Additionally, Niger has the highest fertility rate in the world of 6.8 births per woman of childbearing age, which greatly outpaces the country's death rate. As a result, Nigeria's population continues to grow, which increases demand on the country's struggling economy and infrastructure and contributes further to widespread poverty. Droughts have stunted agricultural and economic growth, and the country is plagued by conflict with the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

Ten Least-Developed Countries in the World by HDI 2021

Country
HDI 2021
South Sudan0.385
Chad0.394
Niger0.400
Central African Republic0.404
Burundi0.426
Mali0.428
Mozambique0.446
Burkina Faso0.449
Yemen0.455
Guinea0.465

Download Table Data

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Country
Current or Former?
Year Added
HDI 2021
HDI 2019
Year Graduated
AfghanistanCurrent19710.4780.488tbd
Albania0.7960.810
Algeria0.7450.748
Andorra0.8580.873
AngolaCurrent19940.5860.5952024*
Antigua and Barbuda0.7880.800
Argentina0.8420.852
Armenia0.7590.778
Australia0.9510.941
Austria0.9160.919
Azerbaijan0.7450.761
Bahamas0.8120.816
Bahrain0.8750.882
BangladeshCurrent19750.6610.6442026*
Barbados0.7900.799
Belarus0.8080.817
Belgium0.9370.936
Belize0.6830.705
BeninCurrent19710.5250.530tbd
BhutanCurrent19710.6660.6712023*
Bolivia0.6920.717
Bosnia and Herzegovina0.7800.783
BotswanaFormer19710.6930.7171994
Brazil0.7540.766
Brunei0.8290.830
Bulgaria0.7950.810
Burkina FasoCurrent19710.4490.452tbd
BurundiCurrent19710.4260.431tbd
CambodiaCurrent19910.5930.598tbd
Cameroon0.5760.583
Canada0.9360.937
Cape VerdeFormer19770.6620.6762007
Central African RepublicCurrent19750.4040.411tbd
ChadCurrent19710.3940.403tbd
Chile0.8550.861
China0.7680.762
Colombia0.7520.768
ComorosCurrent19770.5580.560tbd
Costa Rica0.8090.819
Croatia0.8580.861
Cuba0.7640.788
Cyprus0.8960.897
Czech Republic0.8890.897
Denmark0.9480.946
DjiboutiCurrent19820.5090.512tbd
Dominica0.7200.729
Dominican Republic0.7670.771
DR CongoCurrent19910.4790.482tbd
Ecuador0.7400.760
Egypt0.7310.735
El Salvador0.6750.683
Equatorial GuineaFormer19820.5960.6052017
EritreaCurrent19940.4920.495tbd
Estonia0.8900.896
Eswatini0.5970.615
EthiopiaCurrent19710.4980.498tbd
Fiji0.7300.746
Finland0.9400.939
France0.9030.905
Gabon0.7060.709
GambiaCurrent19750.5000.503tbd
Georgia0.8020.810
Germany0.9420.948
Ghana0.6320.631
Greece0.8870.889
Grenada0.7950.800
Guatemala0.6270.642
GuineaCurrent19710.4650.467tbd
Guinea BissauCurrent1981tbd
Guyana0.7140.708
HaitiCurrent19710.5350.543tbd
Honduras0.6210.632
Hong Kong0.9520.952
Hungary0.8460.853
Iceland0.9590.960
India0.6330.645
Indonesia0.7050.716
Iran0.7740.783
Iraq0.6860.696
Ireland0.9450.942
Israel0.9190.921
Italy0.8950.897
Ivory Coast0.5500.550
Jamaica0.7090.719
Japan0.9250.924
Jordan0.7200.727
Kazakhstan0.8110.819
Kenya0.5750.581
KiribatiCurrent19860.6240.630tbd
Kuwait0.8310.839
Kyrgyzstan0.6920.698
LaosCurrent19710.6070.6102026*
Latvia0.8630.871
Lebanon0.7060.745
LesothoCurrent19710.5140.524tbd
LiberiaCurrent19900.4810.484tbd
Libya0.7180.722
Liechtenstein0.9350.940
Lithuania0.8750.884
Luxembourg0.9300.927
MadagascarCurrent19910.5010.510tbd
MalawiCurrent19710.5120.519tbd
Malaysia0.8030.810
MaldivesFormer19710.7470.7552011
MaliCurrent19710.4280.433tbd
Malta0.9180.915
Marshall Islands0.6390.640
MauritaniaCurrent19860.5560.563tbd
Mauritius0.8020.817
Mexico0.7580.779
Micronesia0.6280.633
Moldova0.7670.774
Mongolia0.7390.746
Montenegro0.8320.837
Morocco0.6830.682
MozambiqueCurrent19880.4460.456tbd
MyanmarCurrent19870.5850.598tbd
Namibia0.6150.639
NepalCurrent19710.6020.6112026*
Netherlands0.9410.943
New Zealand0.9370.937
Nicaragua0.6670.664
NigerCurrent19710.4000.406tbd
Nigeria0.5350.538
North Macedonia0.7700.784
Norway0.9610.961
Oman0.8160.839
Pakistan0.5440.546
Palau0.7670.776
Palestine0.7150.727
Panama0.8050.817
Papua New Guinea0.5580.560
Paraguay0.7170.732
Peru0.7620.780
Philippines0.6990.718
Poland0.8760.881
Portugal0.8660.867
Qatar0.8550.859
Republic of the Congo0.5710.570
Romania0.8210.832
Russia0.8290.845
RwandaCurrent19710.5340.534tbd
Saint Kitts and Nevis0.7770.783
Saint Lucia0.7150.735
SamoaFormer19710.7070.7152014
San Marino0.8530.862
Sao Tome and PrincipeCurrent19820.6180.6222024*
Saudi Arabia0.8750.873
SenegalCurrent20000.5110.513tbd
Serbia0.8020.811
Seychelles0.7850.802
Sierra LeoneCurrent19820.4770.480tbd
Singapore0.9390.943
Slovakia0.8480.862
Slovenia0.9180.921
Solomon IslandsCurrent19910.5640.567tbd
SomaliaCurrent1971tbd
South Africa0.7130.736
South Korea0.9250.923
South SudanCurrent20120.3850.393tbd
Spain0.9050.908
Sri Lanka0.7820.778
SudanCurrent19710.5080.514tbd
Suriname0.7300.755
Sweden0.9470.947
Switzerland0.9620.962
Syria0.5770.584
Tajikistan0.6850.676
TanzaniaCurrent19710.5490.548tbd
Thailand0.8000.804
Timor LesteCurrent2003tbd
TogoCurrent19820.5390.535tbd
Tonga0.7450.744
Trinidad and Tobago0.8100.821
Tunisia0.7310.745
Turkey0.8380.842
Turkmenistan0.7450.742
TuvaluCurrent19860.6410.635tbd
UgandaCurrent19710.5250.525tbd
Ukraine0.7730.786
United Arab Emirates0.9110.920
United Kingdom0.9290.935
United States0.9210.930
Uruguay0.8090.821
Uzbekistan0.7270.726
VanuatuFormer19850.6070.6112020
Venezuela0.6910.721
Vietnam0.7030.703
YemenCurrent19710.4550.461tbd
ZambiaCurrent19910.5650.575tbd
Zimbabwe0.5930.601
Total0.7220.729
showing: 191 rows

What are the 10 least developed countries?

The 10 least developed countries, according to the Human Development Index and the United Nations, are Niger, Central African Republic, Chad, Burundi, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, and Eritrea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources