Lifestyle and Preventive Health
Human Development Index (HDI) by Country 2026
World
0.756
0.53%
HDI reveals broad global disparities in development, with some regions consistently scoring higher due to long-term structural advantages. Global Average
Iceland 0.972
Countries at the top typically benefit from strong public services, stable economies, and high levels of access to healthcare and education. Highest
South Sudan 0.388
Lower HDI values are often linked to challenges such as limited healthcare access, lower average schooling, and weaker economic output. Lowest
Countries Ranked by HDI
Country | Human Development Index 2023↓ | Current HDI Tier 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Iceland | 0.972 | Very High |
 | Switzerland | 0.970 | Very High |
 | Norway | 0.970 | Very High |
 | Denmark | 0.962 | Very High |
 | Germany | 0.959 | Very High |
 | Sweden | 0.959 | Very High |
 | Australia | 0.958 | Very High |
 | Netherlands | 0.955 | Very High |
 | Hong Kong | 0.955 | Very High |
 | Belgium | 0.951 | Very High |
 | Ireland | 0.949 | Very High |
 | Finland | 0.948 | Very High |
 | United Kingdom | 0.946 | Very High |
 | Singapore | 0.946 | Very High |
 | United Arab Emirates | 0.940 | Very High |
 | Canada | 0.939 | Very High |
 | United States | 0.938 | Very High |
 | New Zealand | 0.938 | Very High |
 | Liechtenstein | 0.938 | Very High |
 | South Korea | 0.937 | Very High |
 | Slovenia | 0.931 | Very High |
 | Austria | 0.930 | Very High |
 | Japan | 0.925 | Very High |
 | Malta | 0.924 | Very High |
 | Luxembourg | 0.922 | Very High |
 | France | 0.920 | Very High |
 | Israel | 0.919 | Very High |
 | Spain | 0.918 | Very High |
 | Italy | 0.915 | Very High |
 | Czechia | 0.915 | |
 | San Marino | 0.915 | Very High |
 | Cyprus | 0.913 | Very High |
 | Andorra | 0.913 | Very High |
 | Greece | 0.908 | Very High |
 | Poland | 0.906 | Very High |
 | Estonia | 0.905 | Very High |
 | Saudi Arabia | 0.900 | Very High |
 | Bahrain | 0.899 | Very High |
 | Lithuania | 0.895 | Very High |
 | Portugal | 0.890 | Very High |
 | Croatia | 0.889 | Very High |
 | Latvia | 0.889 | Very High |
 | Qatar | 0.886 | Very High |
 | Slovakia | 0.880 | Very High |
 | Chile | 0.878 | Very High |
 | Hungary | 0.870 | Very High |
 | Argentina | 0.865 | Very High |
 | Uruguay | 0.862 | Very High |
 | Montenegro | 0.862 | Very High |
 | Oman | 0.858 | Very High |
 | Turkey | 0.853 | Very High |
 | Kuwait | 0.852 | Very High |
 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.851 | Very High |
 | Seychelles | 0.848 | Very High |
 | Romania | 0.845 | Very High |
 | Bulgaria | 0.845 | Very High |
 | Georgia | 0.844 | Very High |
 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.840 | Very High |
 | Panama | 0.839 | Very High |
 | Kazakhstan | 0.837 | Very High |
 | Brunei | 0.837 | Very High |
 | Serbia | 0.833 | Very High |
 | Costa Rica | 0.833 | Very High |
 | Russia | 0.832 | Very High |
 | Belarus | 0.824 | Very High |
 | Bahamas | 0.820 | Very High |
 | Malaysia | 0.819 | Very High |
 | North Macedonia | 0.815 | Very High |
 | Armenia | 0.811 | Very High |
 | Barbados | 0.811 | Very High |
 | Albania | 0.810 | Very High |
 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.807 | Very High |
 | Mauritius | 0.806 | Very High |
 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.804 | Very High |
 | Iran | 0.799 | High |
 | Thailand | 0.798 | High |
 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.798 | High |
 | China | 0.797 | High |
 | Peru | 0.794 | High |
 | Grenada | 0.791 | High |
 | Mexico | 0.789 | High |
 | Azerbaijan | 0.789 | High |
 | Colombia | 0.788 | High |
 | Brazil | 0.786 | High |
 | Palau | 0.786 | High |
 | Moldova | 0.785 | High |
 | Ukraine | 0.779 | High |
 | Ecuador | 0.777 | High |
 | Sri Lanka | 0.776 | High |
 | Dominican Republic | 0.776 | High |
 | Guyana | 0.776 | High |
 | Tonga | 0.769 | High |
 | Vietnam | 0.766 | High |
 | Maldives | 0.766 | High |
 | Turkmenistan | 0.764 | High |
 | Algeria | 0.763 | High |
 | Cuba | 0.762 | High |
 | Dominica | 0.761 | High |
 | Paraguay | 0.756 | High |
 | Egypt | 0.754 | High |
 | Jordan | 0.754 | High |
 | Lebanon | 0.752 | High |
 | Saint Lucia | 0.748 | High |
 | Mongolia | 0.747 | High |
 | Tunisia | 0.746 | High |
 | South Africa | 0.741 | High |
 | Uzbekistan | 0.740 | High |
 | Bolivia | 0.733 | High |
 | Gabon | 0.733 | High |
 | Marshall Islands | 0.733 | High |
 | Botswana | 0.731 | High |
 | Fiji | 0.731 | High |
 | Indonesia | 0.728 | High |
 | Suriname | 0.722 | High |
 | Libya | 0.721 | High |
 | Belize | 0.721 | High |
 | Philippines | 0.720 | High |
 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.720 | High |
 | Jamaica | 0.720 | High |
 | Morocco | 0.710 | High |
 | Venezuela | 0.709 | High |
 | Samoa | 0.708 | High |
 | Nicaragua | 0.706 | High |
 | Nauru | 0.703 | High |
 | Bhutan | 0.698 | Medium |
 | Iraq | 0.695 | Medium |
 | Eswatini | 0.695 | Medium |
 | Tajikistan | 0.691 | Medium |
 | Tuvalu | 0.689 | Medium |
 | India | 0.685 | Medium |
 | Bangladesh | 0.685 | Medium |
 | El Salvador | 0.678 | Medium |
 | Palestine | 0.674 | Medium |
 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.674 | Medium |
 | Cape Verde | 0.668 | Medium |
 | Namibia | 0.665 | Medium |
 | Guatemala | 0.662 | Medium |
 | Republic of the Congo | 0.649 | Medium |
 | Honduras | 0.645 | Medium |
 | Kiribati | 0.644 | Medium |
 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.637 | Medium |
 | Timor-Leste | 0.634 | Medium |
 | Kenya | 0.628 | Medium |
 | Ghana | 0.628 | Medium |
 | Nepal | 0.622 | Medium |
 | Vanuatu | 0.621 | Medium |
 | Laos | 0.617 | Medium |
 | Angola | 0.616 | Medium |
 | Micronesia | 0.615 | Medium |
 | Myanmar | 0.609 | Medium |
 | Cambodia | 0.606 | Medium |
 | Comoros | 0.603 | Medium |
 | Zimbabwe | 0.598 | Medium |
 | Zambia | 0.595 | Medium |
 | Cameroon | 0.588 | Medium |
 | Solomon Islands | 0.584 | Medium |
 | Uganda | 0.582 | Medium |
 | Ivory Coast | 0.582 | Medium |
 | Rwanda | 0.578 | Medium |
 | Papua New Guinea | 0.576 | Medium |
 | Togo | 0.571 | Medium |
 | Syria | 0.564 | Medium |
 | Mauritania | 0.563 | Medium |
 | Nigeria | 0.560 | Medium |
 | Tanzania | 0.555 | Medium |
 | Haiti | 0.554 | Medium |
 | Lesotho | 0.550 | Medium |
 | Pakistan | 0.544 | Low |
 | Senegal | 0.530 | Low |
 | Gambia | 0.524 | Low |
 | DR Congo | 0.522 | Low |
 | Malawi | 0.517 | Low |
 | Benin | 0.515 | Low |
 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.514 | Low |
 | Djibouti | 0.513 | Low |
 | Sudan | 0.511 | Low |
 | Liberia | 0.510 | Low |
 | Eritrea | 0.503 | Low |
 | Guinea | 0.500 | Low |
 | Ethiopia | 0.497 | Low |
 | Afghanistan | 0.496 | Low |
 | Mozambique | 0.493 | Low |
 | Madagascar | 0.487 | Low |
 | Yemen | 0.470 | Low |
 | Sierra Leone | 0.467 | Low |
 | Burkina Faso | 0.459 | Low |
 | Burundi | 0.439 | Low |
 | Niger | 0.419 | Low |
 | Mali | 0.419 | Low |
 | Chad | 0.416 | Low |
 | Central African Republic | 0.414 | Low |
 | Somalia | 0.404 | Low |
 | South Sudan | 0.388 | Low |
Key Findings
Countries with the Highest HDI
-
Iceland (0.972), Switzerland (0.970), and Norway (0.970) rank highest in HDI.
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The country with the highest HDI is: Iceland (0.972).
Countries with the Lowest HDI
-
The lowest HDI values are typically found in countries with limited access to healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure, often concentrated in lower-income regions such as Somalia (0.404) or South Sudan (0.388).
-
Low life expectancy, driven by inadequate healthcare systems, malnutrition, and higher disease burdens, is one of the main factors reducing HDI scores.
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Weak economic conditions, including low income levels and limited job opportunities, combined with gaps in education access, further constrain overall human development.
Where the United States Ranks
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Ranking 17th globally, the United States is classified among countries with very high human development.
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The U.S. performs strongly in life expectancy, education, and income, which are the three core components of the Human Development Index.
-
Its overall position reflects high average income and advanced living standards, though it ranks below some peer countries due to differences in life expectancy and inequality.
Key Drivers of High HDI
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Countries with high HDI typically benefit from strong healthcare systems, higher life expectancy, and widespread access to education.
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Higher income levels and stable economies also contribute significantly to improved living standards and overall human development.
World Trend Line
Global Human Development Index Trends
Global HDI trends reflect long-term improvements in life expectancy, education access, and income levels. While most countries have seen steady gains, the pace of progress differs, with higher-income nations stabilizing at very high HDI levels and lower-income countries gradually catching up.
Human Development Index
Comparison
HDI differences reflect variation in health outcomes, education levels, and economic conditions between countries. The index highlights how development is uneven across regions rather than driven by a single factor.
Definitions & Methodology
Human Development Index (HDI) The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite measure developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that assesses average achievements in three key dimensions of human development: life expectancy, education, and standard of living (gross national income per capita).
HDI Methodology HDI is calculated by normalizing and combining indicators for life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita into a single index ranging from 0 to 1, where higher values indicate higher human development.
Last Updated: April 24, 2026
