human development index


Human Development Index

A composite socio-economic value devised by the United Nations to compare quality of life in different countries by reducing education/literacy, life expectancy at birth (longevity, a surrogate measure of health) and purchasing power parity (PPP, GDP per capita)-adjusted income (a surrogate measure of living standard) to a single value, and stratify countries as developed, developing and underdeveloped.

human development index

A measure of national quality of life used by the United Nations Development Program. It consists of three elements: life expectancy at birth, mean years and expected years of schooling, and the gross national income at purchasing power parity per capita. See also: index