Nepal climbs to 146th position in Human Development Index

KATHMANDU: Nepal has achieved a notable advancement in the Human Development Index (HDI), as per the latest Global Human Development Report released by the UNDP.

The country now stands at the 146th position on the HDI, with a value of 0.601.

This marks a significant improvement from its 149th ranking in 2021, reflecting a positive progression of 0.010 in HDI, surpassing the global average increase of 0.004.

From 1990 to 2022, Nepal has witnessed substantial improvements in various indicators.

Life expectancy at birth has increased by 15.7 years, while average years of schooling have risen by 5.4 percent.

Additionally, the expected years of school attendance have extended by 2.1 years.

Furthermore, Nepal's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita has shown a remarkable improvement of approximately 165.7 percent, as highlighted in the report.

In terms of gender development, the HDI for females stands at 0.562, compared to 0.635 for males, resulting in a gender development index value of 0.885 in 2022.

The HDI, as emphasized by the UNDP, evaluates a country's development based on per capita GNI, education, and average life expectancy.

Achim Steiner, Chief of UNDP, underscored the importance of strengthening global capacities and interdependence to address the challenges highlighted in the report. He emphasized the necessity of collective action in tackling issues such as climate change, digitalization, poverty, and inequality.

Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, Resident Representative of UNDP Nepal, acknowledged Nepal's progress over the past five years, albeit noting a slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She stressed the importance of collaboration not only among different levels of government but also with the private sector, civil society, international community, and the general public to sustain and accelerate progress in human development.