Human Development Index - 2007/2008 Report

2007/2008 Report

The Human Development Report for 2007/2008 was launched in Brasilia, Brazil, on November 27, 2007. Its focus was on "Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world." Most of the data used for the report are derived largely from 2005 or earlier, thus indicating an HDI for 2005. Not all UN member states choose to or are able to provide the necessary statistics.

The report showed a small increase in world HDI in comparison with last year's report. This rise was fueled by a general improvement in the developing world, especially of the least developed countries group. This marked improvement at the bottom was offset with a decrease in HDI of high income countries.

A HDI below 0.5 is considered to represent "low development". All 22 countries in that category are located in Africa. The highest-scoring Sub-Saharan countries, Gabon and South Africa, are ranked 119th and 121st, respectively. Nine countries departed from this category this year and joined the "medium development" group.

A HDI of 0.8 or more is considered to represent "high development". This includes all developed countries, such as those in North America, Western Europe, Oceania, and Eastern Asia, as well as some developing countries in Eastern Europe, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the oil-rich Arabian Peninsula. Seven countries were promoted to this category this year, leaving the "medium development" group: Albania, Belarus, Brazil, Libya, Macedonia, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

On the following table, green arrows represent an increase in ranking over the previous study, while red arrows represent a decrease in ranking. They are followed by the number of spaces they moved. Blue dashes represent a nation that did not move in the rankings since the previous study.

  1. Iceland 0.968 ( 1)
  2. Norway 0.968 ( 1)
  3. Australia 0.962
  4. Canada 0.961 ( 2)
  5. Ireland 0.959 ( 1)
  6. Sweden 0.956 ( 1)
  7. Switzerland 0.955 ( 2)
  8. Japan 0.953 ( 1)
  9. Netherlands 0.953 ( 1)
  10. France 0.952 ( 6)
  1. Finland 0.952
  2. United States 0.951 ( 4)
  3. Spain 0.949 ( 6)
  4. Denmark 0.949 ( 1)
  5. Austria 0.948 ( 1)
  6. Belgium 0.946 ( 4)
  7. United Kingdom 0.946 ( 1)
  8. Luxembourg 0.944 ( 6)
  9. New Zealand 0.943 ( 1)
  10. Italy 0.941 ( 3)
  1. Hong Kong 0.937 ( 1)
  2. Germany 0.935 ( 1)
  3. Israel 0.932
  4. Greece 0.926
  5. Singapore 0.922
  6. South Korea 0.921
  7. Slovenia 0.917
  8. Cyprus 0.903 ( 1)
  9. Portugal 0.897 ( 1)
  10. Libya 0.894 ( 4)

Read more about this topic:  Human Development Index

Famous quotes containing the word report:

    “We have been here over forty years, a longer period than the children of Israel wandered through the wilderness, coming to this Capitol pleading for this recognition of the principle that the Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Mr. Chairman, we ask that you report our resolution favorably if you can but unfavorably if you must; that you report one way or the other, so that the Senate may have the chance to consider it.”
    —Anna Howard Shaw (1847–1919)