DHAKA: Bangladesh moved one notch up to the 135th place among 189 countries in the Global Human Development Index (HDI) 2018, according to a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Last year, Bangladesh was ranked 136. 

In Bangladesh, the report was launched at the NEC auditorium in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the 2019 Human Development Report (HDR), entitled “Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: inequalities in human development in the 21st Century,” on Tuesday.

Placed among Medium Development countries in the 2019 Human Development Report published last Monday, Bangladesh’s HDI was 0.614 with 72.3 years of life expectancy at birth, 11.2 years of expected schooling and 4,057 PPP dollars GNI per capita.

Bangladesh’s HDI ranking, however, is still fifth among South Asian nations, behind Sri Lanka at 71, the Maldives at 104, India at 129, and Bhutan at 134. Nepal has been placed at 147, Pakistan 152, and Afghanistan at 170.

The steady progress was due to development, which had seen a reduction in poverty, along with gains in life expectancy, education, and access to health care.

Norway, Switzerland, Ireland held the top three positions in that order. Germany placed fourth along with Hong Kong, and Australia was ranked fifth.

At Gender Inequality Index, life expectancy at birth rate of female in Bangladesh was 74.3 while male 70.6.

The report put expected schooling year of female at 11.6 and male at 10.8.

Estimated GNI per capita of women stood at 2,373 PPP dollars and men at 5,701 PPP dollars.

Between 1990 and 2018, Bangladesh’s HDI value increased from 0.388 to 0.614, an increase of 58.3 percent.

Bangladesh’s life expectancy at birth increased by 14.1 years, mean years of schooling increased by 3.2 years and expected years of schooling increased by 5.6 years.

Bangladesh’s GNI per capita increased by about 198.7 percent between 1990 and 2018.

When comes to the Gender Inequality Index (GII), Bangladesh’s value is 0.536, ranking 129 out of 162 countries in the 2018 index. In the GII, India is at 122, Sri Lanka at 86, Bhutan at 99 and Myanmar at 106.

BDST: 1630 HRS, DEC 11, 2019
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