India Improves Ranking In 2022 United Nations Human Development Index, Placed 134 Out Of 193 Countries

In terms of HDI, India's value increased to 0.644 in 2022, moving up from 135 to 134 among countries and territories.

India grapples with one of the largest gender gaps in its labor force participation rate.

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New Delhi: In 2022, India's standing on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) improved by one position, landing at 134 out of 193 ranked countries, compared to 135 out of 191 in the previous year.

Similarly, on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022, India climbed to 108 out of 193 countries, with a score of 0.437, marking a significant advancement from its rank of 122 out of 191 countries with a score of 0.490 in 2021.

This shows a significant jump of 14 ranks on the GII-2022 vis-a-vis the GII-2021, the Women and Child Development Ministry said, reported PTI.

Despite these strides, India grapples with one of the largest gender gaps in its labor force participation rate, with a disparity of 47.8 percent between women (28.3 percent) and men (76.1 percent).

In terms of HDI, India's value increased to 0.644 in 2022, moving up from 135 to 134 among countries and territories. This contrasts with a marginal rise from 0.633 in 2021.

These findings were detailed in the United Nations Development Programme's report titled "Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World." It builds on the 2021–2022 Human Development Report findings that saw the global HDI value fall for the first time -- two years in a row, as per PTI.

India's progress across all HDI indicators in 2022 is notable, with improvements in life expectancy, education, and gross national income (GNI) per capita. Life expectancy rose from 67.2 to 67.7 years, expected years of schooling reached 12.6, mean years of schooling increased to 6.57, and GNI per capita saw an increase from USD 6,542 to USD 6,951.

Moreover, India demonstrated strides in reducing gender inequality, with its GII value of 0.437 surpassing global and South Asian averages.

"India has shown remarkable progress in human development over the years. Since 1990, life expectancy at birth has risen by 9.1 years, expected years of schooling have increased by 4.6 years and mean years of schooling have grown by 3.8 years. India's GNI per capita has grown by approximately 287 per cent," the report said, the PTI report added.

With an HDI value of 0.644, India falls within the medium human development category, marking a 48.4 percent increase from 1990 to 2022. Additionally, India ranks 108 out of 166 countries in the GII-2022, indicating progress in reducing gender inequality.

"The GII measures gender inequalities in three key dimensions -- reproductive health, empowerment and labour market. The country's GII value of 0.437 is better than the global average of 0.462 and the South Asian average of 0.478," it said.

"India's performance in reproductive health is better than other countries in the medium human development group or South Asia. India's adolescent birth rate in 2022 was 16.3 (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19), an improvement from 17.1 in 2021," the report stated.

The ministry stated that over the last 10 years, India's rank in the GII has become consistently better, indicating progressive improvement in achieving gender equality in the country. In 2014, this rank was 127, which has now become 108.

"This is an outcome of the decisive agenda set by the government for ensuring women's empowerment through policy initiatives aimed at their long-term socio-economic and political development. The government's initiatives have spanned across women's lifecycle, including large-scale initiatives for girls' education, skill development, entrepreneurship facilitation and safety in the workplace. Policies and legislations in these areas have been driving the government's 'women-led development' agenda," the ministry said in a statement.