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Opinions & Interviews

24 Jul 2014

Belarus can get into top 50 on UNDP Human Develompent Index soon

Belarus can get into top 50 on UNDP Human Develompent Index soon

MINSK, 24 July (BelTA) - Belarus can join the ranks of the Very High Human Development Index nations on the United Nations ranking by the end of the current five-year period, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor Mikhail Kovalev, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the Belarusian State University, told BelTA when commenting on the UN 2014 Human Development Report.

“Even if we do not improve our performance but just correctly present life expectancy data to the UN, then by the end of the current five-year period we can reach not only the 50th place, as we were planning, but join the list countries with Very High Human Development, of which there are now 49 in the world," said Mikhail Kovalev. The Professor explained that the Human Development Index is calculated on the basis of three key indicators: life expectancy, education, and income index (gross national income at purchasing power parity per capita) "Somehow the UN relies on the data from the World Health Organization which finds that the average life expectancy of the Belarusians is 69.9 years. According to our internal statistics (the Labor and Social Security Ministry – note by BelTA), the index is already 70.3 years. Thus, if the United Nations took into account this figure, Belarus would be ranked in the group of countries with Very High Human Development already this year,” said Mikhail Kovalev.

As for the other indexes, the mean years of schooling index, according to the UN, is 11.5 years in Belarus. The expected years of schooling index is 15.7 years. "By this index, we will soon approach the world leaders such as Sweden, Norway, Australia," said Mikhail Kovalev. GDP per capita in Belarus, according to the UN figures, is $16,400.

"These are very good figures. All CIS countries are behind us, including partners in the future Eurasian Union: the Russian Federation (57th) and Kazakhstan (70th)," the expert noted.

He also noted that Belarus is in the top positions on the United Nations social index, behind only Norway, Sweden and Slovakia. In terms of gender equality Belarus is 32nd in the world.

On 24 July the United Nations published the Human Development Report 2007-2014 where Belarus is placed 53rd among 187 nations. Belarus holds the leading position in the group of countries with the high human development index. The Russian Federation is in the same group of countries ranking 57th, Kazakhstan 70th, Azerbaijan 76th, Ukraine 83 rd, Armenia 87th. The third group of countries with the medium level of human development includes Turkmenistan (103 rd), Moldova (114th), Uzbekistan (116th), Kyrgyzstan (125th), and Tajikistan (133rd).

The UNDP has published annual global human development reports since 1990 as an independent and empirically sound analysis of trends, progress and development policies. The report, entitled "Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience" highlights the need for both promoting people's choices and protecting human development achievements. It takes the view that vulnerability threatens human development, and unless it is systematically addressed, by changing policies and social norms, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable.

 

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