9 out of 10 countries falling back in human development – UNDP report

The latest human development report, authored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has painted a gloomy picture of growth, across the globe towards attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the data, nine out of ten countries are retrogressing.

According to the report, the fall back is nearly universal as over 90 percent of countries recorded a decline in their HDI score in either 2020 or 2021 and more than 40 percent declined in both years, signaling that the crisis is still deepening for many.

The latest human development report titled “Uncertain times, Unsettled lives: Shaping our future in a transforming world” noted that layers of uncertainty are stacking up and interacting to unsettle life in unprecedented ways.

According to the report, Ghana ranks 133 out of 191 countries and maintains same human development index (HDI) value for 2020 and 2021.

According to data available, Ghana’s Human Development Index value grew from 0.460 to 0.632 between 1990 and 2021, reflecting an increase of 37.4%.

However, there is a huge inequality gap with gender bias high over the years and ranked 130 out of 170 countries in 2021 in terms of gender inequality between female and male achievements.

Launching the report, Angela Lusigi, UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana emphasized that, “We cannot achieve development without addressing unequal human progress that leaves many behind.

“We must all support efforts to remove existing structural, cultural and socioeconomic barriers that block progress for young people, women, people living with disabilities among others. Let us work together to unlock the potential of every Ghanaian to create a sustainable future in the face of uncertainty”, she stated.

COVID-19 and lately the war in Ukraine have had a devastating effect with sweeping social and economic shifts on many countries, leaving hundreds of millions poorer.

To chart a new course, the report recommends implementation of policies that focus on investment — from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics, and insurance—including social protection— to prepare our societies for the ups and downs of an uncertain world. Also, innovation in its many forms—technological, economic, cultural—can also build capacities to respond to whatever challenges come next.

For the first time in the 32 years that UNDP have been calculating it, the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures a nation’s health, education, and standard of living, has declined globally for two years in a row.

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Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).