Kazakhstan tops Central Asia in UN human development ranking, Uzbekistan 107th

Kazakhstan leads Central Asia in the UN human development ranking, while Uzbekistan is 107th

A country’s level of development depends on much more than the size of its economy or household incomes. Life expectancy, access to education, and the degree to which economic opportunities are converted into quality of life are equally important. These elements are brought together in the Human Development Index (HDI), compiled by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The HDI measures three areas: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. It uses life expectancy, expected and mean years of schooling, and gross national income (GNI) per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP). The closer a country’s score is to 1, the higher its human development level.

A high income by itself does not ensure a strong HDI. The three dimensions are combined into one score so that weakness in one area cannot be fully compensated for by strength in another. The impact of income growth also lessens as incomes rise. A high position therefore reflects a mix of longevity, education, and income.

Kazakhstan ranked first in Central Asia, placing 60th worldwide with a score of 0.837, and was the only country in the region classified as having “very high human development.” Turkmenistan was next at 95th with 0.764. Uzbekistan was 107th with 0.74, and Kyrgyzstan ranked 117th with 0.72. Tajikistan placed 128th with 0.691 and was categorized as having “medium human development.”

Life expectancy at birth in Uzbekistan is 72.4 years, the second highest in the region, and expected years of schooling are 12.5. Mean years of schooling, the average number of years of education among people aged 25 and older, is 11.9. GNI per capita at 2021 PPP is $8,800.