Indians live 11 years longer now as compared to 1990, says UN report

Between 1990 and 2017, India's life expectancy at birth increased by nearly 11 years, with even more significant gains in expected years of schooling, according to the Human Development Report (HDR) released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Today's Indian school-age children can expect to stay in school for 4.7 years longer than in 1990.

The report states that on an average, people are living longer, are more educated, and have greater income today as is evident in the rise in average HDI levels since 1990 at 22 per cent globally.

According to the 2018 findings, between 1990 and 2017, India’s HDI value increased from 0.427 to 0.640, an almost 50 per cent increase, which is “an indicator that millions have been lifted out of poverty”.

At the same time, in what signals the glaring inequality in the country, the HDI value declines by more than a fourth when adjusted for inequality.
The value of India’s Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) falls to 0.468, a 26.8 per cent decrease, far worse than the global average decrease in the global HDI value due to inequality at 20 per cent.

India climbed one spot to 130 among 189 countries in the latest human development index released Friday by the United Nations Development Programme.

On the global front, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany led the ranking, while Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest scores in the HDI’s measurement of national achievements in health, education and income.

Whereas, India's gross national income per capita increased by a staggering 266.6 per cent between 1990 and 2017.

The HDI is measured in three basic dimensions of human development for assessing long-term progress: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.