Frequently asked questions - FAQs
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- HDR FAQs (print version) [54 KB]
General questions about data in the Human Development Report
What kind of statistics can I get from the HDR?
Where do data in the indicator tables of HDR come from?
Where do data in the thematic analysis (chapters) come from?
Does the HDR report any data on the Millennium Development Goals?
Why is there a time lag between the reference date of most data and the release date of the Report?
Questions about the Human Development Index (HDI)
What is the human development index (HDI)?
Is the HDI enough to measure a country's level of development?
Can the gross domestic product per capita be used to measure human development instead of the HDI?
Why is GDP per capita (PPP US$) used over GDP per capita (US$) in the HDI?
Why doesn't the HDI include dimensions of participation, gender, and equality?
Where do data for HDI come from? What are the criteria for a country to be included in the HDI?
Why isn't the HDI compiled for all UN member countries?
Is the HDI comparable over time?
Is the HDI comparable across editions of the HDR?
Is the HDI available before 1975?
Why was the HDI methodology changed in the 1999 HDR?
Questions about other indices used in the Human Development Report
What is the gender-related development index (GDI)?
What is the gender empowerment measure (GEM)?
How are the GDI and the GEM used?
What is the human poverty index (HPI-1 and HPI-2)?
Why aren't all the countries included in the GDI, GEM, and HPI?
Other questions about the data
Does the HDR report data on Afghanistan or Iraq?
Does the HDR report any sub-national data?
Does the HDR report more complete time series data for economic, education or poverty indicators?
Are data comparable in different editions of the HDR?
How are the Regional/Income classifications determined?
