Towards 2026 HDR

An Aspirational Approach to Planetary and Human Futures

What if the defining story of our time were not only one of crisis, but also one of reconnection, between people, and between people and the planet, and of the possibility to thrive together?

The 2026 Human Development Report explores how changes in our planetary systems are shaping the future of human development—and how advances in human development can, in turn, address the threats to those systems. It looks at how planetary pressures intersect with health, education, livelihoods, and well-being, and asks how societies can cultivate more constructive, mutually beneficial relationships between people and nature. The report proposes new metrics to better capture progress in this context and identifies actionable strategies to move beyond defensive and retreating approaches towards mobilizing people's aspirations for a better future to ensure that people and planet thrive together. As part of this approach, the report seeks to introduce a framework for measuring  human-nature relationships.

The 2026 Report is the final installment in a trilogy on development through uncertainty, building on the 2023–24 HDR on political polarization and the 2025 HDR on AI-driven transformations. This cycle also draws on and expands HDRO’s novel global digital public goods, including the Human Climate Horizons platform.

The high-level advisory board for the 2026 Human Development Report will be co-chaired by Laura Chinchilla, former President of Costa Rica, and A. Michael Spence, Nobel Laureate in Economics.