SL ranked 73rd in Human Development Index

15 December 2015 01:32 pm

Sri Lanka has maintained its rank in the 'high human development category' at 73rd place according to the Human Development Report (HDR) 2015 released yesterday in Ethiopia by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

According to the Human Development Index (HDI), Sri Lanka had gradually improved in human development reaching 0.757 in 2014 from 0.679 in 2000, the Government Information Department said quoting the HDR.

The world average in 2014 is 0.711 and South Asia averaged at 0.607.

Noting the positive relationship between work and human development, the HDR said most Sri Lankan workers in the formal sector retire in their 60s, and a relatively small fraction are employed part- or full-time. But casual workers and self-employed workers tend to keep their full-time jobs for many more years.

Sri Lanka has integrated human resources and employment strategies in its National Human Resources and Employment Strategy, which began in 2014, to reduce unemployment and create more work opportunities. In Sri Lanka annual job growth is 12 percent.

Sri Lanka's neighbor, India is ranked at 130th in the 'medium development' countries along with Bhutan at 132, Maldives at 104, Bangladesh ranked at 142. Under 'lower development' countries Nepal is ranked at 145 and Afghanistan at 174. Pakistan at 147.

The top five countries in rank order of HDI are Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark and Netherlands, with no changes from 2014.

The Bottom five countries in rank order of HDI are Niger, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Chad and Burundi.