UNDP Human Development Report Office · Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI by country
How much human development is left once environmental pressure is counted?
United Kingdom placed first of the 156 countries compared in 2023, at 0.827, and Qatar last, at 0.276. In the middle country the figure was 0.678. Among the 116 countries measured in every edition since 1990, the middle one moved from 0.560 to 0.678.
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Part ofDevelopment & Human CapitalEnvironment & Sustainability
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI · 2023
Context statistic
Highest of 156United Kingdom
0.827012023 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 156 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0, greyscale
2Photo: Poco a poco derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: User:Pieter Kuiper · Public domain, greyscale
Lowest in 2023
- 156
Qatar0.276 - 155
South Sudan0.383 - 154
Somalia0.396
Positions out of 156. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Egypt0.726 - Americas
Uruguay0.804 - Asia
Japan0.785 - EuropeUnited Kingdom0.827
- Oceania
New Zealand0.7313 of 21 measured
- Every region
02Every measured country
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0.276–0.545
- 0.548–0.643
- 0.644–0.702
- 0.703–0.749
- 0.751–0.827
- No reading in 2023
- Europe
0.754
the middle country, of 37 measured · 49 members
United Kingdom0.827
Luxembourg0.479Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
0.689
the middle country, of 25 measured · 48 members
Uruguay0.804
Haiti0.545Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
0.666
the middle country, of 45 measured · 52 members
Japan0.785Qatar0.276Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
0.539
the middle country, of 46 measured · 55 members
Egypt0.726South Sudan0.383Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Oceania
3 of 21 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea.
New Zealand0.731
Papua New Guinea0.566Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Southern Europe
0.791
the middle country, of 11 measured · 17 members
Spain0.818
Bosnia and Herzegovina0.701Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Northern Europe
0.750
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
United Kingdom0.827
Estonia0.714Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
0.740
the middle country, of 9 measured · 10 members
Poland0.792
Russia0.710Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Europe
0.740
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
France0.804Luxembourg0.479Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- South America
0.738
the middle country, of 10 measured · 12 members
Uruguay0.804
Venezuela0.652Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Caribbean
0.712
the middle country, of 5 measured · 24 members
Dominican Republic0.726Haiti0.545Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Northern Africa
0.691
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Egypt0.726
Sudan0.498Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Central Asia
0.687
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Uzbekistan0.702
Turkmenistan0.667Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Western Asia
0.666
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Georgia0.772Qatar0.276Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Central America
0.656
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica0.774
Honduras0.620Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- South-eastern Asia
0.648
the middle country, of 10 measured · 11 members
Thailand0.726
Laos0.570Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Asia
0.625
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Sri Lanka0.754
Afghanistan0.492Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Middle Africa
0.589
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Gabon0.704
Chad0.397Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Western Africa
0.509
the middle country, of 14 measured · 16 members
Ghana0.604
Niger0.410Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Eastern Africa
0.496
the middle country, of 15 measured · 19 members
Kenya0.610South Sudan0.383Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand0.731
Australia0.700Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Eastern Asia
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea.
Japan0.785
Mongolia0.577Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Melanesia
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea0.566Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
United States0.686
Canada0.643Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Southern Africa
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa.
Botswana0.698
Namibia0.611Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
156 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.678; a quarter are above 0.737, and a quarter below 0.571. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 156 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNDP Human Development Report Office ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. A high position here can mean genuine efficiency or simply a small economy with little to emit, so the comparison that carries meaning is against the same country’s HDI rather than against its neighbours.
Showing 25 of 156 countries
Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051990–2023 · 34 reference years
Over time
Each point is one reference year from 1990. The gap between this line and the same country’s HDI is the environmental cost of how it developed.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 116 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 156 | 0.678 | 0.571 – 0.737 | 0.678 |
| 2022 | 155 | 0.676 | 0.568 – 0.735 | 0.673 |
| 2021 | 155 | 0.663 | 0.563 – 0.726 | 0.662 |
| 2020 | 155 | 0.671 | 0.569 – 0.730 | 0.670 |
| 2019 | 155 | 0.675 | 0.566 – 0.734 | 0.675 |
| 2018 | 155 | 0.674 | 0.565 – 0.732 | 0.673 |
| 2017 | 155 | 0.670 | 0.561 – 0.730 | 0.669 |
| 2016 | 155 | 0.669 | 0.552 – 0.727 | 0.669 |
| 2015 | 155 | 0.665 | 0.550 – 0.730 | 0.665 |
| 2014 | 155 | 0.658 | 0.546 – 0.725 | 0.658 |
| 2013 | 155 | 0.658 | 0.539 – 0.719 | 0.658 |
| 2012 | 155 | 0.655 | 0.534 – 0.714 | 0.653 |
| 2011 | 154 | 0.647 | 0.525 – 0.709 | 0.646 |
| 2010 | 153 | 0.641 | 0.517 – 0.708 | 0.641 |
| 2009 | 151 | 0.642 | 0.519 – 0.702 | 0.636 |
| 2008 | 152 | 0.633 | 0.513 – 0.693 | 0.632 |
| 2007 | 152 | 0.630 | 0.494 – 0.690 | 0.629 |
| 2006 | 152 | 0.625 | 0.498 – 0.682 | 0.623 |
| 2005 | 151 | 0.626 | 0.490 – 0.676 | 0.616 |
| 2004 | 146 | 0.623 | 0.482 – 0.676 | 0.617 |
| 2003 | 145 | 0.621 | 0.479 – 0.681 | 0.620 |
| 2002 | 145 | 0.620 | 0.471 – 0.675 | 0.619 |
| 2001 | 145 | 0.619 | 0.467 – 0.670 | 0.619 |
| 2000 | 145 | 0.615 | 0.461 – 0.664 | 0.615 |
| 1999 | 138 | 0.611 | 0.458 – 0.662 | 0.611 |
| 1998 | 135 | 0.604 | 0.459 – 0.660 | 0.604 |
| 1997 | 135 | 0.599 | 0.458 – 0.654 | 0.597 |
| 1996 | 135 | 0.595 | 0.452 – 0.655 | 0.589 |
| 1995 | 135 | 0.591 | 0.440 – 0.647 | 0.588 |
| 1994 | 131 | 0.589 | 0.447 – 0.644 | 0.582 |
| 1993 | 131 | 0.586 | 0.443 – 0.637 | 0.573 |
| 1992 | 128 | 0.576 | 0.441 – 0.639 | 0.566 |
| 1991 | 118 | 0.563 | 0.411 – 0.630 | 0.563 |
| 1990 | 117 | 0.559 | 0.418 – 0.626 | 0.560 |
062022 → 2023
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after- Somalia0.377 → 0.396 · 154th → 154th+0.019
Côte d’Ivoire0.521 → 0.537 · 129th → 128th+0.016- Namibia0.596 → 0.611 · 106th → 103rd+0.015
Nepal0.577 → 0.592 · 112th → 110th+0.015
Bulgaria0.727 → 0.740 · 45th → 35th+0.013
155 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023. The field changed from 155 to 156 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
0.829
PHDI (0–1)
Lowest reading on record
0.121
PHDI (0–1)
Biggest improvement between editions
+0.184
0.312 → 0.496
Biggest decline between editions
−0.167
0.616 → 0.449
Most improved since first measured
+0.291
0.418 → 0.709
At the top most often
16 of 34
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI
The Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI is UNDP’s answer to “development at whose expense”: the Human Development Index discounted for a country’s carbon emissions and material footprint. It is the one measure here that systematically pushes wealthy, high-emitting countries down.
What the number is: PHDI (0–1).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Development & Human Capital and Environment & Sustainability, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Development & Human CapitalEnvironment & SustainabilityWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Population Aged 65 and OverUN DESA Population Division · 156 countries in commonρ 0.85
- GNI per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 91 countries in commonρ 0.82
- Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 143 countries in commonρ 0.82
Moves against
Where Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 84 countries in commonρ −0.91
- Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 143 countries in commonρ −0.78
- Working Poverty RateILO · 97 countries in commonρ −0.78
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 368 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The countries at either end
11Questions
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI: questions and answers
Which country has the highest Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI?
United Kingdom, at 0.827, among the 156 countries compared in 2023.
Which country has the lowest Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI?
Qatar, at 0.276, among the 156 countries compared in 2023.
How many countries does the Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI cover?
156 in 2023. The number measured varies from 117 to 156 between editions.
What is the world average Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 156 compared in 2023, the figure was 0.678.
Is this UNDP Human Development Report Office’s own ranking?
No. UNDP Human Development Report Office publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI published?
This site holds 34 reference years, 1990–2023, all recalculated in UNDP Human Development Report Office’s 2025 report on one method — not 34 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNDP Human Development Report Office, under CC BY 3.0 IGO. From the 2025 Human Development Report, which recalculates every year at once on one current method. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI — UNDP Human Development Report Office
From the 2025 Human Development Report, which recalculates every year at once on one current method.
Newest edition
Report year 2023Data year 2023
Cite the source as: UNDP. Human Development Report. New York: United Nations Development Programme.
Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-08-29.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNDP Human Development Report Office ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- United Kingdom — © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Spain — Poco a poco derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sweden — User:Pieter Kuiper, Public domain
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI by country: Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI, data from UNDP Human Development Report Office. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/planetary-pressures-hdi