Loading…
Topic 06 of 12 · Country Index 2026
Development & Human Capital
Is a country turning its resources into better lives?
United Arab Emirates is placed first of 194 countries on development & human capital in the Country Index 2026, and Somalia 194th. The standing rests on 3 key statistics; the other 49 on this page are published as context, with no vote.
06
3 key statistics
01Country Index 2026
Who leads on development & human capital
The three countries placed highest of 194, the three placed lowest, and the country placed highest on each continent. Each position is a place in this topic’s own list, built from its key statistics.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
BelgiumWestern Europe
2nd of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Gf uip · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
GermanyWestern Europe
3rd of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Placed lowest on Development & Human Capital
Positions out of 194. A standing is relative: it says where a country places against the others measured, not that it scored zero.
Placed first on each continent · position among all 194
02The subject
About development & human capital
The long arc: whether a country is converting income into education, health and opportunity, and how far it has travelled toward the Sustainable Development Goals. These are the slowest-moving numbers on the site — a decade is the shortest window in which they say much.
Development is the long view: whether a country is converting what it has into health, schooling and opportunity. The standard composite of long life, education and income sits at its centre, because it was built to show that income alone is not development.
Two harder tests sit beside it. Whether a woman survives giving birth shows the reach of a health system where it is most difficult to fake, and how much food a hectare of farmland yields shows whether the most basic productive activity is advancing. These are among the slowest-moving numbers on the site.
What this topic does not measure
Poverty lines, inequality and aid received are published here as context rather than as keys, often because they cover fewer countries or are measured too rarely. Development is also not the same as economic size or growth, which belong to Economy & Innovation.
03The evidence
The 3 statistics that decide it
These are the only statistics that place countries on development & human capital — one vote each. Every number is somebody else’s research, reproduced without adjustment; the ordering on top is this site’s.
Key 1 of 3
Maternal Mortality Ratio
UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG)
Why it is a key: Whether a woman survives giving birth — the reach of a health system at the moment it is hardest to fake.
- Edition used
- 2023data for 2023
- Countries
- 195
- Publisher’s rank
- None — values only
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0 IGO
Every country, every editionMost affected, 2023 edition
NigeriaKey 2 of 3
Human Development Index
UNDP Human Development Report Office
Why it is a key: The standard composite of health, schooling and income, carrying UNDP's own published rank.
- Edition used
- 2023data for 2023
- Countries
- 193
- Publisher’s rank
- Published
- Licence
- CC BY 3.0 IGO
Every country, every editionCurrent leader, 2023 edition
IcelandKey 3 of 3
Cereal Yield
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Why it is a key: How much food a hectare of land produces: the clearest single measure of agricultural productivity.
- Edition used
- 2023data for 2023
- Countries
- 179
- Publisher’s rank
- None — values only
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
Every country, every editionCurrent leader, 2023 edition
OmanHow the keys combine
Each country’s value on each key becomes its place in that key’s own field, as a share of the field. The shares are averaged, one vote per key, and only the order that produces is published.
The method in full
04Every placed country
Development & Human Capital on a map
Darker is placed higher. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its page. Below the map, each continent’s median position — half its placed countries sit at or above it, so lower is better.
1st194thNot placed · 30 countries with too few key statisticsNo data
1st of 5 continents
Europe
32nd
median position, of 194 · 41 of its 49 countries placed
Highest
Belgium2nd of 5 continents
Americas
88th
median position, of 194 · 36 of its 48 countries placed
Highest
United States3rd of 5 continents
Asia
90th
median position, of 194 · 49 of its 52 countries placed
Highest
United Arab Emirates4th of 5 continents
Oceania
128th
median position, of 194 · 14 of its 21 countries placed
Highest
New Zealand5th of 5 continents
Africa
164th
median position, of 194 · 54 of its 55 countries placed
Highest
Egypt- Every region
All 22 sub-regions on Development & Human Capital, best median first
- 1Australia and New Zealandmedian 10thfrom 2 of 2New Zealand10
- 2Western Europemedian 11thfrom 7 of 9Belgium2
- 3Northern Americamedian 22ndfrom 2 of 4United States22
- 4Northern Europemedian 27thfrom 10 of 13
Ireland5 - 5Southern Europemedian 33rdfrom 14 of 17
Slovenia8 - 6Eastern Europemedian 37thfrom 10 of 10
Czechia13 - 7Eastern Asiamedian 51stfrom 6 of 8
South Korea7 - 8Western Asiamedian 68thfrom 18 of 19United Arab Emirates1
- 9South Americamedian 79thfrom 12 of 12
Chile29 - 10Central Asiamedian 90thfrom 5 of 5
Uzbekistan71 - 11Caribbeanmedian 97thfrom 14 of 24
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines57 - 12South-eastern Asiamedian 99thfrom 11 of 11
Singapore14 - 13Central Americamedian 102ndfrom 8 of 8
Costa Rica60 - 14Southern Asiamedian 108thfrom 9 of 9
Sri Lanka74 - 15Northern Africamedian 124thfrom 6 of 6Egypt55
- 16Melanesiamedian 125thfrom 4 of 5
Fiji=82 - 17Polynesiamedian 128thfrom 3 of 7
Tonga=104 - 18Micronesiamedian 136thfrom 5 of 7
Palau111 - 19Southern Africamedian 151stfrom 5 of 5
South Africa94 - 20Eastern Africamedian 161stfrom 18 of 19
Mauritius59 - 21Middle Africamedian 166thfrom 9 of 9
São Tomé and Príncipe134 - 22Western Africamedian 177thfrom 16 of 16
Ghana141
05The whole field
Where all 194 countries stand
In order, best first. A row resting on fewer keys rests on less evidence: a country needs 2 of the 3 to be placed at all. “=” marks a position shared with another country. Select a country to see the working behind its standing.
Showing 25 of 194 countries placed on Development & Human Capital
- 1 of 194United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia3/3
- 2 of 194BelgiumWestern Europe3/3
- 3 of 194GermanyWestern Europe3/3
- 4 of 194
NetherlandsWestern Europe3/3 - 5 of 194IrelandNorthern Europe3/3
- 6 of 194
DenmarkNorthern Europe3/3 - 7 of 194South KoreaEastern Asia3/3
- 8 of 194SloveniaSouthern Europe3/3
- 9 of 194
JapanEastern Asia3/3 - 10 of 194New ZealandAustralia and New Zealand3/3
- 11 of 194
SwitzerlandWestern Europe3/3 - 12 of 194
QatarWestern Asia3/3 - 13 of 194CzechiaEastern Europe3/3
- 14 of 194SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia2/3
- 15 of 194
AustriaWestern Europe3/3 - 16 of 194
United KingdomNorthern Europe3/3 - 17 of 194
FranceWestern Europe3/3 - 18 of 194
SwedenNorthern Europe3/3 - 19 of 194
CroatiaSouthern Europe3/3 - 20 of 194
PolandEastern Europe3/3 - 21 of 194
SlovakiaEastern Europe3/3 - 22 of 194United StatesNorthern America3/3
- 23 of 194
KuwaitWestern Asia3/3 - 24 of 194
MaltaSouthern Europe2/3 - 25 of 194
San MarinoSouthern Europe2/3 - 26 of 194OmanWestern Asia3/3
- 27 of 194
NorwayNorthern Europe3/3 - 28 of 194
ItalySouthern Europe3/3 - 29 of 194ChileSouth America3/3
- 30 of 194
AustraliaAustralia and New Zealand3/3 - 31 of 194
LuxembourgWestern Europe3/3 - 32 of 194
AndorraSouthern Europe2/3 - =33 of 194
GreeceSouthern Europe3/3 - =33 of 194
HungaryEastern Europe3/3 - 35 of 194
Saudi ArabiaWestern Asia3/3 - 36 of 194IcelandNorthern Europe3/3
- 37 of 194
BulgariaEastern Europe3/3 - 38 of 194
SerbiaSouthern Europe3/3 - =39 of 194
LithuaniaNorthern Europe3/3 - =39 of 194
PortugalSouthern Europe3/3 - 41 of 194
IsraelWestern Asia3/3 - 42 of 194
Bosnia and HerzegovinaSouthern Europe3/3 - 43 of 194
CanadaNorthern America3/3 - 44 of 194
FinlandNorthern Europe3/3 - 45 of 194
EstoniaNorthern Europe3/3 - 46 of 194
AlbaniaSouthern Europe3/3 - 47 of 194
BelarusEastern Europe3/3 - 48 of 194
BahrainWestern Asia2/3 - 49 of 194
SpainSouthern Europe3/3 - 50 of 194
UruguaySouth America3/3 - 51 of 194
ChinaEastern Asia3/3 - 52 of 194
North MacedoniaSouthern Europe3/3 - 53 of 194
MontenegroSouthern Europe3/3 - 54 of 194
RomaniaEastern Europe3/3 - 55 of 194EgyptNorthern Africa3/3
- 56 of 194
UkraineEastern Europe3/3 - 57 of 194Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCaribbean3/3
- 58 of 194
TürkiyeWestern Asia3/3 - 59 of 194MauritiusEastern Africa3/3
- 60 of 194Costa RicaCentral America3/3
- 61 of 194
Puerto RicoCaribbean2/3 - 62 of 194
LatviaNorthern Europe3/3 - 63 of 194
ArgentinaSouth America3/3 - 64 of 194
BahamasCaribbean3/3 - 65 of 194
Hong KongEastern Asia2/3 - 66 of 194
PanamaCentral America3/3 - 67 of 194
RussiaEastern Europe3/3 - 68 of 194
CyprusWestern Asia3/3 - 69 of 194
SeychellesEastern Africa2/3 - 70 of 194
VietnamSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 71 of 194UzbekistanCentral Asia3/3
- 72 of 194
MalaysiaSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 73 of 194
PeruSouth America3/3 - 74 of 194Sri LankaSouthern Asia3/3
- =75 of 194
GeorgiaWestern Asia3/3 - =75 of 194
MexicoCentral America3/3 - 77 of 194
GuyanaSouth America3/3 - 78 of 194
AzerbaijanWestern Asia3/3 - 79 of 194
BrazilSouth America3/3 - 80 of 194
MoldovaEastern Europe3/3 - 81 of 194
ColombiaSouth America3/3 - =82 of 194FijiMelanesia3/3
- =82 of 194
IranSouthern Asia3/3 - 84 of 194
BarbadosCaribbean3/3 - 85 of 194
ThailandSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 86 of 194
TurkmenistanCentral Asia3/3 - 87 of 194
ParaguaySouth America3/3 - =88 of 194
BruneiSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - =88 of 194
EcuadorSouth America3/3 - 90 of 194
TajikistanCentral Asia3/3 - 91 of 194
ArmeniaWestern Asia3/3 - 92 of 194
Saint Kitts and NevisCaribbean2/3 - 93 of 194
Antigua and BarbudaCaribbean3/3 - 94 of 194South AfricaSouthern Africa3/3
- 95 of 194
KazakhstanCentral Asia3/3 - 96 of 194
LebanonWestern Asia3/3 - 97 of 194
Dominican RepublicCaribbean3/3 - 98 of 194
MaldivesSouthern Asia3/3 - 99 of 194
IndonesiaSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 100 of 194
North KoreaEastern Asia2/3 - 101 of 194
Saint LuciaCaribbean2/3 - 102 of 194
BelizeCentral America3/3 - 103 of 194
SurinameSouth America3/3 - =104 of 194
CubaCaribbean3/3 - =104 of 194TongaPolynesia2/3
- 106 of 194
BangladeshSouthern Asia3/3 - 107 of 194
PalestineWestern Asia3/3 - 108 of 194
BhutanSouthern Asia3/3 - 109 of 194
KyrgyzstanCentral Asia3/3 - 110 of 194
PhilippinesSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 111 of 194PalauMicronesia2/3
- 112 of 194
El SalvadorCentral America3/3 - 113 of 194
Trinidad and TobagoCaribbean3/3 - 114 of 194
JordanWestern Asia3/3 - 115 of 194
DominicaCaribbean3/3 - 116 of 194
IndiaSouthern Asia3/3 - =117 of 194
IraqWestern Asia3/3 - =117 of 194
NicaraguaCentral America3/3 - 119 of 194
LaosSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 120 of 194
VenezuelaSouth America3/3 - 121 of 194
TunisiaNorthern Africa3/3 - 122 of 194
GrenadaCaribbean3/3 - 123 of 194
MongoliaEastern Asia3/3 - 124 of 194
AlgeriaNorthern Africa3/3 - 125 of 194
Papua New GuineaMelanesia3/3 - 126 of 194
CambodiaSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 127 of 194
HondurasCentral America3/3 - =128 of 194
SamoaPolynesia2/3 - =128 of 194
SyriaWestern Asia3/3 - 130 of 194
MyanmarSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - =131 of 194
Marshall IslandsMicronesia2/3 - =131 of 194
NepalSouthern Asia3/3 - 133 of 194
BoliviaSouth America3/3 - 134 of 194São Tomé and PríncipeMiddle Africa3/3
- 135 of 194
MoroccoNorthern Africa3/3 - 136 of 194
KiribatiMicronesia2/3 - 137 of 194
PakistanSouthern Asia3/3 - 138 of 194
ZambiaEastern Africa3/3 - 139 of 194
GuatemalaCentral America3/3 - 140 of 194
LibyaNorthern Africa3/3 - 141 of 194GhanaWestern Africa3/3
- 142 of 194
TuvaluPolynesia2/3 - 143 of 194
Cabo VerdeWestern Africa3/3 - =144 of 194
GabonMiddle Africa3/3 - =144 of 194
Timor-LesteSouth-eastern Asia3/3 - 146 of 194
EswatiniSouthern Africa3/3 - 147 of 194
JamaicaCaribbean3/3 - 148 of 194
Equatorial GuineaMiddle Africa2/3 - 149 of 194
Solomon IslandsMelanesia3/3 - 150 of 194
MicronesiaMicronesia3/3 - 151 of 194
BotswanaSouthern Africa3/3 - 152 of 194
NauruMicronesia2/3 - 153 of 194
UgandaEastern Africa3/3 - 154 of 194
EthiopiaEastern Africa3/3 - 155 of 194
ComorosEastern Africa3/3 - 156 of 194
DjiboutiEastern Africa3/3 - 157 of 194
Côte d’IvoireWestern Africa3/3 - 158 of 194
SenegalWestern Africa3/3 - 159 of 194
VanuatuMelanesia3/3 - 160 of 194
CameroonMiddle Africa3/3 - =161 of 194
KenyaEastern Africa3/3 - =161 of 194
TanzaniaEastern Africa3/3 - 163 of 194
MalawiEastern Africa3/3 - 164 of 194
RwandaEastern Africa3/3 - 165 of 194
NamibiaSouthern Africa3/3 - 166 of 194
AngolaMiddle Africa3/3 - 167 of 194
Republic of the CongoMiddle Africa3/3 - 168 of 194
MadagascarEastern Africa3/3 - 169 of 194
MauritaniaWestern Africa3/3 - 170 of 194
AfghanistanSouthern Asia3/3 - 171 of 194
MozambiqueEastern Africa3/3 - 172 of 194
TogoWestern Africa3/3 - 173 of 194
YemenWestern Asia3/3 - 174 of 194
HaitiCaribbean3/3 - 175 of 194NigeriaWestern Africa3/3
- 176 of 194
ZimbabweEastern Africa3/3 - =177 of 194
Burkina FasoWestern Africa3/3 - =177 of 194
Sierra LeoneWestern Africa3/3 - 179 of 194
Guinea-BissauWestern Africa3/3 - 180 of 194
MaliWestern Africa3/3 - 181 of 194
GuineaWestern Africa3/3 - 182 of 194
BeninWestern Africa3/3 - 183 of 194
GambiaWestern Africa3/3 - =184 of 194
DR CongoMiddle Africa3/3 - =184 of 194
LesothoSouthern Africa3/3 - =186 of 194
BurundiEastern Africa3/3 - =186 of 194
SudanNorthern Africa3/3 - 188 of 194
EritreaEastern Africa3/3 - 189 of 194
LiberiaWestern Africa3/3 - 190 of 194
NigerWestern Africa3/3 - 191 of 194
Central African RepublicMiddle Africa3/3 - 192 of 194
South SudanEastern Africa3/3 - 193 of 194
ChadMiddle Africa3/3 - 194 of 194
SomaliaEastern Africa3/3
30 countries measured in the index but not placed on development & human capital
Each holds readings on too few of this topic’s key statistics to be placed. Their profiles still show every reading the publishers give.
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Channel Islands
- Cook Islands
- Curaçao
- Faroe Islands
- French Polynesia
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Guam
- Isle of Man
- Kosovo
- Liechtenstein
- Macau
- Monaco
- Montserrat
- New Caledonia
- Niue
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Saint Martin
- Sint Maarten
- Somaliland
- Taiwan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States Virgin Islands
- Vatican City
06Beyond the headline
A different story
The countries placed furthest above and below their overall position in the Country Index 2026. Both positions are compared as a share of their own field, because 50th of 193 and 50th of 174 are not the same showing.
Placed higher on Development & Human Capital than overall
Placed lower on Development & Human Capital than overall
07In records
Development in records
One country at the extreme of a statistic under this topic, read from its newest edition. Where countries tie at the top, no record is named.
Highest human development
0.972
on UNDP’s 0–1 index
Lowest maternal mortality
0.11
deaths per 100,000 live births
Highest cereal yield
29,147
kilograms per hectare
.jpg){kind=link}
08Latest editions
Who rose and fell in the published ranks
The biggest moves between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks — reports under this topic that print a rank. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- United Arab Emirates23 → 15+8
- Guyana95 → 89+6
- Andorra37 → 32+5
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Gender Inequality Index: reference years 2022 (172 countries ranked) → 2023 (172 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- Benin166 → 153+13
- Sierra Leone162 → 152+10
- Tonga122 → 115+7
09Context, no vote
Also measured under development & human capital
49 more statistics on the same subject, published in full and deliberately given no vote — keeping them out is what stops the standing drifting toward whichever kind of statistic was imported most. Select a row for its leader and trend.
Life Expectancy at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 222 countries · 2023UN DESA Population Division2222023
Current leader:
MonacoUN DESA Population Division · 74 editions, data 1950–2023
Access to ElectricityWorld Bank Group · 215 countries · 2024World Bank Group2152024
World Bank Group · 35 editions, data 1990–2024
Social Protection CoverageILO · 208 countries · 2025ILO2082025
International Labour Organization (ILO) · 1 edition
Under-Five Mortality RateUN IGME · 200 countries · 2024UN IGME2002024
Most affected:
NigeriaUN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) · 73 editions, data 1952–2024
Crop Production IndexFAO · 195 countries · 2022FAO1952022
Current leader:
SenegalFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 62 editions, data 1961–2022
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 195 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1952023
Current leader:
MonacoUNDP Human Development Report Office · 34 editions, data 1990–2023
Food Production IndexFAO · 195 countries · 2022FAO1952022
Current leader:
SenegalFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 62 editions, data 1961–2022
Livestock Production IndexFAO · 194 countries · 2022FAO1942022
Current leader:
MalawiFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 62 editions, data 1961–2022
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 193 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1932023
Current leader:
GermanyUNDP Human Development Report Office · 34 editions, data 1990–2023
Statistical Performance IndicatorsWorld Bank Group · 188 countries · 2024World Bank Group1882024
Current leader:
NorwayWorld Bank Group · 9 editions, data 2016–2024
Completeness of Birth RegistrationUNICEF · 185 countries · 2025UNICEF1852025
UNICEF · 1 edition
GDP per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 185 countries · 2025World Bank Group1852025
Current leader:
SingaporeWorld Bank Group · 36 editions, data 1990–2025
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 184 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1842023
Current leader:
UkraineUNDP Human Development Report Office · 34 editions, data 1990–2023
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 172 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1722023
Most affected:
YemenUNDP Human Development Report Office · 34 editions, data 1990–2023
Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 172 countries · 2020World Bank Group1722020
Current leader:
SingaporeWorld Bank Group · 4 editions, data 2010–2020
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 169 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1692023
Most affected:
SomaliaUNDP Human Development Report Office · 14 editions, data 2010–2023
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 169 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1692023
Current leader:
IcelandUNDP Human Development Report Office · 14 editions, data 2010–2023
Prevalence of UndernourishmentFAO · 165 countries · 2023FAO1652023
Most affected:
HaitiFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 23 editions, data 2001–2023
Stunting Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 162 countries · 2024UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates)1622024
Most affected:
BurundiUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 1 edition
Organic Agricultural AreaFAO · 156 countries · 2024FAO1562024
Current leader:
SamoaFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 20 editions, data 2005–2024
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDIUNDP Human Development Report Office · 156 countries · 2023UNDP Human Development Report Office1562023
Current leader:
United KingdomUNDP Human Development Report Office · 34 editions, data 1990–2023
Dietary Energy SupplyFAO · 155 countries · 2024FAO1552024
Current leader:
United StatesFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 24 editions, data 2001–2024
Child MarriageUNICEF · 145 countries · 2025UNICEF1452025
Account Ownership at a Financial InstitutionWorld Bank Group · 139 countries · 2024World Bank Group1392024
Current leader:
IcelandWorld Bank Group · 5 editions, data 2011–2024
Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six MonthsUNICEF · 136 countries · 2024UNICEF1362024
Prevalence of Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 133 countries · 2023FAO1332023
Most affected:
South SudanFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 9 editions, data 2015–2023
Agriculture Orientation IndexFAO · 132 countries · 2024FAO1322024
Current leader:
SingaporeFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 24 editions, data 2001–2024
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 109 countries · 2025OPHI1092025
Most affected:
ChadOxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · 8 editions
GNI per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 102 countries · 2025World Bank Group1022025
Current leader:
SingaporeWorld Bank Group · 32 editions, data 1994–2025
Cost of Sending RemittancesWorld Bank Group · 93 countries · 2023World Bank Group932023
Most affected:
CubaWorld Bank Group · 8 editions, data 2016–2023
Violent Discipline of ChildrenUNICEF · 90 countries · 2025UNICEF902025
Country Policy and Institutional AssessmentWorld Bank Group · 78 countries · 2025World Bank Group782025
Current leader:
RwandaWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2005–2025
Gini IndexWorld Bank Group · 73 countries · 2022World Bank Group732022
Most affected:
ColombiaWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2002–2022
Income Share Held by Lowest 20%World Bank Group · 73 countries · 2022World Bank Group732022
Current leader:
IndiaWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2002–2022
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayWorld Bank Group · 73 countries · 2022World Bank Group732022
Most affected:
MozambiqueWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2002–2022
Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a DayWorld Bank Group · 73 countries · 2022World Bank Group732022
Most affected:
MozambiqueWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2002–2022
Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a DayWorld Bank Group · 73 countries · 2022World Bank Group732022
Most affected:
MozambiqueWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2002–2022
Prosperity GapWorld Bank Group · 73 countries · 2022World Bank Group732022
Most affected:
MozambiqueWorld Bank Group · 21 editions, data 2002–2022
Global Report on Food CrisesFSIN · 44 countries · 2024FSIN442024
Most affected:
South SudanFood Security Information Network (FSIN) · 9 editions, data 2016–2024
Describing the shape of a country (10)
These have no better end — more is not better or worse, only different — so they could not place countries even as keys.
Arable Land per PersonFAO · 206 countries · 2023FAO2062023
Highest:
KazakhstanFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 63 editions, data 1961–2023
Land Under Cereal ProductionFAO · 180 countries · 2023FAO1802023
Highest:
IndiaFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 63 editions, data 1961–2023
Water Withdrawal by SectorFAO · 173 countries · 2022FAO1732022
Highest:
SomaliaFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 33 editions, data 1990–2022
Cereal Import Dependency RatioFAO · 161 countries · 2022FAO1612022
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 22 editions, data 2001–2022
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 158 countries · 2025World Bank Group1582025
Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 132 countries · 2025World Bank Group1322025
Highest:
Puerto RicoWorld Bank Group · 49 editions, data 1977–2025
Household ConsumptionWorld Bank Group · 131 countries · 2025World Bank Group1312025
Highest:
SomaliaWorld Bank Group · 56 editions, data 1970–2025
Net Official Development Assistance ReceivedOECD Development Assistance Committee · 130 countries · 2023OECD Development Assistance Committee1302023
Highest:
TuvaluOECD Development Assistance Committee · 58 editions, data 1966–2023
Agricultural Irrigated LandFAO · 121 countries · 2023FAO1212023
Highest:
BangladeshFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · 1 edition
Children with Functional DifficultiesUNICEF · 62 countries · 2024UNICEF622024
10Analysis
Charts and analysis on development & human capital
Global Hunger Index 2025: Countries with the Most Alarming Hunger Crisis
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.
India vs Pakistan 2025: Comparison of Hunger Index, Happiness, HDI, Rule of Law, Literacy & GDP
India and Pakistan on six published measures: hunger, happiness, human development, rule of law, literacy and GDP per capita. India is the better placed on five of them; Pakistan on one.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The most-read profiles, on Development & Human Capital
How Development & Human Capital relates to the other topics
- Moves most with: Health & WellbeingCountries place very similarly on both. (0.92, 192 countries)
- Moves most with: Economy & InnovationCountries place very similarly on both. (0.90, 149 countries)
- Moves least with: Environment & SustainabilityAlmost no link between the two. (-0.12, 160 countries)
Rank correlation of the two topics’ positions across the countries placed on both: 1 means the same order, 0 no link. Every pair of topics
The other topics
The full Country Index 2026- Governance & InstitutionsFirst: Denmark
- Economy & InnovationFirst: Iceland
- Work & LabourFirst: Iceland
- Education & KnowledgeFirst: South Korea
- Health & WellbeingFirst: San Marino
- Environment & SustainabilityFirst: Uruguay
- Gender & EqualityFirst: Sweden
- Democracy & Civil LibertiesFirst: Norway
- Peace & SecurityFirst: Iceland
- Risk & ResilienceFirst:
Liechtenstein - Mobility & ConnectivityFirst: Singapore
- Every topic, side by side
12Method
Questions, method and sources
Which country is placed first on development & human capital in the Country Index 2026?
United Arab Emirates, of the 194 countries given a standing on Development & Human Capital. The standing is this site’s own, built from 3 key statistics by 12 publishers; it is not a rank any of those publishers printed.
Which country is placed last on development & human capital?
Somalia, 194th of 194. A standing says how a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move.
Which statistics decide the Development & Human Capital standing?
Maternal Mortality Ratio, Human Development Index, Cereal Yield. Each is read at one edition and turned into a place within its own field; the places are averaged with one vote each. The other 49 statistics on this topic are published as context and have no vote.
Why is a country not placed on development & human capital?
A country needs readings on at least 2 of the 3 key statistics before it is placed. 30 countries in the Country Index fall short on this topic; every reading the publishers do give for them is still on their profiles.
Are these the publishers’ own rankings?
The underlying numbers and any printed ranks are the publishers’, reproduced without adjustment on each statistic’s page. The standing that combines them is this site’s, and the average it is ordered by is never published — only the position it produces.
How the Development & Human Capital standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 49 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. All of them describe 2023.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 194 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Maternal Mortality Ratio — UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Human Development Index — UNDP Human Development Report Office, CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Cereal Yield — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 49 statistics on this page come from 11 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
The countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belgium — Gf uip, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Germany — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Development & Human Capital: country standings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/topics/development