Egypt's Human Development Index rises to become higher than Arab average

CAIRO – 27 December 2020: The Human Development Index (HDI) recorded 0.707 in 2019 up from 0.701 in 2018 maintaining Egypt's 116th rank out of 189 states as well as its listing among countries having high development index, and becoming for the first time ever higher than the Arab World's average.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) issued earlier in December the Human Development Report 2020. The range of the index is between 0 and 1, and consists of three indicators.

One is health measured by the life expectancy of citizens. Second is education measured by the average number of years of education received by citizens aged above 18, and years of education citizens aged below 18 are expected to receive. Third is the gross national income per capita (GNI). This year, the organization added two other indicators that are carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint in what is called the Planetary-Pressures Adjusted HDI (PHDI).

When it comes to the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, Egypt ranks 125th as that index is lower than the HDI by 29.4 percent. Measuring reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity, the gender inequality index is 0.449 as the HDI for men is 0.730 compared to 0.652 for women. As a consequence, Egypt ranks 108th among 162 states in gender equality.

The Planetary-Pressures Adjusted HDI (PHDI) of Egypt is 0.684 being better than the average of Arab states that is 0.666.

Environment indicators show that 97 percent of energy consumption in Egypt relies on fossil fuel while the share per capita of gas emissions is within the global average. The report estimates that transportation and renewable energy projects undertaken in Egypt will reduce emissions within a few years.

The UNDP pointed out – in a press release Sunday - that Egypt has been among the earliest states in documenting human development status as it has published 11 reports since 1991. Backed by the UNDP, the country will publish a report in 2021.