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journal article
Population and Development Review
Vol. 17, No. 2 [Jun., 1991]
, pp. 315-324 [10 pages]
Published By: Population Council
//doi.org/10.2307/1973733
//www.jstor.org/stable/1973733
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Abstract
The United Nations Development Programme has proposed a new "Human Development Index" [HDI] to improve on per capita gross national product, the usual measure of "development." This article challenges the usefulness of the conceptual framework [i.e., relative deprivation] of "human development" represented in the HDI, illustrates the sensitivity of this measure to plausible refinements, and argues that it offers only limited insights beyond those obtained by small modifications to simple measures of economic output. Until the conceptual underpinnings of the HDI are more firmly established, analysts and policymakers are better served by much simpler measures and methods for evaluating human development.
Journal Information
Founded in 1975, Population and Development Review seeks to advance knowledge of the interrelationships between population and socioeconomic development and provides a forum for discussion of related issues of public policy. Combining readability with scholarship, the journal draws on high-level social science expertise-in economics, anthropology, sociology, and political science-to offer challenging ideas, provocative analysis, and critical insights. Each issue includes a lively collection of book reviews and an archives section that brings to light historical writings with a resonance for contemporary population debate. Supplements to the journal also are available.
Publisher Information
The Population Council conducts research to address critical health and development issues. Our work allows couples to plan their families and chart their futures. We help people avoid HIV infection and access life-saving HIV services. And we empower girls to protect themselves and have a say in their own lives.
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This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions
Population and Development Review © 1991 Population Council
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Abstract
The goal of the Human Development Index [HDI] is to provide a comprehensive measure of human well-being. The HDI accomplishes this by combining indices in three key domains of human development: health, education, and economic conditions. Despite widespread agreement with its goal, the HDI has been criticized on a number of methodological grounds including: [1] measurement errors in its components, with the economic component having the greatest measurement error, [2] historical inconsistency, [3] unjustified trade-offs across its components, and [4] the correlation of its components. In this article, we introduce the Human Life Indicator [HLI], which is a variant of life expectancy that takes inequality in life spans into account. Life expectancy is the least error-prone of all the HDI components. HLI is free from other shortcomings intrinsic to HDI. The behavior of HLI in time and space reflects the major economic and political events across the world and provides a credible picture of the evolution of human development in the last century. HLI can be used in policy analyses at the subnational level and can help in the evaluation of progress toward the UN's sustainable development goals [SDGs].
Journal Information
Founded in 1975, Population and Development Review seeks to advance knowledge of the interrelationships between population and socioeconomic development and provides a forum for discussion of related issues of public policy. Combining readability with scholarship, the journal draws on high-level social science expertise-in economics, anthropology, sociology, and political science-to offer challenging ideas, provocative analysis, and critical insights. Each issue includes a lively collection of book reviews and an archives section that brings to light historical writings with a resonance for contemporary population debate. Supplements to the journal also are available.
Publisher Information
The Population Council conducts research to address critical health and development issues. Our work allows couples to plan their families and chart their futures. We help people avoid HIV infection and access life-saving HIV services. And we empower girls to protect themselves and have a say in their own lives.
Rights & Usage
This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions
Population and Development Review © 2019
Population Council
Request Permissions