Economic & financial indicators

Human development index

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This index produced by the United Nations Development Programme and covering 162 countries, is a broader—and more controversial—measure of well-being than GDP per head. The HDI combines three indicators of welfare: life expectancy, GDP per head and educational attainment . This year, Norway overtook Canada for first place; strife-torn Sierra Leone remains firmly at the bottom.

This article appeared in the Economic & financial indicators section of the print edition under the headline “Human development index”

Keeping the customer satisfied

From the July 14th 2001 edition

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