Norway #1 in human development; Democratic Republic of the Congo last

The United Nations (UN) publishes a Human Development Index each year which compares life expectancy, literacy, education, child welfare, and standards of living in countries around the globe.

The village of Reine in Lofoten, Norway (Photo credit: Petr Šmerkl, Wikipedia)

In 2011, Norway ranked first followed by Australia, Netherlands, United States, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Sweden. Countries in Africa rated at the bottom, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo ranking last and the Seychelles ranking first among African nations.

Anse Source d'Argent 2-La Digue, Seychelles  (Photo credit: Tobias Alt/Creative Commons)

Wingcom Watchdog has forwarded the UN the following questions concerning this year's index:

When will the 2012 report be published?
Do you see any significant changes in country rankings re: human development from 2011 to 2012?
What can we learn from the countries at the top of the list to help countries at the bottom of the list?
How did Belgium's influence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo result in its low ranking?

The response was, "Thank you for your interest in our work. We have received your query and we will answer as soon as possible." As for research requests, ""Sorry. We unfortunately do not have the staff time or resources to assist individuals with personal research requests." To learn more about this subject, however, go to http://hdr.undp.org/en/.

The UN has also released its African Human Development Report 2012: Towards a Food Secure Future and states:  "Sub-Saharan Africa cannot sustain its present economic resurgence unless it eliminates the hunger that affects nearly a quarter of its people...

"Impressive GDP growth rates in Africa have not translated into the elimination of hunger and malnutrition. Inclusive growth and people-centred approaches to food security are needed,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark earlier this month.

©2012 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.