IGCSE Geography / Development and human welfare

Measuring development: the Human Development Index revision notes

Edexcel International GCSE Geography (4GE1), chapter 9: Development and human welfare, specification point 9.1c, 9.S1. Free lesson.

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The Human Development Index (HDI) combines health, education and income into one score to compare countries' development. Its bands give the exam labels developed, emerging and developing, while comparing HDI with income alone shows why no single measure tells the whole story.

What the HDI measures

The HDI is a composite index published by the United Nations since 1990. A composite index combines several types of information into one score. The HDI uses health, education and standard of living, so it measures more than income alone. Health is measured by life expectancy at birth. In 2023, it was 81 years in the UK and 55 years in Nigeria. Education uses expected years of schooling for a child starting school, and mean years of schooling for adults. Standard of living is measured by income per person, adjusted for local prices using purchasing power parity (PPP). The…

How the four HDI bands link to exam labels

The UN groups countries into four bands using their HDI score. In exam answers, use the band to decide whether a country is described as developed, emerging or developing. Very high: 0.800 and above. These countries are developed. The UK scored 0.946. High: 0.700 to 0.799. These countries are emerging. China scored 0.797. Medium: 0.550 to 0.699. These countries are also emerging. Nigeria scored 0.560. Low: below 0.550. These countries are developing. Niger scored 0.419. Nigeria was in the low band until the 2025 report, so older books may call it developing. It is…

Why the HDI band matters more than appearances

A country's label comes from its HDI band, not from how poor some people in the country appear to be. Poverty within a country does not change the country's band. Nigeria's HDI of 0.560 places it in the medium band, so it is classified as emerging. For an exam answer, link the label directly to the score and band rather than making a judgement from visible poverty.

Why rankings differ between income and HDI

GDP per capita measures income per person, while the HDI also includes health and education. Since two of the HDI's three parts are not about money, countries can move to different positions when ranked by HDI. Among five countries, Norway is first for both GDP per capita and HDI. The USA moves from second for GDP per capita to third for HDI. Italy moves from fifth to fourth. Qatar moves from third for GDP per capita, at US$72,500, to fifth for HDI. In the full world HDI table, it is 43rd. The UK moves from fourth for GDP per capita to second for HDI, with a score of 0.946. It is 13th in the…

How to assess the usefulness of the HDI

A strong assessment gives a judgement, supports the strength with evidence, then explains a limitation before returning to the judgement. The HDI is very useful, but it does not show every aspect of development. Its strength is that it combines life expectancy, schooling and income. Qatar is third of the five countries for GDP per capita but fifth for HDI, showing what an income-only measure hides. Its limitation is that each part is a national average, so it can hide inequality within a country. It also leaves out freedom, rights and corruption. A balanced conclusion is that the HDI is more…