Zawaya

The Human Development Index cannot be taken seriously

By: Adel Rochdy

As we all know, the Human Development Index (HDI) is a set of statistics that measures the degree of development of countries.

The HDI replaces the old United Nations indicator which included economic factors only. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has introduced new criteria in the calculation of the HDI, including health (mainly life expectancy), the level of education, and living standards (Gross Domestic Product and purchasing power).

To what extent are these indexes useful to Maghreb governments in their fight against social problems?

First off, the HDI is a technique that brings a significant correction to the old rules of calculation that were based solely on financial considerations.

For example, a country would have a poverty rate of 5% based simply on what is in the pockets of citizens. However, to calculate the HDI, it is crucial to take into account the real human misery, including access to health care, education, and personal comfort. This is a whole new ballgame then, as it will make the previously mentioned poverty rate rise to 15% or even more.

Secondly, we should not forget that the data used in the UNDP calculations of the Human Development Index are provided by the States themselves. It’s guaranteed, therefore, that the communicated figures are sweetened beforehand. No Maghreb government would ever give out information about the misery and shortcomings of its country in their rough state. Consequently, the reliability of data is not the same for all countries.

So the answer to whether the HDI is useful for governments is no, since the figures are provided by the governments themselves.

A serious indicator, however, could force governments to work more on solving social problems. That means that for some Maghreb countries where some areas are notoriously known for being very poor, and where living standards are very low compared to the national average (namely Mauritania and rural areas in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria); it is useful to take these human development indicators into consideration while trying to improve things.

The UNDP data are probably essential, but as long as they are not originated from independent centers of research and statistics, their reliability remains questionable. As an example, Tunisia where there is the least level of social inequality in the Maghreb, is indistinctly ranked in the 91st position in terms of the rate of access to health care, the degree of civil liberties, the gross enrollment ratio, and the rates of the participation of women in socio-economic development; while the country has made enormous progress in these last two indexes and exceeded by far its neighbors. This proves that the figures are not entirely reliable.

Beyond the awareness of sustainable development, there are also other phenomena to eradicate, including corruption, regionalism, and religious extremism. This applies to all Maghreb countries.

Statistical data of the UNDP can serve as alarm bells (and they are sometimes subject to official denials). However, Maghreb governments are perfectly aware of the state of their respective countries better than anyone else. Therefore, they should just roll up their sleeves and adopt appropriate reforms to reduce inequalities and reduce poverty rates substantially.

Make no mistake, social problems in the Maghreb are rooted in an unequal distribution of wealth, but only good governance and democracy can address them.