HDR 2011| UNDP Moldova

2011 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT: The Human Development Index of the Republic of Moldova has increased by 11% between 1995 and 2011

logo The Human Development Report ranks the Republic of Moldova 111th out of 187 world countries according to the Human Development Index..

Chisinau, November 3, 2011 – The 2011 Human Development Report, launched today in Chisinau, provides an analysis of the progresses achieved by 187 world states and ranks the Republic of Moldova 111th according to the Human Development Index, a summary indicator of people’s well-being, education and GDP per capita.

The Human Development Report entitled „Sustainability and equity: a better future for all” places the Republic of Moldova in the category of the countries with a medium human development with a Human Development Index of 0.649 in 2011. Between 1995 and 2011, the Human Development Index (HDI) of the Republic of Moldova has increased from 0.584 to 0.649, constituting a 11% increase or an annual increase of approximately 0.7%.
Last year’s Human Development Report, the Republic of Moldova ranked 99th out of 169 countries, but the authors of the Report argue that values and rankings are not comparable with previous reports as the methodology and data have changed as well as the number of included countries and territories - 187 in 2011 compared to 169 in 2010.

„The environment is essential for the way we choose how we live our lives being aware that everything we are doing has consequences for those seven billion people on earth today, as well as for billions of people who will be born in centuries to come”, said Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the preface of the 2011 Human Development Report, who paid an official visit to the Republic of Moldova in September 2010.

Looking at the progresses made by the Republic of Moldova on each of the several indicators of the Human Development Index - for example, life expectancy at birth or Gross Domestic Product, the 2011 Report reveals that life expectancy at birth increased by 4.7 years between 1980 and 2011 and that GDP per capita went up by approximately 68.0% between 1995 and 2011.

„The theme of the 2011 Human Development Report – „A better future for all” – has been for many years the motto of UNDP’s work in Moldova. This edition of the Report features the achievements made by the Republic of Moldova and provides understanding that there is a direct linkage between human development, environmental protection and the elimination of inequalities. And this approach can provide benefits for every citizen of the country”, said Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, at the launch event in Chisinau.

The 2011 Human Development Index for the Republic of Moldova –
0. 649, is above the average of 0.630 of the group of countries with a medium human development, but below the average of 0.751 of the European and Central Asia states. From the European and Central Asia region, countries with human development level similar to that of the Republic of Moldova are Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, ranking 102th and 115th respectively in the 2011 human development classification.

The top three ranked countries in the 2011 HDI are, in order, Norway, Australia and Holland, while the bottom three ranked countries in this year’s HDI, in order, are Burundi, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The long-term progress of a country can be assessed in the context of other countries located closely both geographically and in terms of Human Development Index value. For example, between 1995 and 2011, the Republic of Moldova, Turkey and Armenia have followed different paths to increase the Human Development Index.

2011 Human Development Index

Also released today as part of the 2011 Human Development Report was the latest Human Development Index (HDI), a summary indicator of people’s well-being, combining measures of life expectancy, literacy,
school enrolment and GDP per capita.

The 2010 Human Development Report introduced three new indicators which are featured in the 2011 Report as well: the Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index, as inequality reduces the average value of human development as a result of inequality in the areas of health, education and income, the Gender Inequality Index, which measures disparities in labour force, health, education and empowerment, affecting women, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index, which identifies important gaps in health, education and life standards affecting up to 1.7 millions of people in the world.

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ABOUT THIS REPORT: The annual Human Development Report is an editorially independent publication of the United Nations Development Programme. For free downloads of the 2011 Human Development Report in ten languages, plus additional reference materials on its indices and specific regional implications, please visit: http://hdr.undp.org

ABOUT UNDP: UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. Please visit: www.undp.org