Which country has the highest Human Development Index?

Iceland has the highest Human Development Index in 2023, at 0.972, followed by Switzerland (0.97) and Norway (0.97).

Which country has the lowest Human Development Index?

South Sudan has the lowest Human Development Index in 2023, at 0.388.

What is the median Human Development Index across countries?

The median is 0.762 across the 193 countries with data in 2023.

Where does this first world countries data come from?

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: UN Human Development Data - United Nations; UN Human Development Report 2020 - United Nations; World Economic Outlook Database - International Monetary Fund; World Bank Country and Lending Groups - World Bank.

Country rankings

First World Countries

Name: First World Countries
Creator: Rankodex

Iceland has the highest Human Development Index in 2023 (0.972), followed by Switzerland (0.97) and Norway (0.97). South Sudan has the lowest (0.388).

Economics193 countries · 1 metricUpdated May 14, 2025Original page

7 sources

ShowingHuman Development IndexBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →

Year

193 of 235 countries

Compare this metric Add to combined ranking Open full map

Human Development Index, 2023

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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Ranking

Best first: the first 15 and last 5 of 193 countries.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median

0.762

Middle half 0.622 – 0.862

Average

0.741

193 countries

Highest

0.972

Iceland

Lowest

0.388

South Sudan

Over time · 1990–2023

The top 5 in 2023, against the median.

Median of all countries
Iceland
Switzerland
Norway
Denmark
Germany

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

193 countries · # = rank by Human Development Index

#
1	Iceland	0.972
2	Switzerland	0.97
2	Norway	0.97
4	Denmark	0.962
5	Germany	0.959
5	Sweden	0.959
7	Australia	0.958
8	Netherlands	0.955
8	Hong Kong	0.955
10	Belgium	0.951
11	Ireland	0.949
12	Finland	0.948
13	United Kingdom	0.946
13	Singapore	0.946
15	United Arab Emirates	0.94
16	Canada	0.939
17	United States	0.938
17	New Zealand	0.938
17	Liechtenstein	0.938
20	South Korea	0.937
21	Slovenia	0.931
22	Austria	0.93
23	Japan	0.925
24	Malta	0.924
25	Luxembourg	0.922
26	France	0.92
27	Israel	0.919
28	Spain	0.918
29	Italy	0.915
29	Czechia	0.915
29	San Marino	0.915
32	Cyprus	0.913
32	Andorra	0.913
34	Greece	0.908
35	Poland	0.906
36	Estonia	0.905
37	Saudi Arabia	0.9
38	Bahrain	0.899
39	Lithuania	0.895
40	Portugal	0.89
41	Croatia	0.889
41	Latvia	0.889
43	Qatar	0.886
44	Slovakia	0.88
45	Chile	0.878
46	Hungary	0.87
47	Argentina	0.865
48	Uruguay	0.862
48	Montenegro	0.862
50	Oman	0.858
51	Turkey	0.853
52	Kuwait	0.852
53	Antigua and Barbuda	0.851
54	Seychelles	0.848
55	Romania	0.845
55	Bulgaria	0.845
57	Georgia	0.844
58	Saint Kitts and Nevis	0.84
59	Panama	0.839
60	Kazakhstan	0.837
60	Brunei	0.837
62	Serbia	0.833
62	Costa Rica	0.833
64	Russia	0.832
65	Belarus	0.824
66	Bahamas	0.82
67	Malaysia	0.819
68	North Macedonia	0.815
69	Armenia	0.811
69	Barbados	0.811
71	Albania	0.81
72	Trinidad and Tobago	0.807
73	Mauritius	0.806
74	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.804
75	Iran	0.799
76	Thailand	0.798
76	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	0.798
78	China	0.797
79	Peru	0.794
80	Grenada	0.791
81	Mexico	0.789
81	Azerbaijan	0.789
83	Colombia	0.788
84	Brazil	0.786
84	Palau	0.786
86	Moldova	0.785
87	Ukraine	0.779
88	Ecuador	0.777
89	Sri Lanka	0.776
89	Dominican Republic	0.776
89	Guyana	0.776
92	Tonga	0.769
93	Vietnam	0.766
93	Maldives	0.766
95	Turkmenistan	0.764
96	Algeria	0.763
97	Cuba	0.762
98	Dominica	0.761
99	Paraguay	0.756
100	Egypt	0.754
100	Jordan	0.754
102	Lebanon	0.752
103	Saint Lucia	0.748
104	Mongolia	0.747
105	Tunisia	0.746
106	South Africa	0.741
107	Uzbekistan	0.74
108	Bolivia	0.733
108	Gabon	0.733
108	Marshall Islands	0.733
111	Botswana	0.731
111	Fiji	0.731
113	Indonesia	0.728
114	Suriname	0.722
115	Libya	0.721
115	Belize	0.721
117	Philippines	0.72
117	Kyrgyzstan	0.72
117	Jamaica	0.72
120	Morocco	0.71
121	Venezuela	0.709
122	Samoa	0.708
123	Nicaragua	0.706
124	Nauru	0.703
125	Bhutan	0.698
126	Iraq	0.695
126	Eswatini	0.695
128	Tajikistan	0.691
129	Tuvalu	0.689
130	India	0.685
130	Bangladesh	0.685
132	El Salvador	0.678
133	Palestine	0.674
133	Equatorial Guinea	0.674
135	Cape Verde	0.668
136	Namibia	0.665
137	Guatemala	0.662
138	Republic of the Congo	0.649
139	Honduras	0.645
140	Kiribati	0.644
141	Sao Tome and Principe	0.637
142	Timor-Leste	0.634
143	Kenya	0.628
143	Ghana	0.628
145	Nepal	0.622
146	Vanuatu	0.621
147	Laos	0.617
148	Angola	0.616
149	Micronesia	0.615
150	Myanmar	0.609
151	Cambodia	0.606
152	Comoros	0.603
153	Zimbabwe	0.598
154	Zambia	0.595
155	Cameroon	0.588
156	Solomon Islands	0.584
157	Uganda	0.582
157	Ivory Coast	0.582
159	Rwanda	0.578
160	Papua New Guinea	0.576
161	Togo	0.571
162	Syria	0.564
163	Mauritania	0.563
164	Nigeria	0.56
165	Tanzania	0.555
166	Haiti	0.554
167	Lesotho	0.55
168	Pakistan	0.544
169	Senegal	0.53
170	Gambia	0.524
171	DR Congo	0.522
172	Malawi	0.517
173	Benin	0.515
174	Guinea-Bissau	0.514
175	Djibouti	0.513
176	Sudan	0.511
177	Liberia	0.51
178	Eritrea	0.503
179	Guinea	0.5
180	Ethiopia	0.497
181	Afghanistan	0.496
182	Mozambique	0.493
183	Madagascar	0.487
184	Yemen	0.47
185	Sierra Leone	0.467
186	Burkina Faso	0.459
187	Burundi	0.439
188	Niger	0.419
188	Mali	0.419
190	Chad	0.416
191	Central African Republic	0.414
192	Somalia	0.404
193	South Sudan	0.388

What correlates with Human Development Index (2023)?

Pearson r against 1,416 other country metrics sharing at least 116 countries, 1 near-identical series hidden. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Human Development Index tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

GDI Female Human DevelopmentGender Development Index by Country
r = +0.99 · very strong · n = 183
Plot
Social Progress IndexSocial Progress Index by Country
r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 168
Plot
Education IndexEducation Index by Country
r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 192
Plot
LP Living ConditionsLegatum Prosperity IndexA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 166
Plot
LP EducationLegatum Prosperity IndexA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 166
Plot
Energy Equity ScoreEnergy Trilemma Energy Performance Index
r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 126
Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Human Development Index tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

Public ServicesFailed States
r = −0.92 · very strong · n = 177
Plot
Gender Inequality Index ScoreGender Inequality Index by Country
r = −0.92 · very strong · n = 165
Plot
Still Birth RateStillbirth Rates by Country
r = −0.90 · very strong · n = 191
Plot
% ChildrenChildren in the World by Country
r = −0.90 · very strong · n = 187
Plot
% of Pop. Living on Less Than $10 USD/DayPoverty Rate by Country
r = −0.90 · very strong · n = 159
Plot
Individuals Making Under $10kWealth Inequality by Country
r = −0.90 · very strong · n = 169
Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Human Development Index?: Iceland has the highest Human Development Index in 2023, at 0.972, followed by Switzerland (0.97) and Norway (0.97).
Which country has the lowest Human Development Index?: South Sudan has the lowest Human Development Index in 2023, at 0.388.
What is the median Human Development Index across countries?: The median is 0.762 across the 193 countries with data in 2023.
Where does this first world countries data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: UN Human Development Data - United Nations; UN Human Development Report 2020 - United Nations; World Economic Outlook Database - International Monetary Fund; World Bank Country and Lending Groups - World Bank.

Higher together

Opposite directions

Quick answers

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