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9th
September, 2005
TEN HIGHEST RANKINGS
1. Norway
2. Iceland
3. Australia
4. Luxembourg
5. Canada
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Ireland
9. Belgium
10. United States
TEN LOWEST RANKINGS
177. Niger
176. Sierra Leone
175. Burkina Faso
174. Mali
173. Chad
172. Guinea-Bissau
171. Central African Republic
170. Ethiopia
169. Burundi
168. Mozambique
167. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Source: United Nations Development Program human development
index |
Eighteen
of the world’s poorest countries are performing worse
on key development indicators than they were in 1990, according
to the United Nationals Development Program.
Releasing its latest Human Development Index this week, the
UNDP said that 12 of those 18 countries were located in sub-Saharan
Africa with countries such as South Africa falling 35 places
in the rankings since 1990 and Botswana 21 - both moves which
have been precipitated largely by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The other six countries that have suffered declines in the
rankings were all among the successor states to the Soviet
Union. Since 1990, Tajikstan has fallen 21 places, Ukraine
17 and the Russian Federation 15.
“The index shows in clear, cold numbers that many countries
are not only failing to progress, but are actually slipping
backwards and they will continue on that downhill path unless
the international community steps in to help with more resources
and new policies,” said Kevin Watkins, head of the UNDP’s
Human Development Report Office.
The index uses life expectancy, literacy and gross domestic
product to measure development standards.
According to the index, Norway was the most developed nation
followed by Iceland and Australia. The African nation of Niger
was the least developed of the 177 nations represented on
the list, below Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Mali.
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DAVID ADAMS
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