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With an index of 0.845, we have been grouped among 45 “high human development” nations with a figure between 0.800 and 0.900.
Among these Seychelles is placed 19th, while its global rank is 57 out of 182 countries, including those with “very high human development” – also called “developed countries”.

Top in our group is Bahrain with an index of 0.895. Our neighbour Mauritius is in 81st place overall with an index of 0.804, having fallen two places.

In the top league are 38 countries with indices above 0.900, led by Norway and including many European countries, as well as the US and Israel.

There are 74 “medium human development” countries whose indices are between 0.500 and 0.800, including South Africa, Kenya, China, Egypt and Indonesia.

And there are 23 “low human development” countries whose indices are 0.500 or below and include Togo, Malawi and Liberia, with Niger at the bottom with 0.340.

Published by the UN Development Programme since 1990, the Human Development Report says the human development index (HDI) looks beyond gross domestic product to a broader definition of wellbeing.

The HDI provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life – measured by life expectancy; being educated – measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education; and having a decent standard of living, which is measured by purchasing power parity and income.

However, the report says the index is not in any sense a comprehensive measure of human development. It does not, for example, include important indicators such as gender or income inequality nor concepts more difficult to measure such as respect for human rights and political freedoms.

Between 2000 and 2007, Seychelles’ HDI rose by 0.06% annually from 0.841 to 0.845 today. HDI scores in all regions have increased progressively over the years, although all have experienced periods of slower growth or even reversals.