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Côte d'Ivoire Registers Progress in Human Development Index (HDI)

Côte d'Ivoire Registers Progress in Human Development Index (HDI)

Côte d'Ivoire Registers Progress in Human Development Index (HDI)

Côte d'Ivoire's Human Development Index (HDI) has risen from 0.468 in 2011 to 0.550 in 2021, marking an approximate progression of 17.5%, revealed Nialé Kaba, Minister of the Economy, Planning, and Development, on January 29, 2025, at the "Les Rendez-vous du Gouvernement" press conference in Abidjan-Plateau.

The event focused on "Economic Policy and Development Planning in Côte d'Ivoire: Issues, Challenges, and Perspectives."

"Significant progress has been made in human development. The HDI of Côte d'Ivoire rose from 0.468 in 2011 to 0.550 in 2021, a progress of about 17.5%. This composite index, calculated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1990, evaluates a country's human development level through three dimensions: income per capita, health, and education," explained Nialé Kaba.

According to the Minister, the 0.550 index has placed the country in the "medium HDI" category: "Thus, we have moved from the low HDI category to the medium HDI category as of 2021. It should be noted that Côte d'Ivoire improved its ranking from 175th to 166th globally."

However, concerning the controversy surrounding the HDI figures for Côte d'Ivoire, particularly the 2023-2024 index of 0.534, which showed a decline compared to the 2021-2022 index of 0.550, the Minister clarified and announced that updated figures would be available in April 2025.

"The controversy arose from the calculation method or the figures considered in the HDI calculation after 2021. Indicators like health and life expectancy have not declined in Côte d'Ivoire, and this should not negatively affect the HDI. It's important to note that life expectancy at birth can decrease, but in Côte d'Ivoire, life expectancy has gradually increased. In 2020, it was 60.1%, and in 2023, it reached 61.9%. As for income per capita, it has steadily increased with our growth rate, especially after 2021," explained the Minister.

She continued, "The challenge came from the education sector, particularly the indicator for the average years of schooling for adults over 25 and the expected years of schooling (i.e., how long, on average, a child stays in school). In reality, these are very stable statistics as the number of school infrastructures has increased, and efforts to combat child labor have been strengthened. Nothing justifies a decline in the indicators, considering the performances achieved. Unfortunately, we discovered that those who calculated the HDI did not use factual data, but projections from 2014, and then shifted to figures from 2016. These years are far enough removed to not reflect the reality. We have provided them with the correct data. Updated figures will be available starting in April."

Nialé Kaba clarified that while the UNDP provides the sources, it does not calculate these indicators: "The education figures come from UNESCO, income per capita from the World Bank, and health data from UN agencies. We have reached out to these organizations to update the statistics."