The HDI is a composite index measuring three basic dimensions: life expectancy at birth; schooling, measured both as mean years of schooling received by persons aged 25 and older and expected years of schooling for a child at school entrance; and gross national income per capita.
The World Health Organisation attempted an evaluation in 2000, in which Britain came 18th out of 191 countries and America 37th, but the methods used to compile the ranking were heavily criticised and it has not repeated the exercise.On the most basic metric of life expectancy at birth, Britain (79.1 years) outscores America (77.8).
Between 1970 and 2010, the most basic metric for health life expectancy at birth rose from 56.4 years to 67.5 years for men and from 61.2 years to 73.3 years for women.
Some basic statistics: The life expectancy of a baby born in Baltimore's poorest neighborhood is nearly 20 years shorter than that of a baby born in its wealthiest areas.
The United States spends more on health care than any other country -- $6,167 a person a year -- yet it is a laggard among wealthy nations under basic health measures like life expectancy.
The country has made impressive gains in improving access to basic health services, increasing life expectancy, and reducing under-five mortality and maternal mortality.
In early November The Economist examined Bangladesh's record in improving people's lives in the most basic sense, in terms of life expectancy, the number of children at school, the incidence of disease and so on.
Apart from income, useful indicators may include the consumption of certain foodstuffs such as protein, a measure of life expectancy, and access to basic amenities such as a safe water supply.
They too would like to experience the same acceleration in life expectancy, as well as basic requirements like clean water provision, toilets, electricity, internet access, and creature comforts like cars, air conditioning, refrigerators, washing machines… the list is endless.
A distinction was therefore made between low and high income countries by the measure of development; using the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite index measuring average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development; life expectancy, education, and income (UNDP, 2011).
