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Having money is not enough for a country to be considered developed. In addition to its wealth, a nation needs to ensure that there is equal distribution among its citizens and that everyone has access to a dignified life, which includes health, education and income.

The indicator that measures the population’s quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI), published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The HDI reflects the population’s level of education, longevity and income. In March, the numbers for the years 2023-2024 were released, which are based on data from 2022.

In general, Brazil’s figures have improved, but not at the same rate as other nations. As a result, Brazil fell two positions in the global ranking, which compares 193 countries. Brazil fell from 87th to 89th position.

The HDI varies from 0 to 1, and the closer the value is to 1, the more developed the country is. Brazil’s index is at 0.760, against 0.754 in the previous classification. Switzerland is ranked as number one, with an HDI of 0.967. Next are Norway (0.966) and Iceland (0.959). At the opposite extreme, with the lowest rates, are Somalia (0.380), South Sudan (0.381) and Central African Republic (0.387).

Where did Brazil lose out?

What most harmed Brazil’s development was education, the only indicator that did not register an improvement in 2022. One of the points evaluated in the index, the expected years of schooling, fell from 15.59 to 15.58 years. This aspect considers the population’s estimated number of years of study. The result is still a reflection of the pandemic.

Income per capita, that is the total national income of a country divided by the number of inhabitants, went from 14,369.88 dollars to14,615.89 dollars. These numbers show that, despite Brazil being a rich country, income distribution is still not done equally.  We still have a long path to guarantee a good quality of life to all the population.