List of SAARC countries by HDI

This list presents the Human Development Index values of the SAARC member states, along with their inequality-adjusted HDI scores. According to the most recent UNDP report, Sri Lanka ranks highest in the region with an HDI of 0.766, while Afghanistan ranks lowest at 0.496.[1] The inequality-adjusted figures show the same pattern, with Sri Lanka remaining at the top with 0.630 and Afghanistan again recording the lowest value at 0.321.[2]

Standard HDI

List

HDI 2023 data (2025 report) rankings
Rank Country HDI
Members
High Human Development
1 Sri Lanka 0.776
2 Maldives 0.766
World (average) 0.756
Medium human development
3 Bhutan 0.698
4 Bangladesh 0.685
India 0.685
SAARC (average) 0.659
6   Nepal 0.622
Low human development
7 Pakistan 0.544
8 Afghanistan 0.496
Observers
Very high human development
1 Australia 0.958
2 United States 0.938
3 South Korea 0.937
4 Japan 0.925
5 European Union 0.915
6 Mauritius 0.806
High Human Development
7 Iran 0.799
8 China 0.797
Medium human development
9 Myanmar 0.609

Map

This map displays the Human Development Index of each SAARC member state. The color indicators are as follows:

  High Human Development   Medium Human Development   Low Human Development

Inequality-adjusted HDI

List

IHDI 2023 data (2025 report) rankings
Rank Country IHDI
Medium human development
1 Sri Lanka 0.630
2 Maldives 0.602
Low human development
World (average) 0.590
3 Bangladesh 0.482
4 Bhutan 0.478
5 India 0.475
SAARC (average) 0.474
6   Nepal 0.437
7 Pakistan 0.364
8 Afghanistan 0.321

Map

This map displays the inequality-adjusted Human Development Index of each country, The color indicators are as follows:

  Medium Human Development   Low Human Development

Planetary-pressures-adjusted HDI

List

PHDI 2023 data (2025 report) rankings[3]
Rank Country PHDI
High human development
1 Sri Lanka 0.754
Medium human development
World (average) 0.680
2 Bangladesh 0.666
3 India 0.656
SAARC (average) 0.611
4 Bhutan 0.593
5   Nepal 0.592
6 Pakistan 0.529
7 Afghanistan 0.492
No data
8 Maldives N/A

Map

This map displays the Planetary pressures-adjusted Human Development Index of each country, The color indicators are as follows:

  High Human Development   Medium Human Development   Low Human Development   No Data

See Also

References

  1. ^ Country Insights (Report). UNDP, United Nations.
  2. ^ Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (Report). UNDP, United Nations.
  3. ^ "Planetary pressures–adjusted Human Development Index" (PDF). UNDP, United Nations.