RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has been ranked second in the Arab world and 36th globally in the list of Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for the year 2019. According to the Human Development Report, published by the UNDP Human Development Report Office, the Kingdom advanced to 36th rank among 189 countries, three ranks up from 39th position that it placed in the previous year. The Human Development Index aims to measure the level of prosperity being experienced by the peoples of the world in various fields in order to provide a base that enables comparisons between the ability of countries and societies to achieve equality, justice and welfare for their peoples. The Kingdom has made substantial progress in the Human Development Index during the period between 1990 and 2018, jumping from 0.698 points in 1990 to 0.857 points in 2018 and the Kingdom's ranking among the G20 nations shot up to 10th position. The UNDP is keen on this index as well as on the related annual reports prepared to monitor the development of countries in this field. The index covers several areas represented by life expectancy at birth, expected years of study, average years of study, and per capita income. The Human Development Report divides the countries of the world into four groups in accordance with the value of the Human Development Index. As for countries with low human development, the value of the index is less than 0.550 points. Then comes the medium human development group for which the value of index ranges between 0.550 and 0.699 points. The third group is the high human development group, for which the value of the index ranges between 0.700 and 0.799 points, and the fourth group is the group of countries with very high human development, for which the value of the index is from 0.800 or more points.
