9 Out of 10 Countries Fall Behind in Human Development: UNDP

On Thursday, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned that 9 out of 10 countries fall backward in human development due to multiple crises.

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The world is "lurching from crisis to crisis, trapped in a cycle of firefighting and unable to tackle the roots of the troubles that confront us," according to the latest Human Development Report -- "Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World."

Without a sharp change of course, the world may be "heading towards even more deprivations and injustices," says the report, underscoring that layers of uncertainty are stacking up and interacting to unsettle life in unprecedented ways.

The last two years have had a devastating impact for billions of people around the world, when crises like COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict hit back-to-back, and interacted with sweeping social and economic shifts, dangerous planetary changes, and massive increases in polarization.

For the first time in the 32 years that the UNDP has been calculating it, the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures a nation's health, education, and standard of living, has declined globally for two years in a row. Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

The reversal is "nearly universal" as over 90 percent of countries registered a decline in their HDI score in either 2020 or 2021, and more than 40 percent declined in both years, "signaling that the crisis is still deepening for many."

While some countries are beginning to get back on their feet, recovery is "uneven and partial," further widening inequalities in human development. Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have been hit particularly hard.

"The world is scrambling to respond to back-to-back crises. We have seen with the cost of living and energy crises that, while it is tempting to focus on quick fixes like subsidizing fossil fuels, immediate relief tactics are delaying the long-term systemic changes we must make," said UNDP head Achim Steiner.

"We are collectively paralyzed in making these changes. In a world defined by uncertainty, we need a renewed sense of global solidarity to tackle our interconnected, common challenges," he said.

The report explores why the change needed isn't happening and points out there are many reasons, including how insecurity and polarization are feeding off each other today to prevent the solidarity and collective action the world needs to tackle crises at all levels. New calculations show that those feeling most insecure are also more likely to "hold extreme political views."

"Even before COVID-19 hit, we were seeing the twin paradoxes of progress with insecurity and polarization. Today, with one-third of people worldwide feeling stressed and fewer than a third of people worldwide trusting others, we face major roadblocks to adopting policies that work for people and planet," said Steiner.

"We have a narrow window to re-boot our systems and secure a future built on decisive climate action and new opportunities for all," he added.

To chart a new course, the UNDP recommends implementing policies that focus on investment in an array of areas from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics, and insurance - including social protection, so as to prepare our societies for the ups and downs of an uncertain world. Innovation in many forms can also build capacities to respond to whatever challenges come next.

"To navigate uncertainty, we need to double down on human development and look beyond improving people's wealth or health. These remain important. But we also need to protect the planet and provide people with the tools they need to feel more secure, regain a sense of control over their lives and have hope for the future," said UNDP's Pedro Conceicao, the report's lead author.