An Analysis of the Ranking of the Lowest Developed Countries

Since 1990 the United Nations publish the Human Development Index (HDI). This index ranks most world countries from higher developed to lower developed countries. The ranking is determined by the United Nations and occurs according a precise method. The index has developed to a popular composite indicator, a status symbol, for world development and is referred to in many news - and scientific sources. The precise method of ranking countries has changed over time. The United Nations and other experts have tried to produce improved methods for ranking countries on the Human Development Index. This research has investigated the impact on the ranking of the lowest developed countries if alternative methods for ranking countries within the index are used. The results of this research show that the lowest developed countries do improve their rank on the index, however this improvement on average is not higher than a few ranks. The tale of the Human Development Index, ranking the lowest developed world countries, looks quite the same, no matter which method of ranking is used