Income and gender disparities in India still significant, says UNDP

NEW DELHI: India moved up three places to be ranked 130th among 193 countries in the Human Development Index rankings for 2023 due to progress made in improving life expectancy through health sector initiatives, and sustained improvements in key dimensions of human development, particularly in mean years of schooling and national income per capita.

While noting that India's progress continues amid global challenges, the 2025 report underscored a broader global slowdown in human development to an unprecedented 35-year low, and India is no exception. "Had pre-2020 trends continued, the world would be on track to reach very high human development by 2030, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal timelines," the report highlighted.

Income and gender disparities in India still significant, says UNDP

Achieving this goal now risks getting delayed by decades, UNDP said. "Inequality between low and very high HDI countries has increased for a fourth consecutive year, reversing long-standing progress," it added.


UNDP, however, signalled a strong post-pandemic recovery on life expectancy in India, which touched the highest of 72 years in 2023, compared with 58.6 years in 1990.

The increase in life expectancy, which rose to 71.7 years in 2022, is among the biggest contributors to India's improved overall ranking. UNDP also highlighted that national health programmes by successive govts have contributed significantly to improved life expectancy over the years.

With an HDI value of 0.685, while India remains in the "medium human development category" it is moving closer to the threshold for high human development, which calls for a value of more than 0.7. UNDP said that India's HDI value has increased by over 53% since 1990, growing faster than both the global and South Asian averages. "This progress has been fuelled by economic growth and targeted social protection and welfare programmes," UNDP said.

It also factored in improvement in income levels in India. "Over the years, India's progress on economic growth and investments in programmes like MGNREGA, Jan Dhan Yojana, and digital inclusion have contributed to poverty reduction. Importantly, 135 million Indians escaped multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21," it said.

At the same time, the report also highlighted that inequality reduces India's HDI by 30.7%, one of the highest losses in South Asia region.

While health and education inequality have reduced, income and gender disparities remained significant. Female labour force participation and political representation lag, though recent steps - such as the constitutional amendment reserving one-third of legislative seats for women - offer promise for transformative change, the report said.

Over the last two years, the expected years of schooling remained almost the same at nearly 13, although the mean years of schooling rose 6.9 in 2023 from 6.6 in the previous year. "Children today are expected to stay in school for 13 years on average, up from 8.2 years in 1990. Initiatives like the Right to Education Act, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan , the National Education Policy 2020 have enhanced outcomes," UNDP said.