GeographyCBSE Class 12 · Human Development

Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH (Class 12 Geography, Chapter 3)

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The Human Development Index ranks countries on a score from 0 to 1 using health (life expectancy at birth), education (adult literacy and gross enrolment) and access to resources (purchasing power in US dollars), each weighted one-third. The Human Poverty Index measures the shortfall in development. Bhutan uses Gross National Happiness to measure progress.

Understand Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH

Why this topic matters. HDI tables appear as case-based items (arranging countries, identifying categories), and 5-mark questions ask how the HDI is measured and what its indicators are. HPI and GNH come as 1-mark items.

1. Human Development Index (HDI).

Ranks countries by performance in health, education and access to resources, on a score between 0 and 1.
Health: life expectancy at birth (longer, healthier lives).
Education (access to knowledge): adult literacy rate and gross enrolment ratio.
Access to resources: purchasing power (in US dollars).
Each dimension gets a weightage of 1/3; the HDI is the sum of the weighted dimensions.
The closer to 1, the higher the development: NCERT's examples are 0.983 (very high) and 0.268 (very low).
HDI measures attainments: what has been achieved. Its weakness: it says nothing about distribution.

2. Human Poverty Index (HPI).

Related to the HDI but measures the shortfall in human development.
It is a non-income measure. It counts: the probability of not surviving till age 40, the adult illiteracy rate, people without access to clean water, and underweight small children.
NCERT says the HPI is often more revealing than the HDI; using both together gives an accurate picture.
Researchers are refining measures: links have been found with corruption and political freedom.
Since 1990 the UNDP has published the Human Development Report every year with a rank-wise list; HDI and HPI are its two important indices.

3. Gross National Happiness (GNH).

Bhutan is the only country to officially proclaim GNH as the measure of its progress.
Material progress and technology are approached cautiously, weighing harm to the environment and to cultural and spiritual life.
Material progress cannot come at the cost of happiness; GNH stresses spiritual, non-material and qualitative aspects.

4. HDI categories (NCERT Table 3.2, Human Development Report 2025).

Level	HDI score	Number of countries
Very high	Above 0.800	74
High	0.700 up to 0.799	50
Medium	0.550 up to 0.699	53
Low	Below 0.550	26

Top of the very high group (Table 3.3): Iceland (1), Norway (2), Switzerland (3), Denmark (4), then Germany and Sweden (both 5), Australia (7), Hong Kong, China (SAR) and the Netherlands (both 8), Belgium (10).
India (from the 2025 report extract in NCERT): rank 130 of 193, HDI 0.685 in 2023, up from 0.676 in 2022.

5. What explains high and low scores.

High groups: heavy investment in the social sector (education, health), good governance, less social diversity, many are former imperial powers and industrialised western countries, though several non-European countries also feature.
Medium group: many emerged after the Second World War, some former colonies, others after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1990; high social diversity; some political instability; many improving fast through people-oriented policies.
Low group (26 countries): many small countries facing political turmoil and social instability (civil war, famine, disease); they tend to spend more on defence than on social sectors.
Blaming low scores on a people's culture or religion is misleading; look at social-sector spending, political environment and freedom.

6. International comparisons. Size and per capita income are not directly related to human development: Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago rank above India despite smaller economies, and within India Kerala does better than Punjab and Gujarat despite lower per capita income.

7. Worked numerical (NCERT's equal weights, our own data). A country's dimension scores: health 0.80, education 0.65, resources 0.71. HDI = (0.80 + 0.65 + 0.71) ÷ 3 = 0.720, which falls in the high category (0.700-0.799).

Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH: key facts

HDI with NCERT's equal weights: $HDI = \frac{1}{3} (health) + \frac{1}{3} (education) + \frac{1}{3} (resources)$; Score lies between 0 and 1; closer to 1 is better.
HDI indicators: Health life expectancy at birth
Education adult literacy rate and gross enrolment ratio
Resources purchasing power in US dollars; Each dimension weighted 1/3.
HPI indicators: Probability of not surviving till 40
adult illiteracy rate
people without clean water
underweight small children; A non-income measure of shortfall.
HDI categories (HDR 2025): Very high above 0.800, 74 countries
High 0.700-0.799, 50
Medium 0.550-0.699, 53
Low below 0.550, 26; NCERT Table 3.2.
Comparisons: Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago: above India despite smaller economies | Kerala: above Punjab and Gujarat despite lower per capita income; Income and size do not decide human development.

Health	life expectancy at birth
Education	adult literacy rate and gross enrolment ratio
Resources	purchasing power in US dollars

Very high	above 0.800, 74 countries
High	0.700-0.799, 50
Medium	0.550-0.699, 53
Low	below 0.550, 26

How to answer Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH questions

Expect HDI tables with 1-mark items (arrange countries, identify category), MCQs on HPI and GNH, 3-mark questions on why some countries rank high, and 5-mark questions on how HDI is measured.

1For 'how is HDI measured', give the three dimensions, their indicators, the 1/3 weightage and the 0-1 score.
2For a table item, read each value carefully and place it using the cut-offs 0.800, 0.700 and 0.550.
3For 'why high HDI', write social-sector investment, good governance, stability and equitable distribution.
4For HPI, stress 'shortfall' and 'non-income'.
5For GNH, name Bhutan and the idea that material progress cannot come at the cost of happiness.

Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

HDI vs HPI

Suppose two states have almost the same average HDI score, but in one of them a large share of children in remote districts are underweight and many villages lack clean water.

Which index would reveal the difference, and why?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

HDI measures average attainment and says nothing about distribution.
HPI counts shortfalls: underweight children, lack of clean water, illiteracy, early death.
So the HPI would be worse in the state with deprived districts.

Answer: The Human Poverty Index: as a non-income measure of shortfall it captures underweight children and lack of clean water that the average HDI hides.

Memory hook: HDI shows the average; HPI shows who is left behind.

HDI categories

Imagine a country whose dimension scores are health 0.70, education 0.60 and resources 0.62.

Using NCERT's equal weights, find its HDI and category.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

HDI = (0.70 + 0.60 + 0.62) ÷ 3 = 1.92 ÷ 3 = 0.640.
Medium category is 0.550 up to 0.699.
0.640 lies in this range.

Answer: HDI = 0.640, a medium level of human development.

Memory hook: Eight, seven, five-five: the cut-offs 0.800, 0.700, 0.550.

Tricks to remember Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Long, Learned, Loaded
HDI asks: do people live long (life expectancy), are they learned (literacy, enrolment), are they loaded with purchasing power?
Use it when: The three HDI dimensions.
HPI's 40-ILL-WATER-WEIGHT
Not surviving to 40, ILLiteracy, no clean WATER, underWEIGHT children.
Use it when: The four HPI indicators.
8-7-55
Very high above 0.8, high from 0.7, medium from 0.55, low below 0.55.
Use it when: Placing HDI values in categories.

Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Indicator of health in HDI · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Which indicator is used to assess health in the Human Development Index?
(A) Infant mortality rate
(B) Life expectancy at birth
(C) Number of hospitals
(D) Doctors per lakh people

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT: health is assessed by life expectancy at birth (1 mark).

Answer: (B) Life expectancy at birth

Example 2: HPI parameters · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

The Human Poverty Index measures shortfall in human development on the basis of:
(A) GDP per capita only
(B) Probability of not surviving till 40, adult illiteracy, lack of clean water and underweight children
(C) Purchasing power and gross enrolment
(D) Life expectancy and literacy only

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

HPI is non-income and uses the four deprivation indicators in (B) (1 mark).

Answer: (B)

Example 3: Arranging an HDI table · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Study the HDI values (our own data): Country P 0.912, Country Q 0.604, Country R 0.781, Country S 0.512. Arrange them in descending order and name the category of each. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Descending order: P (0.912) > R (0.781) > Q (0.604) > S (0.512) (1 mark).
Categories: P very high (above 0.800), R high (0.700-0.799) (1 mark).
Q medium (0.550-0.699), S low (below 0.550) (1 mark).

Answer: Order: P, R, Q, S. P is very high, R is high, Q is medium and S is low in human development.

Example 4: Why some countries keep high HDI · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Why do some countries maintain a very high level of human development? Explain three reasons. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

They invest heavily in the social sector: education and health are government priorities (1 mark).
Good governance and freedom from political turmoil and instability (1 mark).
More equitable distribution of resources (and lower social diversity in many) (1 mark).

Answer: First, they invest a great deal in the social sector, making education and health care an important government priority. Second, they have good governance and are generally free from political turmoil and instability, so resources are not diverted to defence or conflict. Third, their resources are distributed far more equitably, so benefits reach most people. Many also have lower social diversity, which NCERT notes as a common feature.

Example 5: Income does not decide HDI · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Kerala performs better than Punjab and Gujarat in human development.
Reason (R): Kerala has a higher per capita income than Punjab and Gujarat.
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT: Kerala does better despite having lower per capita income, so R is false (1 mark).

Answer: (C) (A) is true but (R) is false.

Example 6: Long answer: measuring human development · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

How is the Human Development Index measured? Why does NCERT suggest using it together with the Human Poverty Index, and what does Bhutan's GNH add to the debate? (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

HDI: score 0-1; health (life expectancy), education (adult literacy, gross enrolment), resources (purchasing power in US$); weight 1/3 each (2 marks).
Limitation: measures attainment, not distribution (0.5 mark).
HPI: non-income shortfall measure with four indicators; often more revealing; both together give an accurate picture (1.5 marks).
GNH: Bhutan; cautious material progress; happiness, spiritual and qualitative aspects (1 mark).

Answer: The HDI ranks countries on a score between 0 and 1 based on three key areas. Health is measured by life expectancy at birth; access to knowledge by the adult literacy rate and the gross enrolment ratio; and access to resources by purchasing power in US dollars. Each dimension carries a weightage of one-third, and the HDI is their weighted total: a score of 0.983 is very high, while 0.268 is very low.

The HDI measures what has been achieved, but it says nothing about how achievements are distributed. The HPI fills this gap by measuring the shortfall: the probability of not surviving till 40, adult illiteracy, the number of people without clean water and the number of underweight small children. As a non-income measure it is often more revealing, so both indices together give an accurate picture. The UNDP uses both in its yearly Human Development Report.

Bhutan goes further by officially measuring progress through Gross National Happiness. It approaches material progress cautiously, weighing harm to the environment and to cultural and spiritual life, and insists that progress must not cost happiness. GNH reminds us that development has spiritual, non-material and qualitative sides that numbers may miss.

Where students lose marks in Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Using GDP or per capita income as an HDI indicator
Everyday ideas of wealth.
Wrong working
Resources are measured by GDP.
Right working
Access to resources is measured by purchasing power in US dollars.
Do this: Learn NCERT's exact indicator words.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Calling HPI an income measure
The word 'poverty' suggests income.
Wrong working
HPI measures the number of people below the income poverty line.
Right working
HPI is a non-income measure of shortfall: early death, illiteracy, no clean water, underweight children.
Do this: 40-ILL-WATER-WEIGHT.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong category cut-offs
Mixing 0.550 and 0.500.
Wrong working
0.540 is medium human development.
Right working
Below 0.550 is low; medium is 0.550 up to 0.699.
Do this: 8-7-55.
Usually costs: 1 mark in table items.
Mistake: Leaving out the 1/3 weightage
Listing indicators only.
Wrong working
HDI is measured by health, education and income.
Right working
HDI combines health, education and resources, each weighted 1/3, into a score between 0 and 1.
Do this: Indicators + weights + score range.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks in a 5-mark answer.

Exam tips

Asked in: 2024 board paper 64/1/1 Q24 (5 marks, how HDI is measured and its indicators); 2024-25 sample paper Q1 (1 mark, HPI parameters); 2025 board paper 64/6/1 Q18 (3 marks, source on key areas and capability); HDI tables with 1-mark items in 2025 board paper 64/5/1 Q15-Q17, 2026 board paper 64/2/1 Q15-Q17 and 64/3/1 Q15-Q17 (e.g. arranging Mauritius, Singapore, Sweden, Venezuela); 2026 board paper 64/5/1 Q1 (1 mark, why some countries keep high HDI); 2026 board paper 64/3/1 Q2 (1 mark, features of low-HDI countries). The answers on this page are our own.
In table items, write the values in order on rough work before choosing an option.
NCERT's figures (category counts, India's rank) are from the 2025 report; quote them as such.
For 5-mark 'measure' answers: indicators, weights, score range, one limitation.

Practice questions on Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which country officially uses Gross National Happiness as the measure of its progress?
(A) Nepal
(B) Bhutan
(C) Sri Lanka
(D) Iceland
Hint
A Himalayan kingdom.
Answer
(B) Bhutan.
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Using NCERT's equal weights, find the HDI of a country with dimension scores 0.92 (health), 0.88 (education) and 0.95 (resources), and state its category. (2 marks)
Hint
Average of three.
Answer
HDI = (0.92 + 0.88 + 0.95) ÷ 3 = 2.75 ÷ 3 = 0.917 (to three decimals): very high human development (above 0.800).
Q3 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
Which statements about countries that keep a high level of human development are correct, according to NCERT?
I. They invest more in the social sector.
II. They are generally free from political turmoil and instability.
III. They form the smallest category in the 2025 report.
IV. Their resources are distributed more equitably.
(A) I, II and III
(B) I, II and IV
(C) II, III and IV
(D) I, III and IV
Hint
Which category has only 26 countries?
Answer
(B) I, II and IV. III is wrong: the smallest category is the low group, with 26 countries.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Why is the HDI 'not the most reliable measure' of human development? (2 marks)
Hint
Distribution.
Answer
Because it measures attainments, what has been achieved on average, but says nothing about how those achievements are distributed among people. Two countries with the same HDI may have very different shares of deprived people.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
"Blaming low human development on the culture or religion of a people is misleading." Explain what NCERT suggests we look at instead. (3 marks)
Hint
Spending, politics, freedom.
Answer
NCERT says we should examine how much the government spends on the social sector, what the country's political environment is like and how much freedom its people enjoy. High-HDI countries invest more in education and health, are generally free from turmoil and share resources more equitably; low-HDI countries often spend more on defence, face instability and have not accelerated economic development.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a small island country with a modest economy ranks above a much larger, richer neighbour in HDI. Using NCERT's comparisons, explain how this is possible. (3 marks)
Hint
Sri Lanka, Kerala.
Answer
Size of territory and per capita income are not directly related to human development. A smaller, poorer country can rank higher if it invests more of its income in health and education, keeps governance good and distributes resources equitably. NCERT gives examples: Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago rank above India despite smaller economies, and Kerala outperforms Punjab and Gujarat despite lower per capita income.
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Examine the characteristics of the countries in the medium level of human development. (5 marks)
Hint
History, diversity, stability, improvement.
Answer
The medium group (HDI 0.550 up to 0.699) has 53 countries in the 2025 report. Most emerged after the Second World War: some are former colonies and others emerged after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1990. They have much higher social diversity than countries with higher scores. Many have faced political instability and social uprisings in their recent history, which held back social spending. Yet many are improving their scores quickly by adopting more people-oriented policies and reducing social discrimination. India, with an HDI of 0.685 in 2023, falls in this group, which shows both the challenge and the scope for improvement.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.What score range does the HDI use?Show answer
0 to 1.
2.What weightage does each HDI dimension get?Show answer
One-third.
3.Which measure is often more revealing than the HDI, according to NCERT?Show answer
The Human Poverty Index.
4.How many countries were in the very high category in the 2025 report?Show answer
74.
5.What was India's HDI rank in the 2025 report?Show answer
130 out of 193.

Measuring Human Development: HDI, HPI and GNH: frequently asked questions

How is the Human Development Index measured?

It combines health (life expectancy at birth), education (adult literacy rate and gross enrolment ratio) and access to resources (purchasing power in US dollars), each weighted one-third, into a score between 0 and 1.

What does the Human Poverty Index measure?

The shortfall in human development, using the probability of not surviving till 40, adult illiteracy, lack of clean water and underweight small children. It is a non-income measure.

What is Gross National Happiness?

Bhutan's official measure of progress, which treats material progress cautiously and insists it must not come at the cost of happiness, stressing spiritual and qualitative aspects.

What are the HDI categories?

Very high (above 0.800), high (0.700-0.799), medium (0.550-0.699) and low (below 0.550). The 2025 report places 74, 50, 53 and 26 countries in them.