Progress in human development remains a very pertinent issue for developing economies like Pakistan. The geopolitical scenario has changed significantly and there is accelerated growth in developing economies like India, Pakistan, Malaysia and other South and East Asian economies. And just as the world is brought closer by the forces of globalization, it can be seen that the situation has improved significantly with the decrease in mortality rates as well as more children going to school and having access to a better life.
However, unfortunately, Pakistan is ranked 147 out of the 188 countries surveyed for human development, according to a new UN report, bracketing it alongside South Asian neighbours, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.[i] Pakistan has made no improvement in its ranking over the previous year, though its Human Development Index rank in 2014 was 148. According to the latest annual report of the UN Development Programme i.e. Human Development Report 2016, 63 per cent Pakistanis were ‘satisfied’ with their standard of living in 2014-15.The ranking put Pakistan in the ‘medium human development’ bracket, which also includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kenya, Myanmar and Nepal.
