Malawi moves up on human development Index, life expectancy now 63.9 – UN

Malawi has made “slight” improvement in its Human Development Index ranking over the previous year and ranks 170 among the 188 countries surveyed for human development, a new UN report has said.

The report, released annually by the United Nations Development Programme,  indicates that  Malawi’s Human Development Index (HDI)—a composite index of life expectancy, education and income—improved between 1990 and 2015 from 0.325 to 0.476, an increase of 46.4 percent, an indication that the quality of life marginally improved during the period.

UN resident coordinator Mia Seppo tweeted:“Malawi ranks 170/188 countries, Slight improvement in Human Development Index with life expectancy at birth now 63.9 up from 62.8 last year.,”

Malawi’s HDI rank value stood at 0.476 which put the country in the low human development category.

Its life expectancy at birth stood at 63.9 years an increase  by 20.1 years,  and the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita $1,073 decreased by about 27.2 percent between 1990 and 2015, the report said.

Malawi’s  expected years of schooling  is 10.8 years  increased by 5.4 years.while mobility and communication is at 9.3, according to the report.

Titled Human Development for Everyone, the report authored by the Director of the Human Development Report Office Selim Jahan, said that one in three people worldwide continue to live at a low level of human development.

Women and girls are systematically excluded by economic, political, social and cultural barriers, according to the report measured by the Human Development Index – a ranking of countries based on strides made with a peace-centric model of progress.

“Women tend to be poorer, earn less, and have fewer opportunities in most aspects of life than men,” it said.

The report also points to “dangerous practices,” such as female genital mutilation and forced marriage, which continue to hamper the development of women and their inclusion in society.

In addition to women and girls, the report points to “patterns of exclusion and lack of empowerment” of people in rural areas, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community.

The report calls for far greater attention to empowering the most marginalised in society, and recognises the importance of giving them greater voice in decision-making processes.

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