The launch of the 2024 Regional Human Development Report for Asia and the Pacific on March 7. UNDP Cambodia
A new global report released by UN Development Programme (UNDP) found that during over the past decades, Cambodia’s Human Development Index (HDI) increased by nearly 57 percent, putting the country in the medium category of human development.
The report, released on March 14, found that wealthy countries have attained record human development, but half of the poorest have gone backwards.
It explained that uneven development progress is leaving the poorest behind, exacerbating inequality, and stoking political polarisation on a global scale. It warned that the result is a dangerous gridlock that must be urgently tackled through collective action.
The 2023/24 Global Human Development Report (HDR), titled “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world”, reveals a troubling trend: the rebound in the global HDI– a summary measure reflecting a country’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, education, and life expectancy – has been partial, incomplete and unequal.
The report described Cambodia as an inspiring tale of progress, adding that during the last two decades, it has maintained an average growth rate of around seven percent, making it one of the fastest growing and most dynamic countries in the world.
“Between 1990 and 2021, the country’s income per capita increased fourfold, life expectancy rose by more than 14 years, and the mean years of schooling grew from 2.4 to 5.1 years on average.
“As a result, Cambodia’s Human Development Index (HDI) increased by 56.9 percent, placing the country in the medium human development category. However, disparities and inequalities still persist,” the report said.
It explained that as elsewhere, the Covid-19 pandemic along with other disruptive factors, such as extreme climatic events, the cost-of-living crisis, and geopolitical tensions have further compounded them and led to the loss of some development gains, noting that as a result, the Cambodia HDI has regressed to its 2018 level.
UNDP resident representative in Cambodia, Alissar Chaker, said as Cambodia gears up to implement the government’s new Pentagonal Strategy, it stands to gain from a more comprehensive development approach that puts people first, delivers smart, inclusive and sustainable development avoiding irreversible trade-offs between economic growth, social cohesion and natural assets.
“While the Global Human Development Report offers a global analysis, each country will chart its own way forward, according to its national priorities and local context. In this unpredictable journey of development, we are all betting on a path that ensures a more secure, peaceful, and sustainable future.
“We are all banking on revamped partnerships and global cooperation founded on global public goods and more effective and inclusive international policymaking,” she said.
