Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of the Human Development Index

Abstract

This paper discusses the methodological judgments made during the development of the Human Development Index (HDI), and analyzes the quantitative and qualitative impact of different methodological choices on the HDI scores, as well as on the associated changes in ranking. This analysis is particularly pertinent this year, in light of the methodological refinements that have been implemented with the occasion of the HDI 20th anniversary.Index Numbers and Aggregation; Methodological Issues; Statistical Simulation Methods; Human Development