United Nations Human Development Index 2021-2022.
Note: Scores rank from 0.0 to 1.0. Higher means a better quality of living.
Nobody wants to live in one of the worst countries on the planet.
That would literally stink in many instances, or you may be stuck in a murderous row.
Learn about what the worst countries are, why these places are so bad, and how to avoid living there.
Also, take a detailed look at the Human Development Index used in rating countries from best to worst for human inhabitants.
Contents
What Are the Worst Countries
Country | Human Development Index |
---|---|
Switzerland | 0.962 |
Norway | 0.961 |
Iceland | 0.959 |
Hong Kong | 0.952 |
Australia | 0.951 |
Denmark | 0.948 |
Sweden | 0.947 |
Ireland | 0.945 |
Germany | 0.942 |
Netherlands | 0.941 |
Finland | 0.94 |
Singapore | 0.939 |
New Zealand | 0.937 |
Belgium | 0.937 |
Canada | 0.936 |
Liechtenstein | 0.935 |
Luxembourg | 0.93 |
United Kingdom | 0.929 |
Japan | 0.925 |
South Korea | 0.925 |
United States | 0.921 |
Israel | 0.919 |
Malta | 0.918 |
Slovenia | 0.918 |
Austria | 0.916 |
United Arab Emirates | 0.911 |
Spain | 0.905 |
France | 0.903 |
Cyprus | 0.896 |
Italy | 0.895 |
Estonia | 0.89 |
Czech Republic | 0.889 |
Greece | 0.887 |
Poland | 0.876 |
Saudi Arabia | 0.875 |
Lithuania | 0.875 |
Bahrain | 0.875 |
Portugal | 0.866 |
Latvia | 0.863 |
Croatia | 0.858 |
Andorra | 0.858 |
Chile | 0.855 |
Qatar | 0.855 |
San Marino | 0.853 |
Slovakia | 0.848 |
Hungary | 0.846 |
Argentina | 0.842 |
Turkey | 0.838 |
Montenegro | 0.832 |
Kuwait | 0.831 |
Russia | 0.829 |
Brunei | 0.829 |
Romania | 0.821 |
Oman | 0.816 |
Bahamas | 0.812 |
Kazakhstan | 0.811 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 0.81 |
Uruguay | 0.809 |
Costa Rica | 0.809 |
Belarus | 0.808 |
Panama | 0.805 |
Malaysia | 0.803 |
Georgia | 0.802 |
Mauritius | 0.802 |
Serbia | 0.802 |
Thailand | 0.8 |
Albania | 0.796 |
Bulgaria | 0.795 |
Grenada | 0.795 |
Barbados | 0.79 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 0.788 |
Seychelles | 0.785 |
Sri Lanka | 0.782 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.78 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.777 |
Iran | 0.774 |
Ukraine | 0.773 |
North Macedonia | 0.77 |
China | 0.768 |
Dominican Republic | 0.767 |
Moldova | 0.767 |
Palau | 0.767 |
Cuba | 0.764 |
Peru | 0.762 |
Armenia | 0.759 |
Mexico | 0.758 |
Brazil | 0.754 |
Colombia | 0.752 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.751 |
Maldives | 0.747 |
Algeria | 0.745 |
Azerbaijan | 0.745 |
Tonga | 0.745 |
Turkmenistan | 0.745 |
Ecuador | 0.74 |
Mongolia | 0.739 |
Tunisia | 0.731 |
Egypt | 0.731 |
Suriname | 0.73 |
Fiji | 0.73 |
Uzbekistan | 0.727 |
Jordan | 0.72 |
Dominica | 0.72 |
Libya | 0.718 |
Paraguay | 0.717 |
Palestine | 0.715 |
Saint Lucia | 0.715 |
Guyana | 0.714 |
South Africa | 0.713 |
Jamaica | 0.709 |
Samoa | 0.707 |
Lebanon | 0.706 |
Gabon | 0.706 |
Indonesia | 0.705 |
Vietnam | 0.703 |
Philippines | 0.699 |
Botswana | 0.693 |
Kyrgyzstan | 0.692 |
Bolivia | 0.692 |
Venezuela | 0.691 |
Iraq | 0.686 |
Tajikistan | 0.685 |
Belize | 0.683 |
Morocco | 0.683 |
El Salvador | 0.675 |
Nicaragua | 0.667 |
Bhutan | 0.666 |
Cape Verde | 0.662 |
Bangladesh | 0.661 |
Tuvalu | 0.641 |
Marshall Islands | 0.639 |
India | 0.633 |
Ghana | 0.632 |
Micronesia | 0.628 |
Guatemala | 0.627 |
Kiribati | 0.624 |
Honduras | 0.621 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 0.618 |
Namibia | 0.615 |
Vanuatu | 0.607 |
Laos | 0.607 |
Timor-Leste | 0.607 |
Nepal | 0.602 |
Eswatini | 0.597 |
Equatorial Guinea | 0.596 |
Zimbabwe | 0.593 |
Cambodia | 0.593 |
Angola | 0.586 |
Myanmar | 0.585 |
Syria | 0.577 |
Cameroon | 0.576 |
Kenya | 0.575 |
Republic of the Congo | 0.571 |
Zambia | 0.565 |
Solomon Islands | 0.564 |
Comoros | 0.558 |
Papua New Guinea | 0.558 |
Mauritania | 0.556 |
Ivory Coast | 0.55 |
Tanzania | 0.549 |
Pakistan | 0.544 |
Togo | 0.539 |
Haiti | 0.535 |
Nigeria | 0.535 |
Rwanda | 0.534 |
Uganda | 0.525 |
Benin | 0.525 |
Lesotho | 0.514 |
Malawi | 0.512 |
Senegal | 0.511 |
Djibouti | 0.509 |
Sudan | 0.508 |
Madagascar | 0.501 |
Gambia | 0.5 |
Ethiopia | 0.498 |
Eritrea | 0.492 |
Guinea-Bissau | 0.483 |
Liberia | 0.481 |
DR Congo | 0.479 |
Afghanistan | 0.478 |
Sierra Leone | 0.477 |
Guinea | 0.465 |
Yemen | 0.455 |
Burkina Faso | 0.449 |
Mozambique | 0.446 |
Mali | 0.428 |
Burundi | 0.426 |
Central African Republic | 0.404 |
Niger | 0.4 |
Chad | 0.394 |
South Sudan | 0.385 |
If you live in a country with a low quality of living, chances are that country is on the list of the worst countries for human residency.
The United Nations uses the Human Development Index (HDI) to determine the level of quality in a country.
Similar to the cost of living index, the HDI uses a numerical scale.
The lower the country falls on the index, the worse that country is for its residents.
Being able to improve the HDI of a country is the goal for any government and its people, who will have a better quality of life as a result.
What is the Human Development Index Ranking
To look at the rank of the best to worst countries, we use a scale from 0.0 to 1.0.
This scale goes from the worst at 0.0 to the best at 1.0.
A country with a 0.0 does not exist, thankfully.
The lowest the scale goes is 0.385 in South Sudan, which is the worst country according to this scale.
The highest ranking is 0.962 for Switzerland, making that country the best place to live.
Choose where you want to move to based on a country’s HDI.
This will give you the best proximity of the quality of life you will receive when moving to that country.
In addition, you can determine how well your current quality of life is in the country where you reside currently.
How Many Countries Are Rated Along the HDI
There are about 15 countries with a 0.4 average on the HDI.
Twice that many countries are rated on the 0.5 index average with 30 countries, and there are also about 30 countries with a 0.6 rating.
Approximately 50 countries have a 0.7 average rating on the index.
There are around 40 countries with a 0.8 average rating, while approximately 25 countries rate 0.9 to 1.0.
The majority of countries have between 0.71 and 0.79 ratings on the index.
However, the index follows the standard Bell Curve in its distribution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the 3 Indicators of the World Human Development Index?
The Human Development Index (HDI) is set by the United Nations.
This index is determined by three factors that indicate the overall score for the country.
The score goes from zero to 1.0.
The HDI indicators are life expectancy, education, and per capita income.
These areas of human development go into determining the overall ranking of how well that country provides for its citizens.
A country with a low ranking is seen as one of the worst places to live.
How Does the HDI of the US Look?
In the 1990s, the United States had a lower Human Development Index score of 0.872.
This is compared to 2021, when the HDI was .0921.
As a result, this indicates that HDI has improved in the US over the last two decades.
Why Does the HDI and Worst Countries Rating Matter?
If you live in a country with a low HDI, you are most likely residing in what is considered a worse country compared to the rest of the world.
The result will be substandard living, such as overpriced food, cramped housing, as well as a lack of healthcare and childcare.
You may be more likely to suffer from health issues, such as mental or physical conditions, as a result of a lower quality of living.
Your lifespan could be reduced as a result of having to live with a lower standard of care.
It’s disheartening to see the countries with the lowest scores on the United Nations Human Development Index. It’s a reminder of the stark differences in quality of living around the world.
Let’s work towards creating a more equitable and prosperous future for all.
Based on the United Nations Human Development Index 2021-2022, it is clear that there are significant disparities in the quality of living among countries, with some having a much higher HDI score and therefore a better quality of life for their residents.