India has moved up three spots to rank 130 out of 193 countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2025 Human Development Report.
This reflects steady progress in key areas like education, income, and life expectancy.
The country’s Human Development Index (HDI) value improved from 0.676 in 2022 to 0.685 in 2023, edging closer to the high human development threshold of 0.700.
The report, titled "A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI," also noted that while India remains in the medium human development category, it continues to make meaningful strides in economic and social indicators. Since 1990, India’s HDI value has increased by more than 53%, outpacing both global and South Asian averages.
Despite this progress, the report raised concerns about inequality, which reduced India’s HDI by 30.7% - one of the highest losses in the region.
Although there have been improvements in health and education equity, income and gender disparities remain significant. Female participation in the workforce and representation in politics are areas of concern, although measures such as the constitutional amendment reserving one-third of legislative seats for women hold promise for future change.
Life expectancy in India has reached a record high of 72 years, up from 71.7 the previous year. The report also highlighted that while the expected years of schooling remained virtually unchanged at around 13 years, the average years of schooling increased notably from 6.57 to 6.88. Credit was given to major educational initiatives such as the Right to Education Act, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, and the National Education Policy 2020.
However, challenges in improving the quality of education and learning outcomes persist.
Economically, India’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita rose from USD 8,475.68 to USD 9,046.76 (in 2021 PPP terms), indicating sustained growth. Since 1990, the GNI per capita has more than quadrupled, driven by policy efforts and social welfare schemes like MGNREGA, Jan Dhan Yojana, and digital inclusion initiatives.
The report also acknowledged the success of national health programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, Janani Suraksha Yojana, and Poshan Abhiyaan in boosting public health and contributing to the rise in life expectancy.
Notably, the report recognised India’s rising influence in the global AI ecosystem. The country leads in self-reported AI skills penetration and is increasingly retaining AI talent - 20% of Indian AI researchers now remain in the country, a significant jump from nearly zero in 2019. AI applications in agriculture, healthcare, and governance are helping democratise access and bridge service gaps.
Public sentiment on AI is largely positive, with 70% of people globally believing it will improve productivity and 64% expecting it to create jobs—especially among youth.
Globally, however, the 2025 Human Development Report cautioned that human development progress is slowing, marking the weakest growth trend since the index was first introduced in 1990.