Human Development Report 2014: findings explained

What is it?

The Human Development Report (HDR) published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is an annual report which measures of human development across the globe.

What are the key findings from 2014?

More than 2.2 billion people are either near or living in multidimensional poverty – that is exhibiting several factors that constitute deprivation such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standard, lack of income, disempowerment, poor quality of work and threat from violence.

Nearly 80% of the global population lack social protection, while 12% (842 million people) suffer from chronic hunger – and nearly half of all workers across the world are in informal or precarious employment.

The findings show youth unemployment is a growing problem for developing countries, particularly as more young people go to school. Khalid Malik, director of UNDP Human Development Report Office and lead author of the report, says: "When people are more educated, their relationship with citizenship changes, and they expect more from jobs. Our report shows gaps between people going into jobs and available jobs is going to widen substantially in Africa in the coming years."

Another finding was the effect of globalisation on economic vulnerability: "Globalisation has brought countries together and provided more opportunities, but it has also increased the risk of adverse events, like the recession, being transmitted more rapidly," says Malik.

What are the authors' recommendations?

Researchers from the report outline a principle to guide policy: universalism – the idea that everyone has the universal right to education and healthcare.

"We need a better balance between private and public interest. It is possible and cost-effective to push for universal access to basic social services in most developing countries," says Malik.

The closest to a silver bullet in human development is educating women, and particularly mothers, according to Malik. "Mothers influence the population of future countries, and this report shows that educating mothers helps eliminate poverty."

Because the world is more connected, collaborative action is also essential. Disease control, global recessions and climate change are all global obstacles, which can only be tackled with a global commitment between countries.

"We're all interconnected, we're no longer in a silo," says Malik.

Will the Human Development Report be of any use to you?

The background information the HDR provides can be used to inform development work and enable activists and policymakers to make useful comparisons. It detail is also of use to the development research community.

"We used the 2013 HDR to help frame and inform gender and equity analyses in international health. The HDR links to multiple reports at country, and state level and are helpful in informing and supporting the work of researchers, NGOs and stakeholders," says Sally Theobald, a reader in international health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

On its limitations Theobald says: "While the report contains largely quantifiable information, the detail of how a factor (eg gender) shapes human development in different contexts is sometimes lacking. But used alongside other resources the HDR provides a useful, holistic look at development."

According to Neil Squires, former head of Profession for Health at DFID, the theme for the 2014 report, 'Reducing vulnerabilities and Building Resilience', is one that will resonate and inform thinking on the post millennium development goals agenda.

"Making communities and countries more resilient to international shocks and climate change and protecting the most vulnerable will continue to be priorities post 2015 in poor, middle income and rich countries alike," says Squires.

Echoing Malik's words he adds: "We are all in this together."

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