In latest UNDP Report, Indonesia retains standing in high human development category

December 16, 2020

30th Anniversary of annual Human Development Report reveals encouraging results for Indonesia as it deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jakarta, 16 December 2020 — An increase in life expectancy and a marked improvement in the expected years of schooling are among the positive trends noted in Indonesia in a year that has seen significant global challenges, according to the annual Human Development report (HDR) The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene, released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The 30th anniversary edition introduces an experimental new lens to its annual Human Development Index (HDI). It argues that as people and planet enter an entirely new geological epoch, the Anthropocene or the Age of Humans, it is time for all countries to redesign their paths to progress by fully accounting for the dangerous pressure humans put on the planet and dismantle the gross imbalances of power and opportunity that prevent change.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest crisis facing the world, but unless humans release their grip on nature, it won’t be the last, according to the report.

“As this report shows, no country in the world has yet achieved very high human development without putting immense strain on the planet. But we could be the first generation to right this wrong. That is the next frontier for human development,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator.

Indonesia’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.718—which put the country in the high human development category—positioning it at 107 out of 189 countries and territories. This achievement is in line with the upward trend of Indonesia’s HDI from 1990 until now which has surged by 37.3 percent

At 71.7 years, Indonesia has recorded progress in life expectancy from the previous index at 71.5 years. Furthermore, the expected years of schooling is 13.6 years —Indonesia has recorded a marked improvement in this index, placing it on the same level with the average value in East Asia and the Pacific. The GNI per capita is (PPP) USD 11,459.

“We are pleased to note that Indonesia has continued to make steady improvement in UNDP’s Human Development Index. Bold national actions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and well-targeted policies in Indonesia are starting to reap dividends. This is encouraging news as Indonesia copes with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, “said UNDP Resident Representative Norimasa Shimomura.

“While we won’t know the full extent of the fallout from the pandemic for another year, the challenge for all of us to ensure that the vulnerable communities in Indonesia, from women in rural areas to the poorest in urban pockets, will be included as we work together to bring the country forward,” he added.

In line with the theme of the Anthropocene, the Report introduces Planetary-Pressures Adjusted HDI – or PHDI. Indonesia’s planetary pressures adjusted HDI is 0.691, a loss of 3.8 percent from its original HDI at 0.718. While Indonesia’s planetary pressures-adjusted HDI is above the global average, its loss is among the biggest in the region—lowering Indonesia’s rank by 16 places among countries assessed for the PHDI. More than 50 countries drop out of the “very high” human development group under the PHDI measurement.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Tomi Soetjipto

UNDP Indonesia Communication Specialist

Suryo.Tomi@undp.org

Ranjit Jose

UNDP Indonesia, Communication and Advocacy Specialist.

Ranjit.Jose@undp.org