Türkiye's HDI value rises but gender inequality lingers, says UN

Alperen Karaköse – ANKARA

Türkiye has made strides in human development over the past three decades but challenges persist in areas such as gender inequality and sustainability, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator has said.

The latest report from the UNDP highlights Türkiye's progress in various aspects of human development since 1990.

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) value has risen from 0.598 to 0.855 in 2022, marking a 43 percent increase, UNDP head Achim Steiner said in an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News.

The study points out multiple metrics, including an increase in life expectancy at birth by 10.8 years, a rise in mean years of schooling by 4.4 years and an augmentation in expected years of schooling by 10.8 years.

Additionally, the country's gross national income per capita has surged by 154.3 percent over the same period, Steiner informed.

Türkiye ranked 45th among 193 countries in this year’s edition of the HDI based on 2022 data.

However, its ranking slips when the index is adjusted for inequality, Steiner said. "Overall men enjoy a higher level of human development than women [in Türkiye]," he stated, pointing out persistent gender disparities in access to developmental opportunities.

According to the report, Türkiye's ranking falls to 63rd out of 166 countries when adjusted for gender equality.

Moreover, the report highlights challenges in terms of sustainability. When accounting for "planetary pressures," such as carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint per capita, Türkiye's HDI value decreases by 8.4 percent.

The adjustment reflects concerns about the environmental impact of human activities and underscores the importance of sustainable development practices.

Steiner highlighted the report's holistic approach beyond "just infrastructure or kilometers of roads, offering different lances to look to forecast how the HDI would develop in the coming decades."

The report's findings don't account for the devastating impact of last year's earthquakes in southern Türkiye. The tremors resulted in significant loss of life and extensive damage, with estimated total damages and losses reaching $103.6 billion, equivalent to 9 percent of the forecast GDP for 2023.

Meanwhile, the UNDP administrator also warned that the war in Gaza and escalating tensions among multiple nations in the Middle East could exacerbate global inequality, leaving the most vulnerable populations further behind in terms of human development.

"It's a bitter lesson that we have to learn across the world that conflict is one of the greatest destroyers of human development progress," Steiner remarked.

The latest report by UNDP highlights the aggravation of inequality and political polarization fueled by uneven development progress.

According to the study prior to the Gaza war, Palestine ranked 111th among 193 countries, while Israel held the 25th position.

The conflict, which still grinds on with no truce in sight, has significantly compounded challenges to human development in the region, according to Steiner.

"Infrastructure, housing, water and sewage, electricity... Gaza's economy is in a catastrophic shape. There's no question about that," he said.

Steiner also pointed to the devastating impact of the conflict on schooling opportunities.

"The impact of the six months of war destroyed all education for Palestinian children," he said. "We anticipate that the repercussions of this disruption will become increasingly evident in the coming months."

Moreover, the UNDP's earlier investigations into the economic repercussions of the conflict on neighboring Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan reveal potential future losses due to decreased investment in both physical and human capital.

Steiner also expressed concerns over Iran's recent involvement in regional tensions, warning that it will "unequivocally" worsen the economic situation across the Middle East. He cautioned that the trend of polarization and radicalization witnessed globally is already particularly pronounced in this region.

"This is a great threat to human development," he stated. "We need to be able to cooperate despite our differences, and countries need to focus much more on how fear is not only beginning to erode trust in public institutions but also dividing countries."