According to the UNDP, human development – or the human development approach - is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on people and their opportunities and choices. Human development focuses on two important aspects –
(a) It tries to directly enhance human abilities. Human development achieves the direct enhancement of human abilities by focussing on a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and by having a decent standard of living.
(b) It creates conditions for further human development. It achieves this by helping governments create policies and legislation to encourage participation in political and community life; through environmental sustainability; by enabling human rights and security and through ensuring gender equality.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living.
When a country has a high HDI, it essentially means that the lifespan is higher, the education levels are higher along with higher per capita income. This makes the country a developed country. Countries like USA, France Japan have high HDIs’ making them developed countries.
