The figures for 2000 have just been published in the latest Human Development Report. Those for the countries of the Greater Caribbean are shown in the table below. The region is relatively well off by comparison with the rest of the developing world. However, there is a wide range of achievement in human development from country to country.

Six countries in the region enjoy the status of High human development, like the majority of developed countries. Five of these are CARICOM countries. They are relatively small, together accounting for less than 3 percent of the region’s population.

Eighteen of the remaining 19 countries in the Greater Caribbean have Medium human development. Eight of these are in the upper end of the Medium category, i.e. above a value 0.700. These include the members of the Group of Three (Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela) with 71 percent of the region’s population.

The other 10 countries are in the middle and lower ends of Medium human development. These include five CARICOM and four Central American states.

Another point of comparison is a country’s HDI rank in the world compared with its per capita income rank. When the HDI rank is higher than the per capita income rank, the UNDP says the country is doing well in human development achievement relative to its level of average income.

Fifteen of the 25 countries in the Greater Caribbean are in this situation, shown in the last column of the table as a positive number. Ten other countries are in the opposite situation. 

The variation is due to achievements in health and education. The countries that are doing relatively well have life expectancies higher than 70 years, suggesting good primary health care systems. Most of them also have adult literacy rates that are over 90 percent. And most have education enrolment ratios that are good relative to their development level.

As the Report indicates, these are the areas in which countries need to make strong efforts in order to advance their level of human development relative to their level of income.