Human development index refers to the composite index that measures the level of development of a country based on its economic wellbeing, health and education standards. (0.800 - 1.00 = high development; 0.500 - 0.799 = medium development; below 0.499 = low development) It is published annually by the United Nations Development Program

GNI per capita refers to the average value of goods and services that is produced within a country together with the balance of income and payments from or to other countries.

The higher the GNI per capita of a country, the higher the level of development. This is because when a country has a higher GNI per capita, it is richer, and can afford to invest larger amounts of money to education, healthcare housing, defense and transportation infrastructure, which increases the standards of living of people.

For example, Canada, a more developed country has a GNI per capita of $48,310, while a less developed country like South Sudan has a GNI per capita of $1,080 as of 2022

Employment structure refers to the proportion of workforce that are in the different employment structures, mainly the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors

Primary sectors refers to jobs that involve the extraction of materials from the earth's surface, they contribute relatively little to a country's wealth (fishing, farming, mining). Secondary sector refers to the industries that take the raw materials produced by the primary industry and process them to manufacture goods and products (oil refineries and food processing). Tertiary sectors refers to the service sector and involves the sale of services and skills (nursing, teaching, sales, banking). Quaternary sector refers to jobs that involve research and development (IT and pharmaceutical R&D)

The higher the proportion of the workforce in the tertiary sector, the higher the level of development of the country. this is because the population is generally more educated and skilled as these industries require more knowledge and skills as compared to primary industries. Thus, the people will be able to generate more income and contribute to the country's wealth and development.

life expectancy refers to the average number of years that a person is expected to live. The higher the life expectancy, the higher the level of development of a country. this is because it means that generally people have access to proper sanitation, healthcare and food, and the government prioritised and invested in aspects that improve the welfare of the people.

For example, Canada, a more developed country, has a life expectancy of 82.89, while Ethiopia, a less developed country, has a life expectancy of about 47.9.

infant mortality rate refers to the average number of babies that die below the age of 1 in a year, for every 1000 live births.

The lower the infant mortality rate, the higher the level of development of a country. This is because the country has proper healthcare facilities, such as clinics, hospitals and medical research facilities, that enables the survival of babies. (the country has special systems put on place to ensure the survival of the vulnerable population)

For example, Canada, a more developed country has an IMR value of 4.055, while Nigeria, a less developed country, has an IMR value of about 56.22, as of 2022

it refers to the proportion of people who have access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

the higher the proportion of people with access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities, the higher the level of development. this is because areas with high access to clean water have pipes in their homes that carry treated water, ensuring that bacteria and impurities are removes. these areas also have toilets that have proper flushing and waste disposal systems, ensuring that people are not exposed to the bacteria inside waste matter and that there is no contamination of the environment, leading to spread of diseases like cholera and dysentery.

Adult literacy rate refers to the percentage of adults (above the age of 15) who can read and write.

The higher the ALR of a country, the higher the level of development. This is because the country has invested in education infrastructure and hired qualifies teachers in schools, ensuring that the people have proper knowledge and skills to contribute to the economic development of the country. As a higher level of education means that people are generally able to get better paying jobs and accumulate more wealth, allowing for a higher standard of living.

For example, a more developed country like Canada, has a ALR value of 99.04%, while a less developed country like Nigeria has a ALR of about 62.02%, as of 2022

HDI is a holistic indicator as it takes into account 3 different aspects of development in its calculations, thus it provides a more holistic view of the level of development in a country, unlike with single indicators

the data collected is consistent as it is calculated by the UNDP, thus there is a consistency in the calculation of the figures. This allows for a comparison of state of development across countries.

There is a time lag between the collection and publication of the data, as it takes time to collect and tabulate the results. Hence, HDI is not reflective of the current state of development of a country

There might be some inaccuracy during the collection of data, as in some countries, informal economic transactions may not be included in records, thus, the HDI value and ranking may not be acciurate