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Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 06 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Hong Kong: Development & Human Capital
Is a country turning its resources into better lives?
Hong Kong is placed joint 40th of 196 countries on development & human capital in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Social Protection Coverage 63.3 (2025); Human Development Index 0.955 (2023).
Development & Human Capital
joint40th
of 196 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 3 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Hong Kong on development & human capital — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 2 of 3
Maternal Mortality Ratio
UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG)
Why it is a key: Whether a woman survives giving birth — the reach of a health system at the moment it is hardest to fake.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
No reading
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
Lower is better
MMEIG publishes no 2023 figure for Hong Kong, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 0.11 (Cook Islands) to 992.83 (Nigeria); the world median is 46.65.
- World median
- 46.65
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 3.08 Japan
- Land neighbours
- China 16.25
Each grey tick is one of 195 countries in the 2023 edition.
Key 3 of 3
Human Development Index
UNDP Human Development Report Office
Why it is a key: The standard composite of health, schooling and income, carrying UNDP's own published rank.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
0.955
HDI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Ranked 8th of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office
Hong Kong: 0.955. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.388 (South Sudan) to 0.972 (Iceland); the world median is 0.762.
- World median
- 0.762
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 0.955 Hong Kong
- Land neighbours
- China 0.797
Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2023 edition.
02Over time
Which way Hong Kong is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Human Development Index
HDI score (0–1) · higher is better
Hong KongWorld median
Hong Kong rose from 0.839 in 2000 to 0.955 in 2023; the world median went from 0.672 to 0.762.
Every year’s figures
Year Hong Kong World median 2023 0.955 0.7620 2022 0.950 0.7610 2021 0.961 0.7450 2020 0.950 0.7425 2019 0.952 0.7515 2018 0.952 0.7520 2017 0.946 0.7480 2016 0.940 0.7500 2015 0.937 0.7430 2014 0.932 0.7410 2013 0.928 0.7390 2012 0.923 0.7350 2011 0.918 0.7250 2010 0.912 0.7250 2009 0.909 0.7220 2008 0.907 0.7180 2007 0.891 0.7100 2006 0.879 0.7045 2005 0.872 0.6960 2004 0.866 0.6960 2003 0.861 0.6910 2002 0.854 0.6845 2001 0.847 0.6770 2000 0.839 0.6720
03In context
Hong Kong beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 196 countries on development & human capital, never a place within the region.
1st196thNot placed · 28 countries with too few key statisticsNo data
Hong Kong and the countries it borders
The standing is each country’s place among all 196 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Social Protection CoveragePopulation covered by at least one social protection benefit (%) | Maternal Mortality RatioMaternal deaths per 100,000 live births | Human Development IndexHDI score (0–1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | =40th | 63.3 | — | 0.955 |
 China | 62nd | 75.6 | 16.25 | 0.797 |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 196.
Placed either side on development & human capital
The countries immediately above and below Hong Kong in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Hong Kong is ahead of the world, and behind
12 more statistics filed under development & human capital, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median10
Statistics on which Hong Kong does better than the middle country measured.
Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 0.5640.8130.564▲ Improved since 2010
Hong Kong: 0.813 · world median 0.564 · HCI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.292 to 0.879; higher is better.
Position 2nd of 172 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Life Expectancy at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 74.6385.5174.63No real change since 2013
Hong Kong: 85.51 · world median 74.63 · Years a newborn would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 54.46 to 86.37; higher is better.
Position 3rd of 222 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
GNI per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 14,27375,24314,273▲ Improved since 2015
Hong Kong: 75,243 · world median 14,273 · GNI per capita (constant 2021 international $, PPP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,181 to 116,633; higher is better.
Position 3rd of 102 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
GDP per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2025 · world median 17,26568,72517,265No real change since 2015
Hong Kong: 68,725 · world median 17,265 · GDP per capita (constant 2021 international $, PPP). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,067 to 139,593; higher is better.
Position 13th of 185 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3416.913.34No real change since 2013
Hong Kong: 16.9 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 26th of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.8390.609No real change since 2013
Hong Kong: 0.839 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 24th of 169 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Account Ownership at a Financial InstitutionWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 72.8397.3172.83No real change since 2014
Hong Kong: 97.31 · world median 72.83 · Adults with an account (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 14.83 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 24th of 139 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.93312.359.933▼ Worsened since 2013
Hong Kong: 12.35 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 37th of 193 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0511.6817.05▼ Worsened since 2013
Hong Kong: 11.68 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 113th of 169 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9760.971▲ Improved since 2013
Hong Kong: 0.976 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 74th of 184 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Behind the world median1
Statistics on which Hong Kong does worse than the middle country measured.
Cereal YieldFAO · 2023 · world median 3,0722,0593,072No real change since 2013
Hong Kong: 2,059 · world median 3,072 · Cereal yield (kg per hectare). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 23 to 29,147; higher is better.
Position 117th of 179 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Access to ElectricityWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 100100100▼ Worsened since 2014
Hong Kong: 100 · world median 100 · Population with electricity access (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 5.4 to 100; higher is better.
No current reading for Hong Kong
Child Marriage, Children with Functional Difficulties, Completeness of Birth Registration, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six Months, Gender Inequality Index, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Infant Mortality Rate, Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP) (last 2024), Maternal Mortality Ratio, Net Official Development Assistance Received (last 1996), Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Statistical Performance Indicators, Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, Under-Five Mortality Rate and Violent Discipline of Children. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
05Country Index 2026
Development & Human Capital among Hong Kong’s 11 topics
Development & Human Capital is Hong Kong’s 5th best-placed topic of 11. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
- Mobility & Trade2nd of 1473/3 keys
- Peace & Security15th of 1773/4 keys
- Work & Labour22nd of 1824/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions36th of 1943/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 40th of 1962/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation37th of 1764/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 41st of 1834/4 keys
- Digital & Technology69th of 1982/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge60th of 1712/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties133rd of 1983/3 keys
- Energy165th of 1933/3 keys
No standing on Health & Wellbeing, Environment & Sustainability, Risk & Resilience, Food & Agriculture, Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on development & human capital
The three countries placed highest of 196, and the leaders Hong Kong can most readily be measured against.
1
Cook IslandsPolynesia
1st of 196 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: Benedict Adam · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
2
NorwayNorthern Europe
2nd of 196 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
DenmarkNorthern Europe
3rd of 196 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Israel10th3/3 keysHighest in Eastern Asia
Japan18th3/3 keysThis page
Hong Kong=40th2/3 keys
Positions out of 196 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Hong Kong and development & human capital
On development & human capital
Global Hunger Index 2025: Countries with the Most Alarming Hunger Crisis
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.
On development & human capital
India vs Pakistan 2025: Comparison of Hunger Index, Happiness, HDI, Rule of Law, Literacy & GDP
India and Pakistan on six published measures: hunger, happiness, human development, rule of law, literacy and GDP per capita. India is the better placed on five of them; Pakistan on one.
08Questions
Hong Kong on development & human capital: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Hong Kong rank on development & human capital?
Hong Kong is placed joint 40th of 196 countries on Development & Human Capital in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 3 key statistics (Social Protection Coverage and Human Development Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Social Protection Coverage figure for Hong Kong?
63.3 in 2025 (population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%)), according to International Labour Organization (ILO). The world median in the same edition was 52.1.
What is the latest Human Development Index figure for Hong Kong?
0.955 in 2023 (hDI score (0–1)), according to UNDP Human Development Report Office. The world median in the same edition was 0.762.
How does Hong Kong compare with China on development & human capital?
China is placed 62nd of 196, and Hong Kong joint 40th. Social Protection Coverage: China 75.6, Hong Kong 63.3; Human Development Index: China 0.797, Hong Kong 0.955.
How have Hong Kong’s development & human capital figures changed?
Human Development Index rose from 0.839 in 2000 to 0.955 in 2023.
Which development & human capital statistics are missing for Hong Kong?
No current reading is published for Hong Kong on Child Marriage, Children with Functional Difficulties, Completeness of Birth Registration, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six Months, Gender Inequality Index, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Infant Mortality Rate, Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP), Maternal Mortality Ratio, Net Official Development Assistance Received, Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Statistical Performance Indicators, Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, Under-Five Mortality Rate and Violent Discipline of Children. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Keep reading
Explore further
Hong Kong, topic by topic
- Governance & Institutions36th of 194
- Economy & Innovation37th of 176
- Work & Labour22nd of 182
- Education & Knowledge60th of 171
- Gender & Equality=41st of 183
- Democracy & Civil Liberties133rd of 198
- Peace & Security15th of 177
- Mobility & Trade2nd of 147
- Energy165th of 193
- Digital & Technology69th of 198
- The full Hong Kong profile
Nearby, on development & human capital
The key statistics, for every country
10Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Poverty lines, inequality and aid received are published here as context rather than as keys, often because they cover fewer countries or are measured too rarely. Development is also not the same as economic size or growth, which belong to Economy & Innovation.
How the Development & Human Capital standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 31 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. ⚠ The keys behind this standing do not all describe the same year — they run from 2023 to 2025, because publishers release on their own schedules. Read the standing as “how this country places now”, not as a snapshot of one year.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 196 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Social Protection Coverage — International Labour Organization (ILO), CC BY 4.0
- Maternal Mortality Ratio — UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Human Development Index — UNDP Human Development Report Office, CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 12 statistics on this page come from 4 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Hong Kong’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Hong Kong (banner) — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cook Islands — Benedict Adam, CC BY 2.0
- Norway — Ximonic , Simo Räsänen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Hong Kong: Development & Human Capital — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/hong-kong/development