COMCEC Poverty Outlook 2019
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also represents the level of different component of HDI. On OIC average, the life
expectancy is 68.3, the expected and mean years of schooling is 11.7 and 6.7 respectively and GNI
is $14,770. The level of all the 4 parameters increases by income group. For low income group,
the level of life expectancy and mean years of schooling are much lower than OIC average. The
lower middle income group has life expectancy, expected and mean years of schooling values that
are very close to OIC average. For high income countries, all the parameters except expected and
mean years of schooling have values that are remarkably higher than upper-middle income group.
However, the mean years of schooling is only 0.4 years higher than that of upper-middle income
group. Probably, it is mean years of schooling that causes such a high difference between HDI and
GNI rank for high income group.
2.2.2. Evaluation of Human Development Categories for OIC Member States
In HDR’s, the countries are grouped according to their HDI value. From the first HDR (1990) until
2009, there were three categories, namely “low”, “medium” and “high” human development.
However, this changed in HDR 2009 and a “very high” human development category was added
to the existing three categories. For this reason, the distribution of OICmember states within these
categories are given in two different tables (se n .
In 1990, only 38 OIC member states were included in the HDR. Of these, 22 were exhibiting low
human development, 14 were in medium human development category and only 2 countries in
the high human development category. In 2000, the number of OIC member states covered by
HDRwas increased to 54. More than half (29) of these countries were in the mediumdevelopment
category and 5 were in high development category. The share of these two groups increased
significantly compared to 1990. In 2008, the number of OIC member states remained at its 2000
level. However, the share of medium and high development categories rose further to 59 percent
and 19 percent respectively.
Table 6: OIC Member States by human development level, 1990, 2000 and 2008
HDI Category
1990 2000 2008
# of
Countries
% # of
Countries
% #of
Countries
%
Low Human Development 22 58 20 37 12 22
Medium Human
Development
14 37 29 54 32 59
High Human Development 2 5 5 9 10 19
Total 38 100 54 100 54 100
Source: Own calculations from corresponding years’ HDR.
Note: The methodology of HDI has evolved over time. Therefore, the HDI values and hence categories are not
fully comparable over time.