# List of subnational entities with the highest and lowest Human Development Index

The following list shows the subnational entities and regions with the highest and lowest Human Development Index (HDI) in the world and on different continents. The HDI is a summary measure of human development that considers three dimensions: health, education, and standard of living. It is calculated by taking the geometric mean of three normalized indicators: life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. The HDI ranges from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating higher human development. The HDI itself was created by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq in 1990, and was further used by the UNDP to measure the country's development in its annual Human Development Reports.The index was initially calculated at the country level. The Global Data Lab at Radboud University in the Netherlands launched a subnational HDI (SHDI) in 2018, which covers around 1,800 regions in over 160 countries to better reflect the differences within countries. Global Data Lab also provides the Subnational Human the Subnational Gender Development Index (SGDI) and data on income, years of education and life expectancy on the subnational level. The SHDI and SGDI are based on the UNDP's official HDI and GDI, but they use subnational data in addition to national data.

## Regions with the highest and lowest HDI

25 highest HDIs The top 25 regions with the highest HDI in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | Zurich | Switzerland | 0.994 |
| 2 | London | United Kingdom | 0.984 |
| 3 | Oslo and Akershus | Norway | 0.982 |
| 4 | Australian Capital Territory | Australia | 0.976 |
| 4 | Stockholm County | Sweden | 0.976 |
| 6 | Hamburg | Germany | 0.975 |
| 7 | Lake Geneva region | Switzerland | 0.973 |
| 8 | Capital Region of Denmark | Denmark | 0.970 |
| 8 | Central Slovenia | Slovenia | 0.970 |
| 10 | Western Australia | Australia | 0.969 |
| 10 | Wellington Region | New Zealand | 0.969 |
| 12 | Auckland Region | New Zealand | 0.968 |
| 13 | Berlin | Germany | 0.967 |
| 13 | Utrecht province | Netherlands | 0.967 |
| 15 | Prague | Czech Republic | 0.965 |
| 16 | North Holland | Netherlands | 0.964 |
| 16 | Ticino | Switzerland | 0.964 |
| 16 | Northwestern Switzerland | Switzerland | 0.964 |
| 19 | Baden-Württemberg | Germany | 0.963 |
| 19 | Western Norway | Norway | 0.963 |
| 21 | Capital Area (Gyeonggi, Seoul, Incheon) | South Korea | 0.961 |
| 21 | Helsinki-Uusimaa Region | Finland | 0.961 |
| 21 | Trøndelag | Norway | 0.961 |
| 21 | Central Switzerland | Switzerland | 0.961 |
| 25 | Brussels | Belgium | 0.960 |
25 lowest HDIs The top 25 regions with the lowest HDI in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Low human development ||||
| 1 | Middle Juba | Somalia | 0.232 |
| 2 | Zone 2 (Borkou, Ennedi, Tibesti, Kanem, Barh El Gazel, Lac) | Chad | 0.270 |
| 3 | Galguduud | Somalia | 0.279 |
| 4 | Zone 5 (Chari-Baguirmi, Dababa, Baguirmi, Hadjer-Lamis) | Chad | 0.286 |
| 5 | Hiran | Somalia | 0.291 |
| 6 | Zone 4 (Ouaddai, Assoungha, Sila, Wadi Fira) | Chad | 0.292 |
| 7 | Bay | Somalia | 0.294 |
| 8 | Bakool | Somalia | 0.295 |
| 9 | Lower Juba | Somalia | 0.300 |
| 10 | Sahel Region | Burkina Faso | 0.305 |
| 10 | Northern Bahr el Ghazal | South Sudan | 0.305 |
| 12 | Warrap | South Sudan | 0.308 |
| 13 | Middle Shabelle | Somalia | 0.315 |
| 14 | Timbuktu Region | Mali | 0.319 |
| 15 | Lower Shabelle | Somalia | 0.323 |
| 15 | Togdheer | Somalia | 0.323 |
| 17 | Southeastern Region (Basse-Kotto, Mbomou, Haut-Mbomou) | Central African Republic | 0.326 |
| 18 | Gedo | Somalia | 0.330 |
| 19 | Jonglei State | South Sudan | 0.331 |
| 20 | Zone 3 (Guera, Batha, Salamat) | Chad | 0.336 |
| 21 | Kuntaur | Gambia | 0.337 |
| 22 | Sool | Somalia | 0.338 |
| 23 | Unity State | South Sudan | 0.340 |
| 24 | Mopti Region | Mali | 0.341 |
| 25 | Lakes State | South Sudan | 0.344 |

## Africa

Top 10 highest
The 10 regions with the highest HDI in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | South (Grand Port, Savanne, Plaines Wilhems, Rivière Noire) | Mauritius | 0.805 |
| High human development ||||
| 2 | Port Said Governorate | Egypt | 0.795 |
| 3 | North (Port Louis, Pamplemousses, Rivière du Rempart, Flacq, Moka) | Mauritius | 0.791 |
| 4 | South-East District | Botswana | 0.787 |
| 5 | Annobón, Bioko | Equatorial Guinea | 0.782 |
| 6 | Suez Governorate | Egypt | 0.781 |
| 7 | Alexandria Governorate | Egypt | 0.777 |
| 7 | Cairo Governorate | Egypt | 0.777 |
| 7 | Grand Tunis (Ariana, Tunis, Ben Arous, Manouba) | Tunisia | 0.777 |
| 10 | North Center (Algiers, Blida, Boumerdès, Tipaza, Bouïra, Médéa, Tizi Ouzou, Béjaïa, Chlef, Aïn Defla) | Algeria | 0.766 |
Top 10 lowest
The 10 regions with the lowest HDI in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Low human development ||||
| 1 | Middle Juba | Somalia | 0.232 |
| 2 | Zone 2 (Borkou, Ennedi, Tibesti, Kanem, Barh El Gazel, Lac) | Chad | 0.270 |
| 3 | Galguduud | Somalia | 0.279 |
| 4 | Zone 5 (Chari-Baguirmi, Dababa, Baguirmi, Hadjer-Lamis) | Chad | 0.286 |
| 5 | Hiran | Somalia | 0.291 |
| 6 | Zone 4 (Ouaddai, Assoungha, Sila, Wadi Fira) | Chad | 0.292 |
| 7 | Bay | Somalia | 0.294 |
| 8 | Bakool | Somalia | 0.295 |
| 9 | Lower Juba | Somalia | 0.300 |
| 10 | Sahel Region | Burkina Faso | 0.305 |
| 10 | Northern Bahr el Ghazal | South Sudan | 0.305 |

## Asia

Top 10 highest
The 10 regions with the highest HDI in Asia in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | Capital Area (Gyeonggi, Seoul, Incheon) | South Korea | 0.961 |
| 2 | Southern Kantō (Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano) | Japan | 0.946 |
| 3 | Gyeongnam (South Gyeongsang, Busan, Ulsan) | South Korea | 0.926 |
| 4 | Kansai (Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, Nara, Wakayama) | Japan | 0.922 |
| 5 | Tōkai (Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie) | Japan | 0.920 |
| 6 | Chūgoku (Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi) | Japan | 0.916 |
| 7 | Chungcheong (North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, Daejeon, Sejong) | South Korea | 0.913 |
| 8 | Jeolla (North Jeolla, South Jeolla, Gwangju) | South Korea | 0.910 |
| 9 | Northern Kantō (Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma) | Japan | 0.908 |
| 10 | Gangwon | South Korea | 0.906 |
Top 10 lowest
The 10 regions with the lowest HDI in Asia in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Low human development ||||
| 1 | Hajjah, Sa'dah, 'Amran | Yemen | 0.383 |
| 2 | Al Bayda, Dhamar, Raymah | Yemen | 0.381 |
| 3 | Al Hudaydah, Al Mahwit | Yemen | 0.386 |
| 4 | South (Uruzgan, Helmand, Zabul, Nimroz, Kandahar) | Afghanistan | 0.391 |
| 5 | Ibb | Yemen | 0.425 |
| 6 | North East (Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Kunduz) | Afghanistan | 0.429 |
| 7 | West (Ghor, Herat, Badghis, Farah) | Afghanistan | 0.433 |
| 8 | East (Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan) | Afghanistan | 0.442 |
| 9 | Taiz | Yemen | 0.452 |
| 10 | Former Federally Administered Tribal Areas | Pakistan | 0.453 |

## Europe

Top 10 highest
The 10 regions with the highest HDI in Europe in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | Zürich Canton | Switzerland | 0.994 |
| 2 | Greater London | United Kingdom | 0.984 |
| 3 | Oslo and Akershus | Norway | 0.982 |
| 4 | Stockholm County | Sweden | 0.976 |
| 5 | Hamburg | Germany | 0.975 |
| 6 | Lake Geneva region | Switzerland | 0.973 |
| 7 | Capital Region of Denmark | Denmark | 0.970 |
| 7 | Central Slovenia | Slovenia | 0.970 |
| 9 | Berlin | Germany | 0.967 |
| 9 | Utrecht province | Netherlands | 0.967 |
Top 10 lowest
The 10 regions with the lowest HDI in Europe in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| High human development ||||
| 1 | Southeastern Statistical Region | North Macedonia | 0.718 |
| 2 | Western Ukraine | Ukraine | 0.722 |
| 3 | Central Ukraine | Ukraine | 0.727 |
| 4 | North Ukraine | Ukraine | 0.737 |
| 5 | Central Development Region | Republic of Moldova | 0.738 |
| 5 | Northeastern Statistical Region | North Macedonia | 0.738 |
| 7 | South Ukraine | Ukraine | 0.740 |
| 8 | Eastern Ukraine | Ukraine | 0.741 |
| 9 | Prizren district | Kosovo | 0.742 |
| 9 | Northern Development Region | Republic of Moldova | 0.742 |

## North America

Top 10 highest
The 10 regions with the highest HDI in North America in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | Massachusetts | United States | 0.956 |
| 1 | New Hampshire | United States | 0.956 |
| 3 | Colorado | United States | 0.952 |
| 3 | Washington | United States | 0.952 |
| 5 | Minnesota | United States | 0.951 |
| 6 | Connecticut | United States | 0.950 |
| 7 | Alberta | Canada | 0.947 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | United States | 0.947 |
| 7 | Hawaii | United States | 0.947 |
| 10 | British Columbia | Canada | 0.946 |
Top 10 lowest
The 10 regions with the lowest HDI in North America in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Low human development ||||
| 1 | Centre | Haiti | 0.502 |
| 2 | Artibonite | Haiti | 0.518 |
| 3 | Grand'Anse, Nippes | Haiti | 0.522 |
| 4 | Sud-Est | Haiti | 0.531 |
| 5 | Sud | Haiti | 0.538 |
| 6 | Nord-Est | Haiti | 0.542 |
| 7 | Nord-Ouest | Haiti | 0.545 |
| 8 | Lempira Department | Honduras | 0.547 |
| Medium human development ||||
| 9 | Gracias a Dios Department | Honduras | 0.550 |
| 10 | North (Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz) | Guatemala | 0.556 |

## South America

Top 10 highest
The 10 regions with the highest HDI in South America in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | Santiago Metropolitan Region | Chile | 0.890 |
| 2 | Tarapacá Region | Chile | 0.887 |
| 3 | Antofagasta Region | Chile | 0.881 |
| 4 | Valparaíso Region | Chile | 0.876 |
| 5 | Magallanes Region | Chile | 0.872 |
| 6 | Atacama Region | Chile | 0.864 |
| 7 | Greater Buenos Aires | Argentina | 0.851 |
| 8 | Pampas region | Argentina | 0.850 |
| 9 | Cuyo | Argentina | 0.849 |
| 9 | Patagonia region | Argentina | 0.849 |
Top 10 lowest
The 10 regions with the lowest HDI in South America in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Medium human development ||||
| 1 | Brokopondo and Sipaliwini | Suriname | 0.564 |
| 2 | Potosí Department | Bolivia | 0.612 |
| 3 | Apure | Venezuela | 0.628 |
| 4 | Vaupés Department | Colombia | 0.631 |
| 5 | Barinas | Venezuela | 0.646 |
| 5 | Portuguesa | Venezuela | 0.646 |
| 7 | Potaro-Siparuni | Guyana | 0.652 |
| 8 | Barima-Waini | Guyana | 0.661 |
| 8 | Guárico | Venezuela | 0.661 |
| 8 | Guainía Department | Colombia | 0.661 |

## Oceania

Top 10 highest
The 10 regions with the highest HDI in Oceania in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Very high human development ||||
| 1 | Australian Capital Territory | Australia | 0.976 |
| 2 | Western Australia | Australia | 0.969 |
| 2 | Wellington Region | New Zealand | 0.969 |
| 4 | Auckland Region | New Zealand | 0.968 |
| 5 | New South Wales | Australia | 0.946 |
| 6 | Canterbury Region | New Zealand | 0.943 |
| 7 | Victoria | Australia | 0.942 |
| 8 | Taranaki | New Zealand | 0.941 |
| 9 | Marlborough Region | New Zealand | 0.938 |
| 10 | Otago Region | New Zealand | 0.936 |
Top 10 lowest
The 10 regions with the lowest HDI in Oceania in 2022 were:
| Rank | Region | Country | HDI (2022) |
| Low human development ||||
| 1 | Hela Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.472 |
| 2 | Southern Highlands Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.499 |
| 3 | Enga Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.500 |
| 4 | Gulf Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.533 |
| 5 | Eastern Highlands Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.534 |
| 6 | Sandaun Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.542 |
| Medium human development ||||
| 7 | Penama Province | Vanuatu | 0.552 |
| 8 | Torba Province | Vanuatu | 0.554 |
| 9 | East Sepik Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.562 |
| 10 | Jiwaka Province | Papua New Guinea | 0.564 |