******* had the highest level of the Human Development Index (HDI) worldwide in 2023 with a value of *****. With a score of ****, ****** followed closely behind *********** and had the second-highest level of human development in that year. The rise of the Asian tigers In the decades after the Cold War, the four so-called Asian tigers, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong (now a Special Administrative Region of China) experienced rapid economic growth and increasing human development. At number eight and number 13 of the HDI, respectively, *********************** are the only Asian locations within the top-15 highest HDI scores. Both locations have experienced tremendous economic growth since the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 1980, the per capita GDP of Hong Kong was ***** U.S. dollars, increasing throughout the decades until reaching ****** in 2023, which is expected to continue to increase in the future. Meanwhile, in 1989, Singapore had a GDP of nearly ** billion U.S. dollars, which has risen to nearly *** billion U.S. dollars today and is also expected to keep increasing. Growth of the UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the only Middle Eastern country besides Israel within the highest ranking HDI scores globally. Within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the UAE has the third-largest GDP behind Saudi Arabia and Israel, reaching nearly *** billion U.S. dollars by 2022. Per capita, the UAE GDP was around ****** U.S. dollars in 1989, and has nearly doubled to ****** U.S. dollars by 2021. Moreover, this is expected to reach over ****** U.S. dollars by 2029. On top of being a major oil producer, the UAE has become a hub for finance and business and attracts millions of tourists annually.

Iceland had the highest level of the Human Development Index (HDI) worldwide in 2022 after adjusting for inequality, with a value of 0.91. Its Nordic neighbors Norway and Denmark followed behind. Meanwhile, Switzerland topped the HDI not adjusted for inequality.

The average for 2023 based on 27 countries was 0.915 points. The highest value was in Denmark: 0.962 points and the lowest value was in Bulgaria: 0.845 points. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Over recent years, online government services have become increasingly common. In 2024, Denmark was ranked first with a near-perfect E-Government Development Index (EGDI) rating of ******. The EGDI assesses e-government development at a national level based on three components: the online service index, the telecommunication infrastructure index, and the human capital index. E-government development and the persisting digital divideAccording to the UN, e-government is a pivotal factor in advancing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Public services should be accessible to all, and e-government has to harness existing and new technologies to ensure that. There is a risk of a new digital divide, as low-income countries with insufficient infrastructure are lagging, leaving already vulnerable people even more at risk of not being able to gain any advantage from new technologies. Despite some investments and developmental gains, many countries are still unable to benefit from ICTs because of poor connectivity, high cost of access and lack of necessary skills. These factors have a detrimental effect on the further development of e-government in low EGDI-ranked regions such as Africa as the pace of technological progress intensifies. E-government servicesTransactional services are among the most common features offered by e-government websites worldwide. In 2018, it was found that *** countries enabled their citizens to submit income taxes via national websites. The majority of countries allow citizens to access downloadable forms, receive updates or access archived information about a wide range of sectors such as education, employment, environment, health, and social protection.

In 2024, the inflation rate in Denmark amounted to 1.27 percent compared to the previous year. Forecasts see it rising to around two percent, the rate of inflation considered stable by economists. Denmark’s economy in short Denmark is a market economy with a consistent trade surplus, with most of its workforce employed in the services sector. It relies on foreign trade and exports mostly chemicals, agricultural products, and machinery. Denmark is not part of the euro area and thus has kept its currency, the Danish krone. Nevertheless, it was hit by the recession of 2008 and 2009, but has recovered quite well. Everything’s stable in the state of DenmarkDespite a slump during the economic crisis around 2008 and 2009, Denmark’s economy is considered to be thriving. Key economic indicators all point to a bright future: Unemployment has been decreasing for the last few years, GDP growth has been steady, and additionally, Denmark scored quite high on the Human Development Index (HDI) – a sure sign that economy and living conditions in the country are stable.