The Human Development Index (HDI) of Germany has increased from ***** in 1990 to ***** by 2021, indicating that Germany has reached very high levels of human development. The HDI itself is a statistic that combines life-expectancy, education levels and GDP per capita. Countries with scores over ***** are considered to have very high levels of development, compared with countries that score lower. Germany's HDI score has increased from ***** in 1990 to ***** by 2019, implying that Germany has consistently had a very high level of human development.

Germany: Human Development Index (0 - 1): The latest value from 2023 is 0.959 points, an increase from 0.95 points in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 0.744 points, based on data from 185 countries. Historically, the average for Germany from 1980 to 2023 is 0.889 points. The minimum value, 0.739 points, was reached in 1980 while the maximum of 0.959 points was recorded in 2023.

Human development index of Germany decreased by 0.32% from 0.95 score in 2019 to 0.95 score in 2020. Since the 0.21% rise in 2018, human development index rose by 0.32% in 2020. A composite index measuring average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development—a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living

******* 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.

In 2023 Zurich was both the leading smart city based on the IMD smart city index as well as the city with the highest human development index score, making it one of the premier places on earth to live in. Notable exceptions to the HDI to IMD index score were Beijing, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. Beijing is a notable outlier because although it ranked 12th on the digital smart cities ranking it was nearly 90 points lower than Zurich on the HDI score. This is compared to Munich, Germany, which was the 20th digital city but had a HDI score of 950. Smart tech is watching. CCTV cameras powered by artificial intelligence have become a significant growing market in the modern city. These are predominantly residential, with half the market catering to residential applications of CCTV cameras. However, commercial and business-related CCTV cameras have also seen significant growth, with the market reaching over 800 million U.S. dollars in 2023. Digital cities need data and data needs infrastructure. The leading issue with AI infrastructure is data management. AI is a strong influence on how digital cities work and requires a considerable amount of infrastructure to be effective. Storage of AI software is a minor concern, accounting for less than 10 percent of challenges globally in 2023.

In 2025, Luxembourg was the country with the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. Of the 20 listed countries, 13 are in Europe and five are in Asia, alongside the U.S. and Australia. There are no African or Latin American countries among the top 20. Correlation with high living standards While GDP is a useful indicator for measuring the size or strength of an economy, GDP per capita is much more reflective of living standards. For example, when compared to life expectancy or indices such as the Human Development Index or the World Happiness Report, there is a strong overlap - 14 of the 20 countries on this list are also ranked among the 20 happiest countries in 2024, and all 20 have "very high" HDIs. Misleading metrics? GDP per capita figures, however, can be misleading, and to paint a fuller picture of a country's living standards then one must look at multiple metrics. GDP per capita figures can be skewed by inequalities in wealth distribution, and in countries such as those in the Middle East, a relatively large share of the population lives in poverty while a smaller number live affluent lifestyles.

Das System sozialer Indikatoren für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland – in seiner ursprünglichen Version im Rahmen des SPES-Projekts unter der Leitung von Wolfgang Zapf entwickelt – bietet quantitative Informationen zu Niveaus, Verteilungen und Veränderungen der Lebensqualität, gesellschaftlichen Fortschritt und sozialen Wandel in Deutschland von 1950 bis 2013, also über einen Zeitraum von mehr als sechzig Jahren. Mit den ca. 400 objektiven und subjektiven Indikatoren, die das Indikatorensystem insgesamt umfasst, wird beansprucht, Wohlfahrt und Lebensqualität in Deutschland über verschiedene Lebensbereiche hinweg differenziert zu messen und im Zeitverlauf zu beobachten. Neben den Indikatoren für 13 Lebensbereiche, u.a. Einkommen, Bildung und Gesundheit, wurde zudem eine Auswahl von bereichsübergreifenden globalen Wohlfahrtsmaßen in das Indikatorensystem einbezogen, d.h. allgemeine Wohlfahrtsindikatoren, wie z.B. die Lebenszufriedenheit, soziale Isolierung oder der Human Development Index. Basierend auf verfügbaren Daten der amtlichen Statistik und Umfragedaten wurden für sämtliche Indikatoren Zeitreihen zusammengestellt, im Idealfall mit jährlichen Werten von 1950 bis 2013. Von den Indikatoren wurden ca. 90 als “Schlüsselindikatoren” markiert, um zentrale Dimensionen von Wohlfahrt und Lebensqualität über die verschiedenen Lebensbereiche hinweg hervorzuheben. Die Weiterentwicklung und Erweiterung, die regelmäßige Pflege und Aktualisierung sowie die Bereitstellung der Daten des Systems sozialer Indikatoren für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland gehörte seit 1987 zu den Aufgaben des bei GESIS angesiedelten Zentrums für Sozialindikatorenforschung. Für eine ausführliche Darstellung des Systems sozialer Indikatoren für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland vgl. die Studienbeschreibung unter „Andere Dokumente“. Die Daten zu dem Lebensbereich ‚Globale Wohlfahrtsmaße‘ setzen sich wie folgt zusammen: Gesellschaftlicher Wohlstand: BIP pro Kopf. Gesellschaftliche Wohlfahrt: Human Development, Soziale Sicherung, Soziale Integration. Subjektives Wohlbefinden: Wohlbefinden - kognitiv, Wohlbefinden - affektiv, Besorgnis. The system of social indicators for the Federal Republic of Germany - developed in its original version as part of the SPES project under the direction of Wolfgang Zapf - provides quantitative information on levels, distributions and changes in quality of life, social progress and social change in Germany from 1950 to 2013, i.e. over a period of more than sixty years. With the approximately 400 objective and subjective indicators that the indicator system comprises in total, it claims to measure welfare and quality of life in Germany in a differentiated way across various areas of life and to monitor them over time. In addition to the indicators for 13 areas of life, including income, education and health, a selection of cross-cutting global welfare measures were also included in the indicator system, i.e. general welfare indicators such as life satisfaction, social isolation or the Human Development Index. Based on available data from official statistics and survey data, time series were compiled for all indicators, ideally with annual values from 1950 to 2013. Around 90 of the indicators were marked as "key indicators" in order to highlight central dimensions of welfare and quality of life across the various areas of life. The further development and expansion, regular maintenance and updating as well as the provision of the data of the system of social indicators for the Federal Republic of Germany have been among the tasks of the Center for Social Indicator Research, which is based at GESIS, since 1987. For a detailed description of the system of social indicators for the Federal Republic of Germany, see the study description under "Other documents". The data on the area of life: Global Welfare MeasuresSocial prosperity: GDP per capita. Social welfare: human development, social security, social integration. Subjective well-being: well-being - cognitive, well-being - affective, concern. Aggregation Auswahlverfahren Kommentar: