Comparative analysis of India and China’s human development progress (1991-2023) - insights and policy comparison
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64171/JSRD.5.3.77-86Keywords:
Human Development Index, Policy comparison, Education and Health, Economic development, China, IndiaAbstract
The study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of human Development in China and India, two nations that have followed different development trajectories since 1990, using Human Development Index (HDI) data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to examine the evolution of HDI in the two countries, based on the HDI framework that combines indicators of health (life expectancy), education (mean and expected years of schooling), and standard of living (gross national income per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity).
The results show that China as a Communist- led one party state has reached near Very high Human Development level, ranking 78th in the world out of 193 countries with HDI score of 0.797 in 2023, with its successful HDI achieved by Centralized planning through Five-Year plans at provincial and prefecture levels, investment in health infrastructure and education, Systematic tracking of HDI through government plan documents, Regional development strategies for addressing geographical disparities, and Govt lead universal health coverage mechanisms.
On the other hand, India (130th and 0.684 HDI) has seen consistent growth due to post-liberalization economic reforms, social welfare program expansion, and grassroots delivery of healthcare and education services, although it continues to struggle with Income Inequality, regional disparities, and access to quality public services.
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