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The Human Development Index in Historical Perspective: Italy from Political Unification to the Present Day

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Author Info
Leandro Conte ()
Giuseppe Della Torre ()
Michelangelo Vasta ()
Abstract

The aim of this research is to provide a long run estimate of the Human Development Index (HDI) for Italy. To this purpose we have reconstructed Italian historical series relative to life expectancy, literacy rate, school enrolment rates and income. All the series presented are the result of a study which has produced, starting from primary sources, original series disaggregated to the regional level. The possibility of having, for Italy, a basis of comparison with the main developed countries has permitted us to show that, even though there has been significant progress in the values of the single variables, the country has not appreciably improved its position in the world ranking. This seems to be due, in large part, to the trend of the education variables that displays values decidedly distant from those of the main industrialized countries. As far as regional trends are concerned, we can observe a slow process of alignment of the values of the Southern regions to the values of the other Italian regions for levels of education and longevity, while income levels for the 1990s still remain quite distant.

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Paper provided by Department of Economics, University of Siena in its series Department of Economics University of Siena with number 491.

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Date of creation: Jan 2007
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Handle: RePEc:usi:wpaper:491

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N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth - - - General, International, or Comparative

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  1. Dasgupta, Partha & Weale, Martin, 1992. "On measuring the quality of life," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 119-131, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Crafts, N. F. R., 2006. "The Human Development Index and changes in standards of living: Some historical comparisons," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(03), pages 299-322, September. [Downloadable!]
  3. Streeten, Paul, 1994. "Human Development: Means and Ends," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(2), pages 232-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Avner Offer, 2000. "Economic Welfare Measurements and Human Well-Being," Oxford University Economic and Social History Series _034, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford. [Downloadable!]
  5. Alejandro Ramirez & Gustav Ranis & Frances Stewart, . "Economic Growth and Human Development -," QEH Working Papers qehwps18, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. [Downloadable!]
  6. Eisner, Robert, 1988. "Extended Accounts for National Income and Product," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 26(4), pages 1611-84, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Sagar, Ambuj D. & Najam, Adil, 1998. "The human development index: a critical review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 249-264, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Anand, Sudhir & Ravallion, Martin, 1993. "Human Development in Poor Countries: On the Role of Private Incomes and Public Services," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 133-50, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Ranis, Gustav & Stewart, Frances & Ramirez, Alejandro, 2000. "Economic Growth and Human Development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 197-219, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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