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Strategies for Success in Human Development

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  • Gustav Ranis and Frances Stewart

Abstract

The paper explores the conditions making for success in Human Development (HD) in developing countries. For this purpose it defines success in HD in a materialistic and reductionist way as being measured by progress in improving life expectancy and reducing infant mortality rates. Drawing on general reasoning and previous empirical work, the paper identifies probable conditions for country success, including economic growth, income distribution, government expenditure patterns and female education and control over household resources. The four best HD performers over the years 1960-95 in each of three regions - Africa, Asia and Latin America- are identified using a number of indicators. Evidence is then presented on these countries performance on the elements earlier identified as being likely to lead to success. Considerable variation in performance on most elements is shown - e.g. some countries did well on economic growth, but others did poorly. Consistency was only observed on female education, which was outstandingly good for all successful countries. For the other elements, poor performance on one element was compensated for by good performance on others, e.g. low growth was compensated for by relatively equal income distribution and high government expenditure on HD priorities. Different combinations of performance on the various elements are identified among successful countries. The paper also discusses conditions needed for sustainability of HD success.

Suggested Citation

  • Gustav Ranis and Frances Stewart, "undated". "Strategies for Success in Human Development," QEH Working Papers qehwps32, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
  • Handle: RePEc:qeh:qehwps:qehwps32
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    Cited by:

    1. Lykke E. Andersen & Oscar Molina, 2004. "Análisis Estadístico y Económico sobre las Características de la Permanencia y Acceso Diferenciado por Género en el Sistema Educativo Boliviano a Nivel Municipal," Development Research Working Paper Series 01/2004, Institute for Advanced Development Studies.
    2. Andersen, Lykke Eg, 2000. "Social Mobility in Latin America," Documentos de trabajo 3/2000, Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana.
    3. Suri, Tavneet & Boozer, Michael A. & Ranis, Gustav & Stewart, Frances, 2011. "Paths to Success: The Relationship Between Human Development and Economic Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 506-522, April.
    4. Pillai N., Vijayamohanan, 2018. "The Dialectics of Motivation and Action: A Look into the ‘Why’ of the “Kerala Model”," MPRA Paper 87911, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Gustav Ranis & Frances Stewart, 2005. "Dynamic Links between the Economy and Human Development," Working Papers 8, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    6. Enrico Casadio Tarabusi & Giulio Guarini, 2013. "An Unbalance Adjustment Method for Development Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 112(1), pages 19-45, May.
    7. Susan Randolph & Elizabeth Kaletski, 2018. "Securing Economic and Social Rights: Obstacle or Handmaiden to Growth?," Economic Rights Working Papers 26, University of Connecticut, Human Rights Institute.
    8. Serdar Ozturk & Seher Suluk, 2020. "The granger causality relationship between human development and economic growth: The case of Norway," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 9(6), pages 143-153, October.
    9. Arne Bigsten & Jörgen Levin, 2001. "Growth, Income Distribution, and Poverty," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2001-129, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Bigsten , Arne & Levin, Jörgen, 2000. "Growth, Income Distribution, and Poverty: A Review," Working Papers in Economics 32, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    11. Btool H. Mohamed & Mustafa Disli & Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Investigation on Human Development Needs, Challenges, and Drivers for Transition to Sustainable Development: The Case of Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    12. Morrone, Henrique, 2015. "Do demand and profitability stimulate capital accumulation? An analysis for Brazil," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    13. Lykke Andersen, 2001. "Social Mobility in Latin America: Links with Adolescent Schooling," Research Department Publications 3130, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    14. Marjorie Gassner & Darwin Ugarte Ontiveros & Vincenzo Verardi, 2006. "Human Development and Electoral Systems," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 43-57.
    15. Kuriakose, Francis & Joseph, Janssen, 2020. "Microfinance and Human Development in Kerala," MPRA Paper 98393, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. F. Noorbakhsh, 2002. "Human development and regional disparities in Iran: a policy model," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(7), pages 927-949.
    17. Rossana Guerra Sousa & Edilson Paulo & João Marôco, 2017. "Longitudinal Factor Analysis of Public Expenditure Composition and Human Development in Brazil After the 1988 Constitution," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 134(3), pages 1009-1026, December.
    18. Juliet Elu, 2013. "NEA Presidential Address: Gender Inequality and Human Development in Sub- Saharan Africa," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 105-113, June.
    19. Atanu Sengupta & Abhijit Ghosh, 2010. "Negative and Positive Partial Mobility: A Study of the Relative Changes in Human Development," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 99(2), pages 249-268, November.
    20. Marie-Claude Martin, 2008. "Individual and Collective Resources and Health in Morocco," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-21, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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