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New historical estimates of the human development index

Author

Listed:
  • Luis Bertola

    (Programa de Historia Económica y Social, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República)

  • Laura Gatti

    (Programa de Historia Económica y Social, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República)

Abstract

This paper discusses different alternatives to construct the conventional Historical Human Development Index that considers three dimensions: income, health,and education. We discuss the outcome of different models in terms of aggregated improvements in human development, the rankings of performance, relative growth, the contributions to performance of the different dimensions, and the tradeoffs between the three dimensions. The purpose of the paper is to propose an index that we consider better fits historical development and that provides the less possible gaps in the tradeoffs between the different components of the index. Such an index can be considered the best proxy on which to base policy recommendations. The paper works with a sample of 18 countries of seven regions for 1900-2010.

Suggested Citation

  • Luis Bertola & Laura Gatti, 2021. "New historical estimates of the human development index," Documentos de trabajo 66, Programa de Historia Económica, FCS, Udelar.
    • Handle: RePEc:ude:doctra:66
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/28474
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leandro Prados de la Escosura, 2010. "Improving Human Development: A Long‐Run View," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 841-894, December.
    2. Rosemary Thorp, 1998. "Progress, Poverty and Exclusion: An Economic History of Latin America in the 20th Century," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 79303, February.
    3. Satya R. Chakravarty, 2003. "A Generalized Human Development Index," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(1), pages 99-114, February.
    4. Sen, Amartya, 1988. "The concept of development," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Hollis Chenery & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 1, pages 9-26, Elsevier.
    5. Ravallion, Martin, 2012. "Troubling tradeoffs in the Human Development Index," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 201-209.
    6. Jos� Antonio Ocampo & Juliana Vallejo, 2012. "Economic Growth, Equity and Human Development in Latin America," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 107-133, February.
    7. Martin Ravallion, 2012. "Mashup Indices of Development," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 27(1), pages 1-32, February.
    8. Bertola, Luis & Ocampo, Jose Antonio, 2012. "The Economic Development of Latin America since Independence," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199662142.
    9. repec:ehl:wpaper:22413 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Satya Chakravarty, 2011. "A reconsideration of the tradeoffs in the new human development index," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 9(3), pages 471-474, September.
    11. Leandro Prados de la Escosura, 2021. "Augmented human development in the age of globalization," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(4), pages 946-975, November.
    12. Genoni, María Eugenia & Sánchez, Margarita & Saavedra-Chanduví, Jaime & Duryea, Suzanne & Parker, Richard & Aggleton, Peter & Buvinic, Mayra & Massiah, Ernest & Arias, Omar & Ñopo, Hugo R. & Mazza, Ja, 2004. "Social Inclusion and Economic Development in Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 439, November.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O5 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies

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