Estonian Human Development Report
Estonian Human Development Report - Eesti Koostöö Kogu
Estonian Human Development Report - Eesti Koostöö Kogu
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Figure 1.1.3. Life expectancy in countries of high human<br />
development. The large diamond denotes Estonia<br />
1<br />
0.95<br />
0.9<br />
0.85<br />
0.8<br />
0.75<br />
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70<br />
Source: HDR 2007/2008<br />
With respect to life expectancy, Estonia is placed more or less<br />
in the middle of the ranking of all the countries being examined,<br />
but at the bottom of the countries of high HDI. Sixtyfive<br />
countries with high HDI have better life expectancy<br />
indices (2005 data) than Estonia’s (Figure 1.1.2.) as well<br />
as 24 countries with medium HDI. This means that the<br />
life expectancy indicator pushes Estonia downward in the<br />
ranking, and by improving this indicator Estonia’s ranking<br />
could improve most effectively.<br />
On the other hand, Estonia is in a relative good position<br />
with respect to the education indicator, being in<br />
19 th place (2005) among all the countries (Figure 1.1.3.).<br />
Here, there is little room for improvement, because<br />
with respect to the weightiest component (adult literacy)<br />
Estonia is at the maximum level and the gross<br />
enrolment ratio (0.924) is relatively close to the maximum<br />
value.<br />
With respect to the living standard index, Estonia<br />
is one of the few countries whose ranking corresponds<br />
exactly to its HDI ranking.<br />
Global dynamics of the <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Index<br />
Figure 1.1.4. Changes in the <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Index in a series of countries (number in front of the<br />
name indicated the ranking in 2007/2008)<br />
1<br />
0.95<br />
0.9<br />
0.85<br />
0.8<br />
0.75<br />
0.7<br />
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005<br />
Source: HDR 2007/2008<br />
1 Iceland<br />
3 Australia<br />
5 Ireland<br />
16 United Kingdom<br />
26 Korea (R)<br />
27 Slovenia<br />
29 Portugal<br />
36 Hungary<br />
43 Lithuania<br />
44 ESTONIA<br />
45 Latvia<br />
52 Mexico<br />
Although the history of the human development reports<br />
only dates back to 1990, the values have also been calculated<br />
retroactively and repeatedly been corrected afterwards.<br />
As a general trend, the indices generally increase,<br />
while decreases in the index values indicate crises or<br />
shocks in the country’s development. The crisis in the<br />
mid-1990s that struck the Baltic countries is an example<br />
of this (Figure 1.1.4.). Some developing countries, like the<br />
Republic of Korea, are very rapid risers, while the growth<br />
tempo of the “old leaders” is more modest.<br />
In the following three sections of this chapter, we will<br />
examine the spheres of life related to the three HDI components<br />
and their developmental trends in Estonia.<br />
References<br />
1. <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Report</strong>s, http://hdr.undp.org/en/<br />
humandev/<br />
2. <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Development</strong> Indices, http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/<br />
HDI_2008_EN _Tables.pdf<br />
3. <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Report</strong> 2007/2008, http://hdr.undp.org/<br />
en/media/ HDR_20072008 _EN_Complete.pdf<br />
1.2. Estonia’s demographic<br />
development and its sustainability<br />
Fertility and mortality trends<br />
In the case of Estonia, as a nation of one million, demographic<br />
development is of existential importance. In<br />
larger nations, the problems related to population development<br />
tend to be social in nature, related to the ratio<br />
between the working and dependent population (which<br />
is important in Estonia as well). In Estonia, however, the<br />
ratio between births and deaths is the most important<br />
indicator of developmental sustainability. In the case of<br />
migration, the top priority for Estonia is not just the integration<br />
of immigrants, but whether that the <strong>Estonian</strong>-<br />
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