According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Montenegro is for the seventh year in a row in the category of countries with very high human development.
"The Human Development Index (HDI) represents a summary measure of long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to education and a decent standard of living," the report says, and that with the value of this index of 0.844, Montenegro is in 50th place out of a total of 193 countries and territories.
The UNDP stated that Switzerland is at the top of the ranking, and among the top ten places are also: Norway, Iceland, Hong Kong (China), Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, Singapore and Australia. "On the other hand, the lowest HDI values are recorded in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Somalia," the report says.
"Of the countries of the region, in the category of very highly developed countries, apart from Montenegro, there are Slovenia (in 22nd place with an index of 0.926), Croatia (in 39th place with an index of 0.878) and Serbia (in 65th place with an index of 0.805). Other countries of the region are in the category of high development by human measure: Albania (74th place and index 0.789), Bosnia and Herzegovina (80th place with index 0.779) and North Macedonia (83rd place with index 0.765).HDI value in Montenegro increased from 2003 to 2022 between 0.749 and 0.844, which represents an increase of 12,7%. According to the latest Human Development Report, life expectancy in Montenegro is 76,8, which is 2,8 years more than in compared to 2003. Citizens of Montenegro spend an average of 12,6 years in school, or 2,2 years more than in 2003. Gross national income per capita (GNI – purchasing power parity expressed in US dollars) has increased by about 65,4% compared to 2003 and will amount to 22,513 in 2022," the report states.
It says that the inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) takes into account inequalities in all three HDI dimensions by "discounting" the average value of each component of the Index according to its level of inequality.
It is added that the "loss" in human development due to inequality is represented by the difference between HDI and IHDI and for Montenegro it is 10,4%.
The Human Development Report 2023/2024, entitled "Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world", highlights a worrying trend: the recovery of the index reflecting the development of measure of man is partial, incomplete and uneven", it was stated.
As pointed out, the HDI is projected to reach a record value in 2023 after a large decline in 2020 and 2021, "however, this progress is very uneven."
"Rich countries record a record high level of human development, while half of the poorest countries remain below the level of development they were at before the beginning of the crisis. Global inequalities are accompanied by a significant concentration of economic activity. As stated in the report, almost 40% of global trade in goods is concentrated in three or fewer countries; while in 2021, the market capitalization of each of the world's three largest technology companies individually exceeded the gross domestic product (GDP) of more than 90% of the world's countries in that year," the report says.
"The widening gap in human development identified in the report shows that the direction of a two-decade trend of steadily decreasing inequality between rich and poor nations has now reversed. Despite our societies being deeply interconnected globally, we do not we achieve success. We need to take advantage of our mutual dependence, as well as the ability to deal with common and existential challenges, and in this way make sure that what people strive for is achieved," said Akim Steiner, UNDP administrator.
"This blockade has a significant adverse impact on people. Failure to advance climate change, digitization or poverty reduction activities through collective efforts not only harms human development, but also exacerbates polarization and increasingly erodes trust in people and institutions across the world. of the world," he added.
It is stated that the status of women's rights is a mirror of the essential civilizational progress of a society, and gender differences are one of the deepest forms of inequality.
"The ratio of progress in human development between men and women is measured by the Gender Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Inequality Index (GII). The GDI represents the ratio between women's and men's Human Development Index (HDI), and measures gender differences in three basic dimensions of human development (life expectancy of men and women, expected years of schooling of men and women and the average years that men and women spend in school). The value of the female HDI for the year 2022 for Montenegro is 0,833 compared to 0,852, what is the value of the HDI for men" , the report added.
As it says, women in Montenegro live an average of 80,3 years, and men 73,5. The data show that women in Montenegro spend an average of 12,1 years in school compared to men who spend 13,2 years in school.
"Regarding the value of the GII, which measures gender inequalities in three dimensions (reproductive health, empowerment and participation in the labor market), Montenegro ranks 33rd out of 166 countries in 2022. The report states that women in occupied 2022% of parliamentary seats in 27,2. 70,8% of women aged 25 and over have at least completed high school compared to 83,7% of men. The teenage birth rate is 9,7 births per 1.000 women aged 15-19 "The participation of women in the labor market is 44,4%, while for men it is 57,8%," the report states.
In it, it is written that the permanent representative of UNDP in Montenegro, Ekaterina Paniklova, pointed out that Montenegro, when it comes to the value of the human development index, records growth and remains in the category of very highly developed countries, and that she ordered that is, through carefully created policies and strategies, important to keep the focus on green and sustainable development, social protection, strengthening institutions, achieving gender equality, as well as encouraging innovation.
"In the era we live in, marked by increasing polarization and division, it is crucial that we do not ignore the importance of mutual investment, as this would pose a threat to our collective well-being and security. The challenges we face, including pandemic prevention, climate change and the regulation of digital technology, are deeply interconnected and require interconnected solutions. In today's world, with significant economic interdependence, deglobalization is not realistic. This highlights the key role of multilateralism, as highlighted in the report, as bilateral relations fail to respond to the problem of global public goods, which by its nature has a planetary character," Paniklova said.
The Report points out that international collective efforts are thwarted by the ever-present "democratic paradox": while 9 out of 10 people in the world support democracy, more than half of the respondents also support leaders who collapse that democracy through disobeying the basic rules of the democratic process, as indicated by the data analyzed in report.
"Half of the people surveyed around the world believe that they have no control over their lives, or that this control is limited, while two-thirds believe that they have little influence over the decisions of their governments," it added.
The report says political polarization and its global ramifications are also a growing cause for concern.
According to him, in addition to feelings of helplessness, it stimulates inward-looking political approaches – which is in stark contrast to the global cooperation needed to respond to urgent problems such as the decarbonisation of our economies, the misuse of digital technologies and conflicts.
"This is particularly worrying given the record high temperatures in 2023, underscoring the urgency of united action in the fight against climate change, as well as the advancement of artificial intelligence as a new fast-growing area of technology, which is developing with insufficient or non-existent regulation." , it concludes.
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