In its 33rd Human Development Report, titled “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World,” the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranks Lebanon among countries with high human development, assigning it a Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.752 for the year 2023.
Lebanon ranks 102nd out of 193 globally and 10th among Arab countries. The country demonstrates solid indicators: life expectancy of 77.8 years, average years of schooling at 10.4 years, expected years of schooling at 11.7 years and a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $15,825 (PPP), exceeding the Arab regional average ($11,299) but below the global average ($20,327).
These results place Lebanon ahead of the regional average, despite ongoing economic and political challenges.
The report also highlights the rapid rise of artificial intelligence as a transformational force in education, healthcare and employment. According to a survey conducted for the report, 20% of respondents already use AI, and nearly two-thirds expect to do so within the next year.
However, global HDI progress remains sluggish, largely due to the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other successive crises. Nearly 40% of those surveyed believe the increase in HDI in 2024 will be the slowest since 1990.
Most survey participants view AI not just as a tool for automation, but also as a way to enhance human capabilities, with strong potential to improve productivity, especially in developing nations.
At the top of the global HDI ranking are Iceland (0.972), followed by Norway, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany.
Among Arab countries, the highest-ranking nations are the United Arab Emirates (15th globally, 0.940), followed by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.
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