Business Today-
The 2025 Global Human Development Report issued by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) highlights a positive trend in Egypt’s human development performance, with the country’s Human Development Index (HDI) rising from 0.751 in 2022 to 0.754 in 2023. This improvement reflects steady progress in Egypt’s developmental trajectory.
The report confirms Egypt’s classification among countries with “high human development,” maintaining the same category as the previous year. Globally, the average HDI also saw a slight increase from 0.752 in 2022 to 0.756 in 2023, marking a modest growth of 0.004 points.
Despite Egypt’s HDI remaining marginally below the global average of 0.756 and below the average of countries classified as “high human development” at 0.777, it clearly surpasses the averages of developing countries (0.712) and Arab countries (0.719). This indicates a relatively positive performance for Egypt within these regional and developmental contexts.
The report, titled “Human and Capabilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” emphasizes the growing role of artificial intelligence in today’s world and raises critical questions about how this new digital transformation phase differs from previous ones. It also explores the potential impacts of these shifts on the future of human development globally.
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, said the progress in Egypt’s HDI ranking reflects the success of ongoing governmental efforts over recent years. These efforts have tangibly improved citizens’ quality of life across multiple sectors. She noted that despite the progress, the government continues to implement numerous programs and initiatives expected to further enhance human development indicators. Key among these are the National Project for Developing the Egyptian Family, the Comprehensive Health Insurance Program, women’s empowerment initiatives, and continuous advancements in the communications and information technology sector.
Dr. Al-Mashat also highlighted preparations for the upcoming 2025 Human Development Report for Egypt, describing it as a vital tool for providing an objective and realistic analysis of the country’s development. This national report will measure progress in education, health, living standards, and overall human development, while also offering policy recommendations — particularly critical given the complex, escalating global challenges that constrain financial resources in developing countries and affect their development efforts.
She underscored that the 2025 report, currently being prepared by independent entities in collaboration with UNDP, marks the thirteenth edition of Egypt’s national human development reports since their inception in 1994. The resumption of these reports in 2021, after a decade-long hiatus, demonstrates Egypt’s commitment to transparently sharing and evaluating its development experience with all national stakeholders and international partners.