Philippines slips in Human Development Index

The Philippines ranked 116th out of 191 countries, down three places from 113th previously, in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) by the United Nations Development Program. The index ranks countries based on three dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. With a score of 0.699 out of 1, the Philippines was only ahead of Laos and Timor-Leste (both 140 overall), Cambodia (146), and Myanmar (149) in select East and Southeast Asian countries included in the index. The Philippines’ HDI score was also below the East Asia and the Pacific’s average of 0.749 and the World’s average of 0.732.