Tough Numbers

In yesterday's journal entry I pointed out that in the 2005 Human Development Report, prepared by the United Nations Development Program, Guatemala ranked 117th out of 177 countries. In all of Latin America, only Haiti ranked lower.

Today I want to take a look at some of the numbers behind that ranking. For comparison purposes I've also included the United States and the country with the best ranking in each area.

Keep in mind that although they expressed in numbers, what we are talking about here are the lives, struggles and dreams of human beings...

Life expectancy at birth
The number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of age-specific mortality rates at the time of birth were to stay the same throughout the child's life.

Guatemala - 67.3 years

United States - 77.4 years

Japan - 82.0 years

Adult literacy rate
The percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement related to their everyday life.

Guatemala - 69.1%

United States and many other countries - 99%

Enrollment ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary schools
The number of students enrolled in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education, regardless of age, as a percentage of the population of official school age for the three levels.

Guatemala - 61%

United States - 93 %

8 countries - 100%

Female to male earned income
The ratio of estimated female earned income to estimated male earned income.

Guatemala - 0.33

United States - 0.62

Kenya - 0.93

Note:

The Report also ranks the empowerment of women in its GDI (gender-related development index). In "building the capabilities of women" Guatemala ranks as the "worst performer in Latin America and the Caribbean".

Country Fact Sheets - Guatemala

Infant mortality rate
The probability of dying between birth and exactly one year of age, expressed per 1,000 live births.

Guatemala - 35

United States - 7

6 countries - 3

Gross Domestic Product per capita (U.S. dollars)

Guatemala - $4,148

United States - $37,562

Luxembourg - $62,298

Population living below the poverty line

Guatemala - 56.2%

Population living below $2 a day

Guatemala - 37.4%

Population living below $1 a day

Guatemala - 16.0%

Population undernourished

Guatemala - 24.0%

Resources:

Human Development Report 2005

HDR Country Sheet - Guatemala

HDR Country Fact Sheets - Guatemala

OK: If you've actually read all the way to the bottom of this difficult document, I'll give treat you to an interesting fact from the Report that you can share with your friends and loved ones:

According to the latest statistics, Luxembourg has 1,194 cell phone subscribers for every 1,000 people.

(Yeah, that made my head hurt, too.)

Tags: Guatemala, Development, Poverty

Posted by elcanche at September 9, 2005 07:33 PM