Titel_SS06

where ALR is the Adult Literacy Rate in a given nation. The Gross Enrolment Index (GEI) is
an indicator of how many of the potential pupils in a nation are actually enrolled as pupils.
Often a combined index is used averaging over the different levels of education in a given
nation (typically three levels). The GEI is calculated as:

0

100 0







GER

GEI (13.7)

where GER is the (combined) Gross Enrolment Ratio.

Finally the Life Expectancy Index (LEI) is calculated as:

25

85 25







LE

LEI (13.8)

where LE is the life expectancy at birth (in years). 85 and 25 represent the highest and lowest
possible life expectancies in years at the present time. The United Nations publish on an
annual basis the HDI for the individual nations. In Figure 13.7 a mapping of the HDI from
2004 is illustrated.

World map indicating Human Development Index (2004).

0.950 and over

0.900-0.949

0.850-0.899

0.800-0.849

0.750-0.799

0.700-0.749

0.650-0.699

0.600-0.649

0.550-0.599

0.500-0.549

0.450-0.499

0.400-0.449

0.350-0.399

0.300-0.349

under 0.300

n/a

(^)
Figure 13.7: Illustration of the HDI for the nations of the world (source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index))
From Figure 13.7 an overview is provided through which the general performance of different
nations might be compared, however, despite the many merits of the HDI as a basis for such
comparisons there are also some aspects of societal developments which are not represented.
One of these aspects is how the income of a nation is distributed among its inhabitants. To
illustrate this, the so-called Gini index might be useful, see UN
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient). In Figure 13.8 the Gini index is mapped for
the whole world corresponding to (2004). If the income would have been distributed
completely equally the Gini index would be equal to zero.