Which has higher human development index, Eswatini or Kenya?

Eswatini, at 0.536 HDI against 0.515 HDI in Kenya as of 2011.

What is the difference in human development index between Eswatini and Kenya?

0.021 HDI, with Eswatini ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and Kenya?

9 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2011.

Where does this data come from?

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Eswatini vs Kenya: Human development index

Eswatini

0.536 HDI

in 2011

Kenya

0.515 HDI

in 2011

Eswatini rank

14th

Kenya rank

17th

Human development index over time

Eswatini
Kenya

How they compare

Eswatini currently reports 0.536 HDI against 0.515 HDI in Kenya, a difference of 0.021 HDI.

Across all 9 years both countries report, Eswatini has been ahead every year.

Eswatini ranks 14th and Kenya ranks 17th of 50 countries.

Eswatini has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Eswatini	Kenya	Difference	Ahead
1990s	0.533 HDI	0.463 HDI	0.07 HDI	Eswatini
2000s	0.515 HDI	0.4817 HDI	0.0333 HDI	Eswatini
2010s	0.534 HDI	0.513 HDI	0.021 HDI	Eswatini

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Eswatini or Kenya?: Eswatini, at 0.536 HDI against 0.515 HDI in Kenya as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Eswatini and Kenya?: 0.021 HDI, with Eswatini ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and Kenya?: 9 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2011.
How do Eswatini and Kenya rank globally for human development index?: Eswatini ranks 14th and Kenya ranks 17th of 50 countries.
Where does this data come from?: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as Human development index (HDI). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Eswatini vs Kenya: Human development index. Statizoid, drawing on http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/human-development-index-hdi/eswatini/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator: Human development index (HDI)
Unit: HDI
Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 50 places, 459 data points, 1980–2011
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices measuring achievements in each dimension. The HDI is the geometric mean of the three dimension indices and embodies imperfect substitutability across all HDI dimensions. It thus addresses one of the most serious criticisms of the linear aggregation formula, which allowed for perfect substitution across dimensions. Some substitutability is inherent in the definition of any index that increases with the values of its components. Data sources: Life expectancy at birth: UNDESA; Mean years of schooling: Barro and Lee; Expected years of schooling: UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Gross national income (GNI) per capita: World Bank.