Which has higher human development index, Uganda or Zambia?

Uganda, at 0.454 HDI against 0.443 HDI in Zambia as of 2011.

How many years of comparable data are there for Uganda and Zambia?

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.

Uganda vs Zambia: Human development index

Uganda

0.454 HDI

in 2011

Zambia

0.443 HDI

in 2011

Uganda rank

27th

Zambia rank

28th

Human development index over time

Uganda
Zambia

How they compare

Uganda currently reports 0.454 HDI against 0.443 HDI in Zambia, a difference of 0.011 HDI.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Zambia ahead.

Uganda ranks 27th and Zambia ranks 28th of 50 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Uganda averaged higher in 2 and Zambia in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Uganda	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
1990s	0.306 HDI	0.398 HDI	0.092 HDI	Zambia
2000s	0.4182 HDI	0.407 HDI	0.0112 HDI	Uganda
2010s	0.452 HDI	0.4405 HDI	0.0115 HDI	Uganda

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher human development index, Uganda or Zambia?: Uganda, at 0.454 HDI against 0.443 HDI in Zambia as of 2011.
What is the difference in human development index between Uganda and Zambia?: 0.011 HDI, with Uganda ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Uganda and Zambia?: 9 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2011.
How do Uganda and Zambia rank globally for human development index?: Uganda ranks 27th and Zambia ranks 28th 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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Uganda vs Zambia: 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/uganda/zambia/

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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.