MEASUREMENT OF INEQUALITY-ADJUSTED HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AT THE SUB-NATIONAL LEVEL FOR THE UNITED STATES IN 2015 AND 2020

The search for an alternative indicator for the GDP led to the spread of composite indexes in recent decades. Among the indicators that demonstrated qualities for reliable measurement of the population's well-being is the Human Development Index (HDI) by the United Nations Development Program (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic development 2023, 48(3), 191, pp.55-89
Main Authors: Howell, Parker, Sotomayor, Maritza
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Economic development
Education
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
Health
Human Development Index
Income
Inequality
경제학
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Summary:The search for an alternative indicator for the GDP led to the spread of composite indexes in recent decades. Among the indicators that demonstrated qualities for reliable measurement of the population's well-being is the Human Development Index (HDI) by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 1990. One of the HDI's shortcomings was not considering inequality's differences in its three metrics (health, education, and income). The UNDP's inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) solved this problem, becoming an indicator of the actual status of the population's well-being. The program publishes the IHDI at the country level; however, there are no estimates at the sub-national level for the United States. This paper estimates the IHDI at the state and county levels for 2015 and 2020. The estimates contribute to the empirical evidence since no such calculations exist at this level of disaggregation. Our work confirms regional disparities when the HDI is adjusted for inequality.
ISSN:0254-8372
DOI:10.35866/caujed.2023.48.3.003