Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

An average child born in Bangladesh, today, will be 48% as productive as one born with complete access to the country’s education and healthcare

Bangladesh has ranked above India in the World Bank’s Human Capital Index (HCI); which is a new system to rank countries based on how successfully they develop human capital. The ranking also prods governments to invest more effectively in education and healthcare.

The index was launched at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings on the Indonesian island of Bali, on Thursday.

Bangladesh scored higher than its closest neighbours India and Pakistan.

The Human Capital Index of Bangladesh

An average child born in Bangladesh, today, will be 48% as productive as one born with complete access to the country’s education and healthcare. Around 97 out of 100 children born in Bangladesh have strong odds of surviving to age 5.

In Bangladesh, a child who starts school at the age of four can expect to complete 11 years of school by his or her 18th birthday. Students in Bangladesh scored 368 on a scale where 625 represents advanced attainment and 300 represents minimum attainment.

Factoring in what children actually learn, expected years of schooling is only 6.5.

Across Bangladesh, 87% of 15-year olds will survive until the age of 60. This statistic is a proxy for the range of fatal and non-fatal health outcomes that a child born today would experience as an adult under current conditions.

Around 64 out of 100 children are not stunted, but the rest are at risk of cognitive and physical limitations that can last a lifetime.

In India, 83% of 15-year olds will survive until the age of 60. Compared to India, this is slightly higher in Pakistan – 84% – while the rate is 85% in Nepal.

The World Bank report also revealed that in Bangladesh, the HCI for girls is higher than for boys.

It also showed that in 2017, Bangladesh’s HCI is higher than the average for its region but slightly lower than the average for its income group.

Goals of HCI

The Human Capital Project seeks to raise awareness and increase demand for interventions to build human capital. It aims to accelerate better and more investments in people.

The Project has three elements—the Human Capital Index; a program to strengthen research and measurement about human capital, and support for countries to accelerate progress in raising human capital outcomes.