Which HDI sub-index measures how long people live on average (health outcomes)?

Which HDI sub-index measures how long people live on average (health outcomes)?

• A. Education index
• B. Line of perfect equality
• C. Life expectancy index
• D. GNI per capita

Answer: (C)

Health outcomes are captured by the life expectancy index. The HDI combines health, education, and living standards (income). For health, it uses life expectancy at birth to gauge how long people are living on average; a higher life expectancy translates into a higher health index, which raises the overall HDI. The life expectancy index is scaled from a minimum to a maximum value to fit between 0 and 1 before combining with the other sub-indices. The other options relate to different dimensions—education index covers schooling, and GNI per capita covers income—while the line of perfect equality isn’t a HDI sub-index.

Health outcomes are captured by the life expectancy index. The HDI combines health, education, and living standards (income). For health, it uses life expectancy at birth to gauge how long people are living on average; a higher life expectancy translates into a higher health index, which raises the overall HDI. The life expectancy index is scaled from a minimum to a maximum value to fit between 0 and 1 before combining with the other sub-indices. The other options relate to different dimensions—education index covers schooling, and GNI per capita covers income—while the line of perfect equality isn’t a HDI sub-index.