The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released data on the "Provincial-Level Human Development Index" for the 2018-2022 period. According to the report, Türkiye's Human Development Index increased from 0.844 in 2018 to 0.854 in 2022, marking a 1.1% rise.
With this value, Türkiye was classified among "Very High Development" countries according to criteria set by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The sub-components of this index showed varying trends: the life expectancy index decreased by 2.2% to 0.882 in 2022 compared to 2018, while the education index increased by 3% to 0.807 and the income index rose by 2.6% to 0.875.
In 2022, Ankara had the highest Human Development Index at the provincial level, with a score of 0.891. It was followed by Istanbul and Kocaeli, both at 0.886, Izmir at 0.870 and Muğla at 0.867. The province with the lowest index was Ağrı, with a score of 0.748, followed by Şanlıurfa, Van, Muş and Bitlis.
Between 2018 and 2022, the five provinces with the highest increase in their Human Development Index were Kilis (4.1%), Şırnak (4%), Çankırı and Hakkari (3.9% each) and Ağrı (3.8%).
The TurkStat report also provided insights into the index itself. It emphasized that in a country's economic development process, human capital is as crucial as physical capital. The Human Development Index, calculated by the UNDP, is designed to measure the adequacy of human capital across nations. The index consists of three sub-components: life expectancy, education and income.
The index is measured on a scale from 0 to 1. A score of 0.8 or above indicates "Very High Human Development," while scores between 0.7 and 0.8 correspond to "High Human Development." A score below 0.55 indicates "Low Human Development."
Until now, the UNDP has produced values for Türkiye's Human Development Index at the national level. However, with TurkStat publishing average and expected years of schooling indicators for the first time in 2023, Türkiye has been able to generate its own index. To support national policymaking, this index has now been officially published not only at the country level but also at the provincial level.
