Introduction - UNDP The Gambia

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For The Gambia with an adult literacy rate of 47 per cent in 2005 and a combined gross enrolment
ratio of 76 per cent (excluding madrasas) in the school year 2004/2005, the education index is
0.566
1 Adult literacy index: (47 – 0)/(100 – 0) = 0.47
2 Gross enrolment index: (76 – 0)/ (100 – 0) = 0.76
Thus the education index is: ? (0.47) + ? (0.76) = 0.566
Gross Domestic Product Index
The GDP index is calculated using adjusted GDP per capita (PPP US$). In the HDI, income serves
as a surrogate for all the dimensions of human development not reflected in a long and healthy life
and in knowledge. Income is adjusted because achieving a respectable level of human development
does not require unlimited incomes. For The Gambia with a GDP per capita of 1362 (PPP US$),
the GDP index is calculated thus:
GDP Index: Log (1362) – log (100) = 0.436
Log (40, 000) – log (100)
Human Development Index
Once the dimension indices have been calculated, determining the HDI of The Gambia in 2005
requires taking a simple average of the three dimension indices:
HDI = ? (life expectancy index) + ? (Education index) + ? (GDP index)
= ? (0.485) + ? (0.566) + ? (0.436)
= 0.162 + 0.189 + 0.145 = 0.496
Thus the HDI for The Gambia for 2005 = 0.496
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Building Capacity for the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in The Gambia National Human Development Report 2005
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