• The concept of Human Development Index was developed in 1990 by the Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq. • The HDI measures average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. • The top five countries in the Global Human Development Index 2019 were: Norway, Switzerland, Ireland and Germany. • United States of America was ranked at 16th, South Africa at 113th and India was ranked at 129th position.