05 October 2009
UNITED NATIONS -- Although it kept its previous rank, Kuwait is still leading all Arab nations, including GCC countries, according to the 2009 Human Developing Index issued Monday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Norway still tops the list of 182 countries. The last is Niger. Kuwait kept its rank at 31. The UK is listed 21. The US is ranked 13, falling one place behind compared to last year's index. France is ranked eight, gaining three places.
The report gave figures relating to 2007 in many domains such as education, health, economy and power empowerment.
Kuwait is listed under the "Very High" Human Development Index, among developed countries, followed by Cyprus, Qatar, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Listed in the "High" Human Development Index are Bahrain, ranked 39, Libya, 55, Oman, 56 and Saudi Arabia, 59.
The report "overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development" noted that in many developed countries, the percentage of migrants in the total population has risen rapidly over the past 50 years.
The highest shares, 16 percent, are found in Australia and New Zealand, followed by North America, 13 percent, and Europe, eight percent.
The shares range between only one and two percent in the three major developing regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The highest country shares, the report said, are recorded in the GCC countries and in South-East Asia, including 63 percent in Qatar, 56 percent in the UAE and 47 percent in Kuwait where the annual rate of immigration from 1960 to 2005 was 6.7 percent.
While the number of immigrants in Kuwait was 90,600 in 1960, it is expected to increase to a little over two million in 2010.
The report said that allowing for migration - both within and between countries - has the potential to increase people's freedom and improve the lives of millions around the world.
"We live in a highly mobile world, where migration is not only inevitable but also an important dimension of human development. Nearly one billion - or one out of seven - people are migrants," the report said.
The Report demonstrated that migration can enhance human development for the people who move, for destination communities and for those who remain at home.
"Migration can be a force for good, contributing significantly to human development," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. "But to realize its benefits, there needs to be a supportive policy environment." However, the report noted, migration does not always bring benefits.
The extent to which people are able to gain from moving depends greatly on the conditions under which they move. Financial outlays can be relatively high, and movement inevitably involves uncertainty and separation from families.
UNITED NATIONS -- Although it kept its previous rank, Kuwait is still leading all Arab nations, including GCC countries, according to the 2009 Human Developing Index issued Monday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Norway still tops the list of 182 countries. The last is Niger. Kuwait kept its rank at 31. The UK is listed 21. The US is ranked 13, falling one place behind compared to last year's index. France is ranked eight, gaining three places.
The report gave figures relating to 2007 in many domains such as education, health, economy and power empowerment.
Kuwait is listed under the "Very High" Human Development Index, among developed countries, followed by Cyprus, Qatar, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Listed in the "High" Human Development Index are Bahrain, ranked 39, Libya, 55, Oman, 56 and Saudi Arabia, 59.
The report "overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development" noted that in many developed countries, the percentage of migrants in the total population has risen rapidly over the past 50 years.
The highest shares, 16 percent, are found in Australia and New Zealand, followed by North America, 13 percent, and Europe, eight percent.
The shares range between only one and two percent in the three major developing regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The highest country shares, the report said, are recorded in the GCC countries and in South-East Asia, including 63 percent in Qatar, 56 percent in the UAE and 47 percent in Kuwait where the annual rate of immigration from 1960 to 2005 was 6.7 percent.
While the number of immigrants in Kuwait was 90,600 in 1960, it is expected to increase to a little over two million in 2010.
The report said that allowing for migration - both within and between countries - has the potential to increase people's freedom and improve the lives of millions around the world.
"We live in a highly mobile world, where migration is not only inevitable but also an important dimension of human development. Nearly one billion - or one out of seven - people are migrants," the report said.
The Report demonstrated that migration can enhance human development for the people who move, for destination communities and for those who remain at home.
"Migration can be a force for good, contributing significantly to human development," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. "But to realize its benefits, there needs to be a supportive policy environment." However, the report noted, migration does not always bring benefits.
The extent to which people are able to gain from moving depends greatly on the conditions under which they move. Financial outlays can be relatively high, and movement inevitably involves uncertainty and separation from families.
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© KUNA (Kuwait News Agency) 2009
