Statistics are great to help us get a better grasp of the challenges that we must take up together with others. Despite the fact they are not perfect and that they are sometimes used to manipulate people, these figures allow us to come to a deeper understanding of the global framework in which these situations take their meaning.

1. An instrument for global measure: HDI (human development index).

Official statistics are most often based on the sole factor of economic growth when it comes to measuring poverty. These statistics are too restrictive because they are calculated in purely monetary terms (which is far from being all-inclusive, particularly in developing countries).

A new tool was proposed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP): called the HDI, which takes into account life-expectancy, education and purchasing power. A series of variables allow for the integration of gender differences and the inequality of revenues.

The countries that have made most progress (in terms of HDI) since 1960 are, Malaysia, Botswanaland, Korea, Tunesia, Thailand, Syria, Turkey, China, Portugal and Iran.

	1960	1980	1992	HDI growth
industrial countries	0,799	0,889	0,918	0,119
developing countries	0,260	0,428	0,514	0,281
least developed coun.	0,165	0,251	0,307	0,142
world	0.392	0.519	0,605	0,213

2. A Few Classical Indicators:

Life Expectancy:

This indicator is calculated on the survival rate of each age group out of a population of a thousand children. Although this indicator is theoretical (it is different from the average age) it gives a perfect account of the effects a health policy has on the life of the people and the improvements brought about by better living conditions. The higher the life expectancy the more we are motivated to undertake long term projects such as economic investments... When life expectancy is low what could possibly motivate people to want to make long-term investments ? The inequalities are great: 42.6 years for Ugandans as compared to 78.6 years for the Japanese. Women always have a higher life expectancy rate than men.

The per capita GNP (Gross National Product)

This is calculated by dividing the wealth produced in a country (the added values) by the number of inhabitants. This indicator is based solely on market value and does not take into consideration the inequalities existent within the country. Priority is given to the volume of money, and does not factor in purchasing power, for example, with one dollar we can barely purchase anything in the USA, as compared to what we could purchase for the same amount in Somalia. That is the reason why an indicator was set up that would include purchasing power, the PPP$. The per capita GNP is the index most frequently used because it is the easiest one to work with. The difference between two given years equals the rate of economic growth.

	GNP per capita	life expectancy
Mozambique	60	44
Ethiopia	110	49
Tanzania	110	51
Ivory Coast	670	56
Bolivia	680	60
Philippines	770	65
Poland	1910	70
South Africa	2670	63
Brazil	2770	66
Korea	6790	71
Portugal	7450	74
USA	23240	77
Japan	28190	79
Switzerland	36080	78
World	4280	66

source: World Bank, 1994; GNP in dollars for 1992

3. Measuring inequalities between the status of men and women

If the life expectancy of women is higher than that of men that is the only case which favors women. Education is the area where the difference is most pronounced. Women are under-represented in politics and are literally absent from the decision-making instances. They are over-exploited in both domestic and professional life... The International Women's Conference held in Beijing in 1995 highlighted these differences.

	educational attainment		educational attainment
	% after 4 years		% women/100 males		employment
	women	males	primary	secondary
Ethiopia	56	56	64	67	37
Tanzania	90	89	98	72	47
Pakistan	44	53	52	41	13
Zimbabwe	81	81	99	88	34
Sénégal	90	94	72	51	39
Dominican Repub.	52	70	98	-	16
Paraguay	77	77	93	102	21
Costa Rica	91	90	94	103	22
Kenya	78	76	95	78	-
Mexico	73	94	94	92	27
Ireland	98	97	95	100	29
Belgique	87	85	97	-	34
Japan	100	100	95	99	38
World	-	-	84	78	35

source: World Bank, 1994.

More information on these topics is available from:

• Center of Concern, 3700 13th St., NE, Washington, DC, 20017, USA.
• Economie et Humanisme, 14 rue A Dumont, 69008, LYON France.
• Verapaz, plaza San Pablo 4, 47011 Valladolid, Espana.
• See also the Annual Reports of the UNDP and the World Bank.

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