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World Bank Group
AsiaSoutheast Asia

Singapore comes first, Hong Kong fourth according to World Bank’s human capital rankings

The rankings, based on health, education and survivability measures, assess the future productivity and earnings potential for citizens of 157 of the World Bank’s member nations

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Office workers sit along the river during lunch break in the financial district of Raffles Place in Singapore on February 19, 2018. Singapore tops the World Bank’s new human capital list. Photo: AFP
Reuters

Singapore has topped a new World Bank list ranking success in developing human capital, while Hong Kong took the fourth spot. Asian countries dominated the list, with South Korea and Japan ranking second and third respectively.

The World Bank Group unveiled the system on Thursday in an effort to prod governments to invest more effectively in education and health care. The index showed poor African countries fared the worst in the rankings, with Chad and South Sudan taking the two lowest spots.

The rankings, based on health, education and survivability measures, assess the future productivity and earnings potential for citizens of 157 of the World Bank’s member nations, and ultimately those countries’ potential economic growth.

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The index was unveiled at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings on the Indonesian island of Bali.

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It found that on average 56 per cent of children born today will forego more than half their potential lifetime earnings because governments were not investing adequately to ensure their people are healthy, educated and ready for an evolving workplace.

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