The Human Development Index looks at countries beyond their GDP's. It looks at the welfare of the citizens of the country. It looks at a broader view of well-being. The HDI provides three dimensions of human development. These three things are: living a long and healthy life (which is measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by literacy and enrollment into school), and having a decent standard of living (PPP, income, etc). HPI shows a broadened perspective of average human progress and illustrates the complicated relationship between income and well-being. It is not a comprehensive measure of human development, as it does not include gender, income inequality, the influence and respect for human rights, or political freedom. By leaving these areas out, HPI does not measure all areas of human development within society - it is still a general measure of well-being and human progress.

High Human Development countries are found in the Western world, including countries like England and the United States. Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, and other countries close to them in Europe are included in this list of High Human Development countries. Middle Human Development countries are mostly found in the Middle East, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.

Sub-Saharan Africa is ranked so low because of its lack of resources - resources needed to improve and increase human development and economic progress. It does not have enough funding to improve facilities for the citizens. Facilities such as schools and hospitals are uncared for, which negatively impacts the welfare of the people in these region. There are also gender imbalances in this region, providing males with more opportunities than for women. As a result, a smaller amount of women are educated and receive the same amount of economic opportunities as men.