--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/the-human-development-index-in-canada-estimates-for-the-canadian-provinces-and-territories-2000-2011/" title: "The Human Development Index in Canada: Estimates for the Canadian Provinces and Territories, 2000-2011" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T13:17:14+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T13:17:14+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Alberta" - "Canada" - "education" - "HDI" - "Human Development Index" - "income" - "international ranking" - "life expectancy" - "Nunavut" - "provinces" - "territories" country_focus: - "Canada" province_region: - "Multi-province" research_theme: - "Economic Well-Being" - "Regional Economic Development" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # The Human Development Index in Canada: Estimates for the Canadian Provinces and Territories, 2000-2011 Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/the-human-development-index-in-canada-estimates-for-the-canadian-provinces-and-territories-2000-2011/ # The Human Development Index in Canada: Estimates for the Canadian Provinces and Territories, 2000-2011 [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2012-02-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Hazell, Elspeth, Kar-Fai Gee, and Andrew Sharpe. 2012. “The Human Development Index in Canada: Estimates for the Canadian Provinces and Territories, 2000-2011.” CSLS Research Report 2012-02. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/the-human-development-index-in-canada-estimates-for-the-canadian-provinces-and-territories-2000-2011/ ## Authors: - Elspeth Hazell Levy Economics Institute of Bard College - Kar-Fai Gee Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2012-02 May 2012 79 pages ## Related research [Closing the First Nations Education Gap in Canada: Assessing Progress and Estimating the Economic Benefits — An Update Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2023 | Report 2023-01 | 101 pages](https://csls.ca/research/closing-the-first-nations-education-gap-in-canada-assessing-progress-and-estimating-the-economic-benefits-an-update-2023-01/) [Measuring the Appropriate Outcomes for Better Decision-Making: A Framework to Guide the Analysis of Health Policy Matthew Calver March 2016 | Report 2016-03 | 132 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-the-appropriate-outcomes-for-better-decision-making-a-framework-to-guide-the-analysis-of-health-policy-2016-03/) [Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/) [Productivity: Key to Economic Success Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) March 1998 | Report 1998-01 | 99 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-key-to-economic-success/) [Apprenticeship in Canada: A Training System Under Siege? Andrew Sharpe December 1999 | Report 1999-03 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/apprenticeship-in-canadaa-training-system-under-siege/) [A Survey of Indicators of Economic and Social Well-being Andrew Sharpe July 1999 | Report 1999-cprn | 72 pages](https://csls.ca/research/a-survey-of-indicators-of-economic-and-social-well-being/) [Creating a More Efficient Labour Market Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2001 | Report 2001-02 | 147 pages](https://csls.ca/research/creating-a-more-efficient-labour-market/) [Productivity Trends in the Construction Sector: A Case of Lagging Technical Progress Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) November 2001 | Report 2001-03 | 177 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-the-construction-sector-a-case-of-lagging-technical-progress/) [The Impact of the National Child Benefit Supplement on the Low Income Status of Canadian Families with Children: The SPSD/M Results Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2002 | Report 2002-01 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-impact-of-the-national-child-benefit-supplement-on-the-low-income-status-of-canadian-families-with-children-the-spsd-m-results/) [Productivity Trends in Natural Resources Industries in Canada Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-01a | 69 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-natural-resources-industries-in-canada/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This report develops internationally comparable estimates of the Human Development Index (HDI) for the Canadian provinces and territories over the 2000-2011 period. The HDI is a composite index composed of three dimensions (life expectancy, education and income) measured by four indicators (life expectancy at birth, average years of education, expected years of schooling and GNI per capita). This report first tries to replicate the Canadian data found in the 2011 Human Development Report (HDR). Then, estimates for the provinces and territories are developed by following the same methodology and using the same Canadian data sources. These estimates are made internationally comparable by taking the proportion that each province or territory’s estimate represents of the comparable estimate for Canada and applying this ratio to the official estimate given for Canada in the 2011 HDR. This allows the provinces and territories to be ranked in the 2011 HDR international rankings for all four component variables as well as the overall HDI. The highest HDI score in 2011 among the provinces and territories belongs to Alberta, which would be third in the international rankings, while the lowest ranking region is Nunavut, which would be in 38th place. Thus, this report highlights the diverse human development experiences that are concealed by Canada’s overall HDI. Ce rapport élabore des estimations comparables à l’échelle internationale de l’Indice de développement humain (IDH) pour les provinces et territoires canadiens au cours de la période 2000-2011. L’IDH est un indice composite formé de trois dimensions (espérance de vie, éducation et revenu) mesurées par quatre indicateurs (espérance de vie à la naissance, nombre moyen d’années de scolarité, nombre attendu d’années de scolarité et RNB par habitant). Ce rapport tente d’abord de reproduire les données canadiennes présentées dans le Rapport sur le développement humain (RDH) de 2011. Des estimations pour les provinces et territoires sont ensuite élaborées selon la même méthodologie et à partir des mêmes sources de données canadiennes. Ces estimations sont rendues comparables à l’échelle internationale en calculant la proportion que représente l’estimation de chaque province ou territoire par rapport à l’estimation comparable pour le Canada, puis en appliquant ce ratio à l’estimation officielle du Canada dans le RDH de 2011. Cela permet de classer les provinces et territoires dans les classements internationaux du RDH de 2011 pour les quatre variables composantes ainsi que pour l’IDH global. Le score d’IDH le plus élevé en 2011 parmi les provinces et territoires revient à l’Alberta, qui se classerait au troisième rang à l’échelle internationale, tandis que la région la moins bien classée est le Nunavut, qui se situerait au 38e rang. Ainsi, ce rapport met en évidence la diversité des expériences de développement humain que masque l’IDH global du Canada. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2012-02-1.pdf)