Countries in Oceania by human development index
The United Nations Development Programme’s index of a long and healthy life, education and a decent standard of living, from 0 to 1. 13 countries in Oceania, highest first. UNDP, 2023
Median country
0.708
half above, half below| # | Country | HDI | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia | 0.958 | Australia and New Zealand |
| 2 |  New Zealand | 0.938 | Australia and New Zealand |
| 3 |  Palau | 0.786 | Micronesia |
| 4 |  Tonga | 0.769 | Polynesia |
| 5 |  Marshall Islands | 0.733 | Micronesia |
| 6 |  Fiji | 0.731 | Melanesia |
| 7 |  Samoa | 0.708 | Polynesia |
| 8 |  Nauru | 0.703 | Micronesia |
| 9 |  Kiribati | 0.644 | Micronesia |
| 10 |  Vanuatu | 0.621 | Melanesia |
| 11 |  Micronesia | 0.615 | Micronesia |
| 12 |  Solomon Islands | 0.584 | Melanesia |
| 13 |  Papua New Guinea | 0.576 | Melanesia |
Questions
- Which country in Oceania has the highest human development?
- Australia has the highest human development in Oceania: an index of 0.958 (2023). Next come New Zealand (an index of 0.938) and Palau (an index of 0.786).
- Which country in Oceania has the lowest human development?
- Papua New Guinea, with an index of 0.576 (2023).
- What is the typical human development index of a country in Oceania?
- The median of the 13 countries in Oceania is an index of 0.708: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.
- Where do the figures come from?
- The United Nations Development Programme’s index of a long and healthy life, education and a decent standard of living, from 0 to 1. Source: UNDP, 2023. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.
Source: UNDP. Countries sharing a value share a rank. All sources.