Human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Human capital composite index was 0.509 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024. ▼ Falling
Human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean, 1993–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.
Analysis
The most recent figure for human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean is 0.509 standard deviations from the yearly mean, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 35.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 0.986 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.3314 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 1995.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 2nd of 43 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | standard deviations from the yearly mean | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 0.889 standard deviations from the yearly mean | — |
| 1994 | 0.9093 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 0.3314 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -63.6% |
| 1996 | 0.784 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +136.5% |
| 1997 | 0.986 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +25.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4334 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -56.0% |
| 1999 | 0.6116 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +41.1% |
| 2000 | 0.5575 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -8.8% |
| 2001 | 0.5069 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -9.1% |
| 2002 | 0.5751 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +13.5% |
| 2003 | 0.4339 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -24.5% |
| 2004 | 0.5289 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +21.9% |
| 2005 | 0.7245 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +37.0% |
| 2006 | 0.3993 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -44.9% |
| 2007 | 0.4536 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +13.6% |
| 2008 | 0.5077 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +11.9% |
| 2009 | 0.5726 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +12.8% |
| 2010 | 0.4733 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -17.3% |
| 2011 | 0.4179 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -11.7% |
| 2012 | 0.5026 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +20.3% |
| 2013 | 0.5421 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.9% |
| 2014 | 0.5236 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 0.4281 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -18.2% |
| 2016 | 0.3845 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.2% |
| 2017 | 0.4424 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +15.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4644 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 0.4436 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 0.3963 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.7% |
| 2021 | 0.3648 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 0.3346 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -8.3% |
| 2023 | 0.3756 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +12.3% |
| 2024 | 0.509 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +35.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +136.5% | 0.3314 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.784 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.7064 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3314 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.986 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 7 |
| 2000s | 0.526 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3993 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.7245 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4622 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3845 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.5421 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.396 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3346 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.509 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 1 Haiti 2.51 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 2 Monaco 2.39 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 3 United States Virgin Islands 1.83 standard deviations from the yearly mean
- 4 Sweden 1.57 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 5 Vanuatu 1.38 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1923 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0928 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 61.44 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 22.1% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 63.30 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Human capital composite index in Latin America & Caribbean was 0.509 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest human capital composite index recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 0.986 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1997.
- What is the lowest human capital composite index recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3314 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1995.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for human capital composite index?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 2nd out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is human capital composite index rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Human capital composite index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.
Equal-weighted mean of the standardised inputs below.
Computed from
- Literacy rate, adult total Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- School enrollment, primary Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- School enrollment, secondary Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Government expenditure on education, total Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.