Human capital composite index in North America
North America: Human capital composite index was 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024. ▼ Falling
Human capital composite index in North America, 1999–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.
Analysis
The most recent figure for human capital composite index in North America is 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 44.3% on the previous year and down 71.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human capital composite index in North America peaked at 0.7223 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 2024.
That places North America 18th out of 43 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Human capital composite index in North America, year by year
| Year | standard deviations from the yearly mean | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.7223 standard deviations from the yearly mean | — |
| 2000 | 0.7112 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 0.4638 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -34.8% |
| 2002 | 0.3986 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -14.1% |
| 2003 | 0.6775 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +70.0% |
| 2004 | 0.7034 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 0.5791 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -17.7% |
| 2006 | 0.6608 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +14.1% |
| 2007 | 0.5502 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -16.7% |
| 2008 | 0.5141 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -6.6% |
| 2009 | 0.2257 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -56.1% |
| 2010 | 0.3671 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +62.7% |
| 2011 | 0.3709 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 0.2287 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -38.3% |
| 2013 | 0.1489 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -34.9% |
| 2014 | 0.2124 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +42.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2471 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +16.3% |
| 2016 | 0.2342 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 0.5174 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +120.9% |
| 2018 | 0.4786 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4473 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 0.4337 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 0.439 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 0.3577 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -18.5% |
| 2023 | 0.1071 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -70.0% |
| 2024 | 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -44.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Human capital composite index in North America 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +120.9% | 0.2342 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.5174 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.7223 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.7223 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.7223 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.5485 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.2257 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.7112 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3253 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.1489 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.5174 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2794 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.439 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 5 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 15 Aruba 1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 16 Finland 1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 17 Mauritania 1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 18 Madagascar 1.02 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 19 Eswatini 0.9647 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 20 Micronesia (country) 0.9545 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 21 Albania 0.9239 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
More education data for North America
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 16.9% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0687 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.20 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human capital composite index in North America?
- Human capital composite index in North America was 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest human capital composite index recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7223 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1999.
- What is the lowest human capital composite index recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024.
- How does North America rank for human capital composite index?
- North America ranks 18th out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is human capital composite index rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 71.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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 — 26 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.