Human capital composite index in Small states
Small states: Human capital composite index was -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Human capital composite index in Small states, 1970–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.
Analysis
In 2024, human capital composite index in Small states stood at -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 218.4% on the previous year and down 231.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human capital composite index in Small states peaked at 0.9432 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1970 and was at its lowest, -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 2024.
That places Small states 21st out of 43 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Human capital composite index in Small states, year by year
| Year | standard deviations from the yearly mean | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.9432 standard deviations from the yearly mean | — |
| 1971 | 0.5115 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -45.8% |
| 1972 | 0.5013 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 0.5227 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +4.3% |
| 1974 | 0.4816 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.9% |
| 1975 | 0.5099 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +5.9% |
| 1976 | 0.4594 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -9.9% |
| 1977 | 0.5194 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +13.1% |
| 1978 | 0.4853 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -6.6% |
| 1979 | 0.4823 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 0.2373 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -50.8% |
| 1981 | 0.3312 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +39.6% |
| 1982 | 0.5133 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +55.0% |
| 1983 | 0.3571 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -30.4% |
| 1984 | 0.333 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 0.3588 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.7% |
| 1986 | 0.462 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +28.8% |
| 1987 | 0.5297 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +14.7% |
| 1988 | 0.5214 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 0.2841 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -45.5% |
| 1990 | 0.1983 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -30.2% |
| 1991 | 0.3537 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +78.4% |
| 1992 | 0.333 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 0.3349 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 0.2326 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -30.6% |
| 1995 | 0.3817 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +64.1% |
| 1996 | 0.3515 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 0.3631 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 0.3323 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -8.5% |
| 1999 | 0.191 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -42.5% |
| 2000 | 0.173 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 0.0587 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -66.1% |
| 2002 | 0.0516 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -12.1% |
| 2003 | 0.1282 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +148.5% |
| 2004 | 0.2259 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +76.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2214 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 0.3944 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +78.1% |
| 2007 | 0.0686 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -82.6% |
| 2008 | 0.3457 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +403.7% |
| 2009 | 0.2476 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -28.4% |
| 2010 | 0.2487 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 0.2375 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 0.062 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -73.9% |
| 2013 | 0.0596 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 0.0536 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 0.0725 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +35.3% |
| 2016 | 0.0406 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -44.1% |
| 2017 | 0.0728 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +79.4% |
| 2018 | 0.073 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0306 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -58.1% |
| 2020 | -0.0663 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -316.7% |
| 2021 | 0.007 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -110.6% |
| 2022 | 0.0061 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -12.8% |
| 2023 | 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +876.0% |
| 2024 | -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -218.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Human capital composite index in Small states 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +876.0% | 0.0061 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2008 | +403.7% | 0.0686 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3457 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2020 | -316.7% | 0.0306 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.0663 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5417 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.4594 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.9432 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3928 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.2373 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.5297 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3072 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.191 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3817 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1915 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.0516 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.3944 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0951 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.0306 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.2487 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.0128 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.0597 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 5 |
Countries ranked near Small states
- 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
- 22 Costa Rica 0.9159 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 23 Australia 0.9056 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 24 French Polynesia 0.8969 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
More education data for Small states
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.48 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2538 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 243,069 (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 66.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.2% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human capital composite index in Small states?
- Human capital composite index in Small states was -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest human capital composite index recorded in Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9432 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1970.
- What is the lowest human capital composite index recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0706 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024.
- How does Small states rank for human capital composite index?
- Small states ranks 21st out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is human capital composite index rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 231.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Small states 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 — 55 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.