Report claims extreme poverty could be eliminated in 20 years

IRELAND has consolidated its position as one of the world's most desirable places to live, with a rise of two places in the UN's main index of human development.

This country now ranks 17th in the world in the Human Development Index (HDI), up from 19th last year. The rise, which continues a steady improvement over recent years, was achieved through greater life expectancy and better education provision.

The HDI, published by the UN Development Programme, measures the quality of life in a country by taking a composite of measurements, including education and health facilities and life expectancy, rather than just financial indicators.

This year, the index of 175 countries is headed by Canada, followed by France and Norway. The US is ranked fourth, while Britain is 15th. Ireland is ranked just ahead of Denmark and Germany, even though both these countries have higher incomes.

At the other end of the scale, the bottom two places are occupied by Rwanda and Sierra Leone, both countries afflicted with endemic poverty and violence. In an upbeat assessment of world development, UNDP says extreme poverty could be eliminated within 20 years if the political will exists. Poverty has already fallen faster in the last 50 years than in the previous 500, it points out.

The figures, published in Dublin today in the 1997 Human Development Report, provide alarming evidence, however, that the benefits of Ireland's improved standing are not being equally shared. Using 1987 figures, more Irish people - 37 per cent - live in poverty than in any other industrialised nation (although the picture might have improved); Spain is well behind on 21 per cent. Irish children in particular are more likely to be living in poverty.

Unemployment, at almost 13 per cent, is twice the average of industrialised countries. The level of enrolment of teenagers in second level education is also poor.

When the index is adjusted for gender disparities, Ireland slips to 29th place in the rankings. Although the life expectancy and literacy of Irish women is high, they earn only one quarter of all income, less than the average for all industrialised countries.

Based on income alone, Ireland ranks 25th in the world, with a GDP (gross domestic product) income of $16,061 per head.

The report says that since 1960 child death rates in developing countries have more than halved; malnutrition rates have fallen by almost one third; and the proportion of children not attending primary school has dropped from more than half to less than one quarter.

Yet one quarter of the world's people remain in severe poverty.

At the same time, the wealth of the 10 richest billionaires is $133 billion, more than 1.5 times the national income of the least developed countries.

Effective relief to the 20 worst affected countries, the UNDP says, would cost $5.5 billion, equivalent to the cost of building EuroDisney.