Economic Growth and Human Development
Unravelling the linkages between economic growth and human development has assumed urgency in the current era where development processes no longer follow historical patterns. This chapter juxtaposes the relationship between them in the light of the globalization process and the varying outcomes of human development across countries. The analysis of linkages between GDP and HDI over the past three decades across countries shows that the process is extremely dynamic in nature and that human development outcomes do not follow a defined trajectory. This is particularly evident in the analysis of backlogs in human progress, where we find the dominance of joblessness, impoverishment, displacement, and migration. The chapter concludes that economic growth and human development cannot be viewed as disconnected processes as they influence each other in multiple ways.