From the HDI to a geograpical analisis of unequal development using a landscape of indicators

Abstract

The study discusses the Human Development Index (HDI) and proposes including additional development subjects to create a fuller indicator landscape. The theory of unequal development is introduced together with a critical evaluation of the evolution of different development indicators. For the 46 municipalities of Guanajuato, Mexico, an indicator mapping is undertaken for the 10 development spheres: education, health, income, population, work, household, agriculture and rurality, social infrastructure, public finances and occupation by sector. The discussion weaves indicators together to reveal interconnections between them and these spheres in the process of unequal development. It illustrates the usefulness of using statistical methods of Correlation Analysis including Principal Components for ranking municipalities according to level of development. The study concludes with the observation that the development of the State of Guanajuato is a profoundly unequal process which probably contributes to its poor HDI score.