The progress was outlined in the 2010 Human Development Report.
The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development was launched on Thursday by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who said: "The Human Development Reports have changed the way we see the world. We have learned that while economic growth is very important, what ultimately matters is using national income to give all people a chance at a longer, healthier and more productive life."
People today are healthier, wealthier and better educated than they were 40 years ago, according to the report. Life expectancy climbed from 59 years in 1970 to 70 in 2010, school enrolment rose from 55 per cent for all primary and secondary school-age children to 70 per cent, and per capita GDP doubled to more than US$10,000. People in all regions shared in this progress, though to varying degrees. Life expectancy, for example, rose by 18 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
The 135 countries studied are home to 92 per cent of the world's population.
The "Top 10 Movers" highlighted in the 2010 report- countries that posted the highest gains on the human development index (HDI) scale during the past 40 years – were led by Oman, which invested its energy earnings into education and health care.
The other nine "Top Movers" are China, Nepal, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Laos, Tunisia, South Korea, Algeria and Morocco.
"One important finding from several decades of human development experience is that for lasting improvements on the quality of life of citizens, economic growth alone does not automatically bring improvements in health and education," said Jeni Klugman, the lead author of the report.
On the HDI list of 169 countries, Viet Nam was ranked 113th, which denotes that the nation has made medium improvement in human development standards. — VNS
A United Nations report on August 31 about the situation of children in Vietnam called for the country to make greater efforts in dealing with child poverty, especially among ethnic minorities and rural communities.