Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Per capita income measures only the average income of a country's citizens, but it hides inequalities and ignores other crucial aspects of well-being. As seen in Table 1.6, Sri Lanka has a GNI per capita of $11,899 (PPP) against India's $6,951, yet both comparisons matter less than the fact that Sri Lanka ranks 78th on HDI while India ranks 134th. This is because HDI also considers life expectancy (Sri Lanka: 76.6 years vs India: 67.7 years) and mean years of schooling (11.2 vs 6.5). Per capita income alone ignores health, education, and public facilities, which are essential for true development. Therefore, development must be measured using multiple indicators, not income alone.

Source: Chapter 1 — Development, Income and Other Criteria / Human Development Report section

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• The examiner expects you to name the limitation clearly: per capita income ignores health and education outcomes.
• Always cite the specific data from Table 1.6 (HDI ranks, life expectancy, schooling) — this earns full marks in a 3-mark answer.
• The key concept is: money in your pocket cannot buy everything (pollution-free environment, public health, education) — collective/public provision matters.
• Conclude with the idea that HDI (UNDP measure) is more comprehensive than the World Bank's income-only criterion.