Portugal ranked 41st among countries considered to have “very high” human development, according to the Human Development Report for 2011 released by the United Nations last week.

Portugal was ranked among 187 countries according to factors such as life expectancy, schooling, per capita income and gross national revenue.

Of the eight Portuguese-speaking countries, Portugal was ranked first on the list. The other Portuguese-speaking countries include Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Brazil, and East Timor.

Brazil was ranked second among the Portuguese-speaking countries, and in 84th place considered to have “high” human development.

Cape Verde was the only Portuguese-speaking African country in the list of “medium” human development countries, in 133rd place.

All the other Portuguese-speaking countries, including East Timor, were included in the list of countries with “low” human development. São Tomé and Principe was ranked 144th in the list, East Timor in 147th, Angola in 148th, Guinea Bissau in 176th and Mozambique in 184th place.

The top 10 ranking of “very high” human development countries include Norway, Australia, The Netherlands, the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Sweden.  Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India and China were first on the list of “medium” human development countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Burundi ranked last among the “low” human development countries.

First launched in 1990, the Human Development Report is an independent publication commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

View the full UNDP list  here

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