Martin Cooke|Francis Mitrou|David Lawrence|Éric Guimond|Dan Beavon
Indigenous well-being in four countries: An application of the UNDP'S Human Development Index to Indigenous Peoples in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
University of Waterloo|Telethon Kids Institute|Curtin University|Telethon Kids Institute|Curtin University|Aboriginal Affairs Northern Dev Canada|Aboriginal Affairs Northern Dev Canada
canada united states australia new zealand consistently place near top united nations development programmes human development index hdi rankings yet minority indigenous populations much poorer health social conditions nonindigenous peoples unclear socioeconomic health status indigenous peoples countries changed recent decades remains generally unknown whether overall conditions indigenous peoples improving whether gaps indigenous peoples citizens indeed narrowed unsettling evidence may purpose study determine gaps narrowed widened decade 1990 2000 census data life expectancy estimates government sources used adapt human development index hdi examine broad social economic health status indigenous populations countries changed since 1990 three indices life expectancy educational attainment income combined single hdi measure 1990 2000 hdi scores indigenous peoples north america new zealand improved faster rate general populations closing gap human development australia hdi scores indigenous peoples decreased general populations improved widening gap human development countries considered high human development according undp indigenous populations reside within medium levels human development inconsistent progress health wellbeing indigenous populations time relative nonindigenous populations points need efforts improve social economic physical health indigenous peoples