The world has gone back five years in terms of development, education, and life expectancy and quality of life with Covid-19, according to the findings of a United Nations report released today.

The report on the Human Development Index (HDI) also expresses the fear that the war in Ukraine will make the situation even worse.

For the first time since its creation more than 30 years ago, the Human Development Index-which takes into account life expectancy, education, and quality of life-has declined two years in a row, in 2020 and 2021, returning to the 2016 level.

And this "immense decline" concerns more than 90% of the planet's countries, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) quoted by Lusa.

A milestone that, according to experts, results from a spiral of crises that began with the covid-19 pandemic and now has as its main exponent the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its global spillover effects.

The UNDP, which has been responsible for preparing the study for 32 years, detects a regression to 2016 levels, which ultimately means new burdens to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the international community aspired to achieve by 2030.

The decline is widespread, with more than 90% of countries reporting a deterioration in their levels in 2020 or 2021. More than 40% recorded setbacks in both years, according to the UNDP, which detected a "partial and uneven" recovery and sees particularly significant shortfalls in Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia.

Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Hong Kong, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands occupy the top ten places in this Human Development Index, while Spain remains in 27th place. At the bottom are South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Burundi and South Sudan.

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner called for international solidarity to continue to make progress in a world that is "desperately trying to respond to one crisis after another" and warned against the risk of thinking only in the short term.

The official acknowledged that in times of inflation or energy crisis it can be "tempting" to subsidize fossil fuels, but considered that this portrays the "systemic changes" that the world needs in the long term.

"We have a narrow window of opportunity to reboot our systems and build a future with decisive action on climate change and the creation of new opportunities for all people," he added.