Social Progress Index

Key findings-

• SPI is a comprehensive tool that can serve as a holistic measure of a country’s social progress at the national and sub-national levels. 
• The index assesses states and districts based on 12 components across three critical dimensions of social progress – Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity. 
• The index uses an extensive framework comprising 89 indicators at the state level and 49 at the district level.
• Based on the SPI scores, states and districts have been ranked under six tiers of social progress which are Very High Social Progress, High Social Progress, Upper Middle Social Progress, Lower Middle Social Progress, Low Social Progress and Very Low Social Progress.
• It presents a cross-section of data across states and districts and the focus is on looking at various tiers of development by grouping the states rather than the individual rankings of the selected states and districts.
• As per the index, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Goa emerged as best-performing states and Aizawl (Mizoram), Solan and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) were the top three districts on SPI.
• According to the report, Puducherry had the highest score of 65.99 for its remarkable performance across components like personal freedom and choice, shelter, and water and sanitation.  
• Jharkhand and Bihar scored the lowest, 43.95 and 44.47, respectively.

• Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Goa emerged as the best-performing states for the Foundations of Wellbeing. 

• Within the dimension for the Access to Basic Knowledge component, Punjab had the highest component score of 62.92, while Delhi topped the list for Access to Information and Communication with a score of 71.30. 
• For Health and Wellness, Rajasthan had the highest component score of 73.74. For Environmental Quality, the top three states belong to the northeast, namely, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
• Tamil Nadu achieved the highest component score of 72.00 for the Opportunity dimension. 
• Within this dimension, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the highest component score for Personal Rights, while Sikkim has topped the list for Inclusiveness. 
• It is commendable to witness Puducherry attaining the highest scores across two components in this dimension, i.e., Personal Freedom and Choice and Access to Advanced Education.