According to the 2016 Human Development Index report published by the United Nations Development Programme, what was the rank of the United States of America?

Introduction / Context:

This question belongs to the topic of human development indicators and international rankings. The Human Development Index, or HDI, is compiled by the United Nations Development Programme to capture overall development through health, education, and income indicators. Competitive exams frequently ask about the rank of major countries like the United States in landmark HDI reports, especially when a specific year such as 2016 is mentioned.

Given Data / Assumptions:

Concept / Approach:

The Human Development Index ranks countries based on a composite score involving life expectancy, education level, and per capita income. Highly developed countries such as Norway, Australia, Switzerland, and others usually occupy the very top positions. The United States, although highly developed, is not ranked number one but still appears within the top group. For the 2016 report, the United States is recorded around the tenth position, so the correct answer must reflect this top ten but not number one placement.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

As a quick check, think of the approximate ranking clusters. Countries at around rank 100 are generally middle income developing nations, while rank 200 would belong to very low ranked countries and territories if listed. The United States is clearly not in these groups. It is also widely known that Scandinavian countries such as Norway often rank higher than the United States on HDI, which rules out rank 1 for the United States. The remaining plausible option is rank 10, confirming the choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

1: This would suggest that the United States is the top ranked country, which contradicts standard HDI tables where another country holds this position.

100: This rank would place the United States in the middle of the table alongside developing countries, which is inconsistent with its very high development status.

200: Most HDI lists do not even extend to rank 200 for sovereign states, and such a position would clearly not match the development level of the United States.

Common Pitfalls:

Some candidates guess rank 1 because they associate the United States with economic and military power, assuming it must also be first in human development. Others may not differentiate among top ten positions and may misremember the exact rank. The best practice is to learn approximate positions of major countries and to recall that the United States typically appears within but not at the top of the first ten ranks in HDI.

Final Answer:

The correct answer is 10.