JAKARTA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia recorded rising Human Development Index (HDI) to a level of 71.39 in 2018 from 70.81 registered a year earlier, head of Indonesian Central Statistics Bureau (BPS) Suhariyanto said on Monday.
However, he said the rise of HDI in 2018 has yet to meet the target set at 71.5 for the year as mentioned in the nation's 2014-2019 development plans. The government set the HDI target at 71.98 by 2019.
Despite the missed target, Suhariyanto said Indonesia's HDI figures have been on the trend expected by the government.
"If we look back to its figures since 2014, the HDI levels had always been on good level. Even it eventually failed to meet the target of 71.5, it has been on the correct track," Suhariyanto said.
With HDI level at 71.39, babies born in 2018 may have longer life span up to 71.2 years old, or 0.14 year higher than those who were born a year earlier, Suhariyanto cited an element measured in HDI besides education and per capita income as saying.
To further expand the expected life span, he said efforts to improve health services for the people should be conducted in the future.
He added that a move to tighten the government's control on underage marriage, which tends to rise at present, should also be intensified as it may exacerbate other elements measured in HDI.
"Increasing underage marriages may have the consequences on depleting health and education qualities," he said.
