HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF TRANSITION ECONOMIES IN THE POST-COLD WAR PERIOD

Year 2011, Volume: 29 Issue: 1, 21 - 42, 31.07.2011

Hakan Mıhcı

Abstract

The present study attempts to assess human development performance of
the transition economies by dividing the countries into two major categories as
Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) to identify the necessary means for achieving higher
levels of development. For this aim, a comparative descriptive analysis is used.
The analysis period covers the last two decades.
According to the main finding of the paper, human development
performance of the transition economies is not disappointing at the aggregate
level. In particular, CEEC performed quite well during the transition period. In
comparison with CEEC, Human Development Index values of CIS remained at
relatively low levels. However, when the developing countries are concerned,
human development performance of CIS is promising in relation to their per
capita income levels.
The main factors of human development favor women rather than men in
transition economies except income. Furthermore, an improvement is observed
towards the eradication of human poverty and maintaining of the equal
distribution of income in the case of transition economies. This is particularly
true for CEEC.

Keywords

Development, human development, human development index, transition economies, commonwealth of independent states, Central and Eastern European Countries

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF TRANSITION ECONOMIES IN THE POST-COLD WAR PERIOD

Abstract

 The present study attempts to assess human development performance of the transition economies by dividing the countries into two major categories as Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to identify the necessary means for achieving higher levels of development.  For this aim, a comparative descriptive analysis is used. The analysis period covers the last two decades.

 According to the main finding of the paper, human development performance of the transition economies is not disappointing at the aggregate level. In particular, CEEC performed quite well during the transition period. In comparison with CEEC, Human Development Index values of CIS remained at relatively low levels. However, when the developing countries are concerned, human development performance of CIS is promising in relation to their per capita income levels.

 The main factors of human development favor women rather than men in transition economies except income.  Furthermore, an improvement is observed towards the eradication of human poverty and maintaining of the equal distribution of income in the case of transition economies.  This is particularly true for CEEC.

 

Keywords

Kalkınma, insani kalkınma, insani kalkınma endeksi, geçiş ekonomileri, bağımsız devletler topluluğu, Merkezi ve Doğu Avrupa Ülkeleri

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