A first-ever scientific study published by Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation based in Seattle has said that India ranks 158th out of the 195 countries for its investments in education and health care as measurements of its commitment to economic growth.

India is placed just behind Sudan (ranked 157) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159). The United States ranked 27th, while China placed at 44th and Pakistan 164th position in an international ranking based on human capital.

Human capital is a measure of the education and health levels in a population, expressed as the number of expected years lived between the age of 20 and 64. It is considered an important determinant of economic growth.

By taking into account life expectancy, functional health, years of schooling and education quality, the quality of labour generated within a country can be estimated, compared with other nations and areas for increased investment focus identified.

“Our findings show the association between investments in education and health and improved human capital and GDP (gross domestic product) which policymakers ignore at their own peril,” said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

“As the world economy grows increasingly dependent on digital technology, from agriculture to manufacturing to the service industry, human capital grows increasingly important for stimulating local and national economies.”

"It is the sum total of a population's health, skills, knowledge, experience, and habits," says the World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.

The World Bank had last year requested IHME to develop a measure of human capital, that would help enable global comparisons over time and equip governments with the insights into where critical health and education investments are needed.

The study is published in The Lancet.