Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Papua Province's human development index rose 78 points, or 1.30 percent, to 60.84 in 2019 in comparison with 2018, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

"This means that infants born in 2019 have a life expectancy of up to 65.66 years, 0.29 years longer than the previous year's," Chief of the Balance Sheet and Statistic Analysis Section of the BPS Office in Papua Province Eko Mardiana noted in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Monday.

With an improvement in the HDI, children aged seven years in 2019 are expected to stay in school for 11.05 years, or 0.22 years longer than in 2018, he remarked.

"Additionally, people aged 25 years and above have pursued education for an average of 6.65 years, or 0.13 years longer as compared to the previous year," he stated.

Mardiana stated that the province's per capita spending on necessities of life averaged Rp7.336 million in 2019, up Rp177 thousand from a year earlier.

"The human development index is an essential indicator to gauge success as part of the efforts to improve the quality of the people's life," he stated.

The human development index also mirrors how the people have access to development gains in terms of income, health services, education, and so on, he added.

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Translator: Hendrina Dian Kandipi/Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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