Peak US Exceptionalism: Study Finds American Human Capital Yield Has Unexpectedly Collapsed

More evidence that American exceptionalism has peaked.

According to the first-ever scientific report ranking countries by their level of human capital, researchers have found nations failing to invest in health and education are at risk of stagnating economies.

“Our findings show the association – between investments in education and health and improved human capital and GDP – that policymakers ignore at their own peril,” said Dr. 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,” said Murray.

World Bank President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, describes human capital as “the sum total of a population’s health, skills, knowledge, experience, and habits.” As such, ranking human capital by country will give investors insights into where critical investments are needed to improve health and education.

“Measuring and ranking countries by their level of human capital is critical to focus governments’ attention on investing in their own people,” Kim said. “This study from IHME is an important contribution to the measurement of human capital across countries and over time.”

The study, “Measuring human capital: A systematic analysis of 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016,” was published last week in the weekly peer-reviewed medical journal called The Lancet. It is based on an analysis of an extensive collection of data from many sources, including government agencies, schools, and healthcare systems.

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