Sustainable Development Education Tied to Stronger Human Development in Emerging Economies

A cross-country analysis published in Energy, Sustainability and Society argues that education for sustainable development deserves a central place in how human progress is measured. The study, authored by Aleksandra Minić, Sanja Filipović and Muhammad Naeem, examines whether indicators related to education for sustainable development can be integrated into the Human Development Index, the widely used benchmark that scores countries across education, health and income.

The authors’ starting point is a structural criticism of the index itself. In the abstract’s background section, they note that the Human Development Index relies on limited education indicators, with the economic dimension significantly more prominent. That dominance, they contend, restricts the index’s capacity to reflect development focused on sustainability. Drawing on Transformative Learning Theory, the researchers argue that excluding education for sustainable development overlooks essential competencies needed to tackle sustainability challenges and risks, and that this omission exacerbates inequalities in access to quality education among countries at different Human Development Index levels.

Methodologically, the study uses panel regression analysis across 15 emerging economies globally, covering the period 2000 to 2023. The reported findings are consistent: all education variables examined—pre-primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment—alongside adult literacy rate and internet penetration, emerge as statistically significant drivers of the index.

The robustness of the results is a key claim. According to the results section, the findings remain robust and show consistent positive effects across the sample. Among all the education variables tested, adult literacy stands out as the most substantial contributor to Human Development Index outcomes. This suggests that within the sampled emerging economies, the basic ability of adults to read and write carries more statistical weight in explaining human development scores than the other education measures considered.

The analysis does not present education spending as an unqualified good. The authors report that inefficient education spending and closely related labour market indicators reveal structural challenges that may hinder development. In other words, the association between educational investment and human development outcomes appears to depend on how effectively resources are used, not merely on how much is allocated—a distinction the researchers flag as a potential obstacle for policymakers in the sampled countries.

On the basis of these results, the study’s conclusions call for integrating education for sustainable development into the education component of the Human Development Index. The authors argue this integration is crucial for accurately reflecting inclusive and sustainable development pathways, and that strengthening education for sustainable development enhances human development outcomes while tackling inequalities in both the quality and accessibility of education. They position the approach as relevant for countries at various stages of development and with differing priorities.

The paper also frames its contribution as practical guidance rather than purely academic critique. The authors state that the study offers insights for governments, educational institutions and other organizations on how to embed education for sustainable development in national and international development strategies. They further highlight the need for future research focused on measuring competencies related to education for sustainable development and on understanding long-term sustainability transitions.

Several caveats should temper interpretation of the findings. The analysis covers 15 emerging economies over roughly a quarter-century, so the statistical associations reported may not generalize to high-income or low-income countries outside the sample. As an observational panel regression, the study identifies statistical relationships between education indicators and Human Development Index scores; it does not establish that changing education policy alone would causally produce the same shifts in development outcomes. The published version is also an early-access, peer-reviewed accepted manuscript that remains subject to further edits before the final Version of Record appears.

Within those limits, the study adds a quantitative voice to an ongoing debate about what development metrics should measure. If its central result holds—that adult literacy, internet penetration and education at multiple levels are consistently significant drivers of human development scores in emerging economies—then the case for widening the education component of the Human Development Index beyond its current narrow indicators gains empirical support. The authors’ broader argument is that a development benchmark which underrepresents sustainability-oriented education risks misreading progress itself, particularly for countries whose long-term strategies depend on the competencies such education is meant to build.

Subject of Research: Cross-country panel regression analysis of education for sustainable development indicators as drivers of the Human Development Index in 15 emerging economies from 2000 to 2023.

Article Title: Education for sustainable development as a driver of enhanced human development: a cross-country analysis

Article References: Minić, A., Filipović, S., & Naeem, M. (2026). Education for sustainable development as a driver of enhanced human development: a cross-country analysis. Energy, Sustainability and Society. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-026-00596-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s13705-026-00596-6

Keywords: education for sustainable development, Human Development Index, emerging economies, panel regression, adult literacy, internet penetration, sustainability, education policy, Transformative Learning Theory, cross-country analysis, development metrics, education spending