The first section of this chapter is a brief overview of the progress and setbacks in human development over the past decade and a half. The second section of the chapter turns to the MDGs. The limited-and slowing-advances in human development achieved over the past decade have a direct bearing on prospects for achieving the MDGs. The deeper problem is that increased wealth is not being converted into human development at the rate required to bring the MDGs within reach. Our country level data projections set out one possible set of outcomes that will follow if the world remains on the business-as-usual trajectory that the UN Secretary-General has warned against.
