The latest data was revealed in the fourth report of sustainable development in Qatar by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, and the Diplomatic Institute.

The report is aimed at measuring improvement in the quality of life, and standard of living achieved by the country, in addition to the measurement of the level of progress in the social, economic and
environmental aspects.

The report said the country has also made a tangible progress in adult education - adult literacy rate rose from 89.5% in 2006 to 96.7% in 2012. This means that illiteracy rate did not exceed 3.3% of total adult population.

Qatar has also attained an advanced position in the Human Development Guide, when it was globally ranked 36 among 187 countries included in the Human Development Report 2013.

Also, Qatar made available the healthcare plan with full coverage, leading to a slump in the under-five mortality rate from (10 per thousand) in 2006 to (7 per thousand) in 2012, and in maternal mortality rate during pregnancy as well. Life expectancy at birth rose by 5.1 years, an increase from 74.1 years in 2006 to 79.2 years
in 2012.

The release of the report comes within the framework of Johannesburg Plan of Action, and the decisions of UN Commission on Sustainable Development 2011, which confirm that countries should draft national reports on sustainable development indicators to measure the progress achieved in the social, economic and environmental development, and to underline the challenges that they confront.

The report affirms that sustainable development in Qatar has become the prime interest of the leadership. Qatar National Vision 2030 established a new conception of a vital society, where social and economic justice prevails, and the balance between human being and environment is maintained, and a decent life for the entire
population is ensured.

The report adds that the National Development Strategy 2011-12 has been adopted as a theoretical, practical and pragmatic framework via the implementation of numerous projects in areas of economic, social, human and environmental
development.

Concrete progress in social development: Qatar has achieved a concrete progress in social development to reduce unemployment to less than 1%, a latest government
report says.

The fourth report of sustainable development in Qatar by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, and the Diplomatic Institute highlights key facts and figures.

The report says that the State of Qatar has economically achieved a significant progress. It is the world’s richest country in terms of GDP per capita. Also, Qatar’s investment as percentage of GDP outperforms even most developed countries.

The report clarifies that inflation did not exceed 2% in 2012, after it was more than 11% in 2006. Now, it is less than its counterpart in the developed countries.

The report also underlines the strength of external economic situation in Qatar. The current account balance attained a surplus during the period (2006-12), and its proportion of the GDP passed 32% in 2012, leading to a positive impact on the macro-economic performance and on its foreign exchange reserves.

The country achieved a huge progress towards the knowledge economy due to the increase of information technology and communication which are one of the fundamentals of the knowledge economy.

The coverage rate for mobile phones exceeded 190%, and in turn, outnumbered its counterpart in the developed countries (122%). The indicator of Internet use by population rose from almost 28% in 2006 to 49%
in 2012.

As for the patterns of production and consumption, the report clarifies that Qatar is classified among the top 10 countries regarding the consumption indicator of electric power.

The recycling rate is still in decline by 9% of total waste generated, which is far less than Switzerland and Germany where recycling passed 50%.

Qatar has environmentally achieved a remarkable progress, despite the environmental challenges that it encounters. It could attain an unprecedented achievement in biodiversity and preservation of organisms. The nature reserves indicator as per the country’s total surface area increased substantially from 12. 9% in 2006 to 23.5% in 2012. Thus, Qatar has passed the international standard (10%), and now it is on top of the world countries regarding this
indicator.

Despite these achievements in sustainable development, the country is still facing environmental challenges such as the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the extractive and manufacturing industries. However, the country has set up plans within the development strategy to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to acceptable levels.