- The new regional human development report, entitled “Under Pressure: Recalibrating the Future of Development in Latin America and the Caribbean,” reveals the stagnation of progress in human development and the urgent need for new strategies.
FORTALEZA, Brazil — In recent decades, Latin America and the Caribbean have made significant progress in human development. However, these gains have proven volatile: 31 percent of the region’s population lives in a gray zone of socioeconomic vulnerability—not in poverty but not protected either. All it takes is one crisis—health-related, climatic, or technological—for them to fall back. In other words, upward mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean has been possible, but so has regression, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) informed today.
According to the main findings of the forthcoming 2025 Regional Human Development Report, entitled “Under Pressure: Recalibrating the Future of Development in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the region is particularly vulnerable to setbacks in human development because a large portion of the population lacks the resources and mechanisms needed to cope with even moderate crises. This highlights deep structural weaknesses that threaten long-term progress, especially in the context of growing uncertainty and interconnected crises.
The report identifies three dynamics that – combined – are stressing human development in the region:
- Rapidly evolving technologies, which are transforming labor markets and governance but expanding unevenly, thereby deepening existing inequalities.• Deepening social fragmentation, reflected in rising mistrust between people and institutions, which hampers consensus and coordinated responses to shared challenges.
- An increasingly changing climate, with the number of extreme weather events more than doubling—compounding threats such as fires and droughts. These not only endanger lives and livelihoods but also worsen existing economic and social inequalities.
These interconnected factors amplify vulnerabilities and generate interrelated risks that exacerbate development challenges. That is why when we talk about development, we must also talk about resilience.
“Latin America and the Caribbean has demonstrated time and again their capacity to withstand adversity. The pressures we face—whether climatic, economic, or social—can become the starting point for a new development model centered on human resilience,” said Michelle Muschett, UNDP regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Investing in resilience today means protecting development gains and ensuring dignity and security for all—especially the most vulnerable. It is not enough to resist. We must transform to prosper,” she added.
Resilience is not only individual—it is inherently collective. The pressures and challenges the region faces are too great to be addressed in a fragmented way. It requires a recalibration of development from a more holistic perspective—one that places resilience at the center, enabling people to lead meaningful lives even amid adversity.
UNDP in Latin America and the Caribbean proposes a new Resilient Human Development framework—a forward-looking vision that equips people – particularly the most vulnerable – with the tools, systems, and support needed to absorb shocks, safeguard progress, and recover quickly.
The framework rests on three fundamental pillars:
- Instruments to navigate uncertainty, including adaptive social protection and risk management.
- Institutions that embrace complexity, promote coordination, and enable flexibility.
- Infrastructure that closes gaps, ensuring inclusive access to digital services and climate-resilient systems.
Beyond providing a robust and rigorous conceptual framework, the report is designed as a practical resource to support the region—its people and decision-makers—in navigating uncertain times. The aim is not only to withstand future crises but to thrive in spite of them.
UNDP in LAC also presented two implementation tools that will help translate the resilience agenda into action by fostering strong partnerships and collective efforts across governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, and multilateral institutions:
- The LAC Facility for Financing Resilient Human Development: A regional mechanism that brings together public and private actors to channel strategic investments where they are most needed. It aims to strengthen adaptive capacity in economic, social, and governance systems. Financing must be understood as a critical accelerator of resilient human development.
- The Atlas of Artificial Intelligence for Human Development: A practical tool for designing inclusive and ethical AI policies. It offers comparative data, case studies, regulatory frameworks, and future scenarios to help countries harness AI’s potential for sustainable and equitable development.
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