Development is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. Therefore, the measurement of development should involve the quantification of its constituent dimensions. Composite indicators have been the favored approach to measuring development. Based on a sample of 54 composite indicators of development, we have analyzed whether these indicators reflect the multidimensionality underlying the phenomenon they seek to measure. We conclude that, in general, the indices of development include only a restricted number of development dimensions. We have also found that education and health are among the dimensions most frequently present in composite indicators of development.

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