Mapping HDI’s Geostructures of Inequality: A Poset Analysis

Abstract This paper introduces the notion of geostructures of inequality, examining how inequality indicators are conceptualized and utilized in regional and development studies. This conceptual contribution is based on the use of partially ordered set theory (posets). The paper also offers an empirical contribution based on the use of Hasse diagrams to build regional benchmark profiles of the human development index (HDI). This paper identifies, among its key findings, regions characterized by more vertically oriented geostructures of inequality and, through sensitivity analysis, establishes how such structures are associated with more fundamental development indicators, including life expectancy.