What a composite score does
A composite index converts several indicators into a common scale and combines them using explicit weights. It can summarize patterns, support navigation and make a dashboard easier to scan. It cannot remove the conceptual differences between the underlying phenomena.
An earlier Humain Alert prototype combined suicide mortality, homicide, expression and child vulnerability. That score has been retired. The formula below documents the former approach so its assumptions can be examined; it is not the current dashboard method.
Every step contains judgment
| Choice | Why it is needed | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Indicator selection | Defines the observed concept | Important dimensions are omitted |
| Normalization | Puts unlike units on one scale | Thresholds can exaggerate or compress differences |
| Weights | Combines the dimensions | Implies priorities that evidence alone cannot choose |
| Missing-data rule | Handles incomplete coverage | Imputation can create false precision |
| Band labels | Makes results readable | Words can sound more certain than numbers |
A score can hide opposite realities
Two countries can receive the same total for very different reasons. One may show severe expression pressure and low homicide; another may show the reverse. The equal total does not make their situations equivalent. The component view must remain primary.
Why weights are published
Weights are not discovered by arithmetic. They are design decisions. The former Humain Alert prototype published them for inspection. The current dashboard removes the combined score and keeps the individual indicators visible.
When the score should disappear
If a required dimension is absent or clearly stale, a complete score can be more misleading than an empty one. Humain Alert now omits the overall score entirely. Individual gauges are withheld when freshness or coverage requirements fail; raw values retain their context.
How to use the index
- Use it to locate questions, not declare winners and losers.
- Open the four components before interpreting the total.
- Check dates and coverage.
- Do not infer causality from correlation.
- Do not use the score for individual, medical, legal or investment decisions.
The score is a map legend. The evidence pages are the terrain.
Primary sources and data
- OECD / European Commission — Handbook on Composite Indicators ↗Methodology and user guide
- Humain Alert — Full methodology ↗Current separate-indicator method and limitations
- World Bank — World Development Indicators ↗Underlying indicator metadata
Evidence note: Sources were checked on 7 Sep 2026. Publication years differ because each institution follows its own release schedule. Humain Alert preserves those dates instead of presenting the series as simultaneous.