This review highlights some achievements by regional, national and sub-national Human development Reports (HDRs) in influencing policy debate. Examining a sample of regional, national and sub-national HDRs released over the past 18 years, one concludes that several HDRs influenced the application of the human development concept and measurement to policy analysis at the national level. For the purpose of this exercise, few typologies of HDR influence have been identified, such as the national application of the human development paradigm; the contribution to the human development debate on specific themes; the development of national capacity for policy formulation and assessment; the revision of national policies and budget allocations according to human development priorities; extensive media attention generated by some reports; and the introduction of human development materials in national education curricula in developing countries. The paper dedicates a section to each category, providing examples from HDRs to illustrate the type of influence.