Other measures of development

• Birth rate

  Reliable measure

  
  

  As a country develops, women are likely to be educated and want a career rather than staying at home.

  
  

  They marry later and have fewer children
• Death rate

  Less reliable measure

  
  

  Developed countries (UK) tend to have older populations and death rates would be high

  
  

  In less developed countries (Bangladesh) death rate is lower due to there being more young people
• Infant mortality

  Useful measure of a country's health care system

  
  

  The lower the number the better the health care as fewer deaths
• Number of doctors per 1000 people

  Shows how much money a country has for medical services
• literacy rate

  A high rate shows a country has good education
• % with access to safe water

  Shows a country has modern infrastructure

  
  

  E.g) Dams, water treatment plans
• What are the limitations of economic and social measures?

  • Data could be out of date

  
  

  • Data may be unreliable

  
  

  • They focus on certain aspects of development and would not take into account subsistence or informal economies

  
  

  • Government corruption may mean data is unreliable