Measuring development

• What does development mean in the context of a country?

  It means improvement for the people living there
• What are the different aspects of development?

  • Economic: growth, wealth, industrialization, technology
  • Social: standard of living, health care, clean water
  • Political: stable political system, meeting societal needs
• What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?

  Total value of goods and services produced
• How is GDP often expressed?

  In USD
• What does GDP per head measure?

  GDP divided by the population of a country
• What is Gross National Income (GNI)?

  Total value of goods and services including overseas income
• What does a lower birth rate indicate?

  Improvement in women's rights
• What does a lower death rate indicate?

  Improvement in health conditions
• What does the infant mortality rate measure?

  Babies who die under 1 year old
• What does the number of doctors per 1000 population indicate?

  Access to healthcare
• What does the literacy rate measure?

  Percentage of adults who can read and write
• What does access to safe water indicate?

  Percentage of people with clean drinking water
• What does life expectancy measure?

  Average age a person can expect to live
• What is the Human Development Index (HDI)?

  A composite measure of development factors
• What does a higher HDI value indicate?

  More developed country
• What does the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) measure?

  Level of corruption in the public sector
• Why can single indicators be misleading?

  They may not reflect regional variations
• What is a composite indicator of development?

  • Uses multiple measures
  • Avoids misleading conclusions
  • Example: Human Development Index (HDI)
• What are Higher Income Countries (HICs)?

  Wealthiest countries with high GNI per head
• What are Lower Income Countries (LICs)?

  Poorest countries with low GNI per head
• What are Newly Emerging Economies (NEEs)?

  Countries transitioning to secondary industry
• Why can GNI per head be misleading?

  It averages out variations within the country
• What factors contribute to human development classification?

  Birth rates, death rates, and HDI score
• What is the fertility rate?

  Average number of births per woman
• What is the maternal mortality rate?

  Women who die due to pregnancy-related problems
• What are the classifications of countries based on human development?

  • Developed countries: very high human development (e.g. UK)
  • Emerging countries: medium to high human development (e.g. India)
  • Developing countries: low human development (e.g. Chad)
• What are alternative names for HICs?

  Advanced countries or developed countries
• How can countries be classified based on wealth?

  By looking at their GNI per head
• What is the significance of using multiple measures of development?

  It provides a more accurate picture of development