Measuring development
Studying development is about measuring how developed one country is compared to other
countries, or to the same country in the past. Development measures how economically,
socially, culturally or technologically advanced a country is. The two most important ways of
measuring development are economic development and human development.
• Economic development is a measure of a country's wealth and how it is generated
(for example agriculture is considered less economically advanced then banking).
• Human development measures the access the population has to wealth, jobs,
education, nutrition, health, leisure and safety - as well as political and cultural
freedom. Material elements, such as wealth and nutrition, are described as
the standard of living. Health and leisure are often referred to as quality of life.
Development indicators
There is no single way to calculate the level of development because of the variety of
economies, cultures and peoples. Geographers use a series of development indicators to
compare the development of one region against another. For example:
• Health.Do the population have access to medical care? What level of healthcare is
available - basic or advanced? Is it free?
• Industry. What type of industry dominates? LEDCs focus on primary industries, such
as farming, fishing and mining. MEDCs focus on secondary industries, such as
manufacturing. The most advanced countries tend to focus more on tertiary or
service industries, such as banking and information technology.
• Education.Do the population have access to education? Is it free? What level of
education is available (ie primary, secondary or further/higher education)?
The North South Divide
MEDCs are countries which have a high standard of living and a large GDP. LEDCs are
countries with a low standard of living and a much lower GDP.
The map shows the locations of LEDCs and MEDCs. Most of the southern hemisphere is less
developed, while countries in the northern hemisphere are more developed.
, Economic development indicators
To assess the economic development of a country, geographers use economic
indicators including:
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of goods and services produced by
a country in a year.
• Gross National Product (GNP) measures the total economic output of a country,
including earnings from foreign investments.
• GNP per capita is a country's GNP divided by its population. (Per capita means per
person.)
• Economic growth measures the annual increase in GDP, GNP, GDP per capita, or
GNP per capita.
• Inequality of wealth is the gap in income between a country's richest and poorest
people. It can be measured in many ways, (eg the proportion of a country's wealth
owned by the richest 10 per cent of the population, compared with the proportion
owned by the remaining 90 per cent).
• Inflationmeasures how much the prices of goods, services and wages increase each
year. High inflation (above a few percent) can be a bad thing, and suggests a
government lacks control over the economy.
• Unemployment is the number of people who cannot find work.
Studying development is about measuring how developed one country is compared to other
countries, or to the same country in the past. Development measures how economically,
socially, culturally or technologically advanced a country is. The two most important ways of
measuring development are economic development and human development.
• Economic development is a measure of a country's wealth and how it is generated
(for example agriculture is considered less economically advanced then banking).
• Human development measures the access the population has to wealth, jobs,
education, nutrition, health, leisure and safety - as well as political and cultural
freedom. Material elements, such as wealth and nutrition, are described as
the standard of living. Health and leisure are often referred to as quality of life.
Development indicators
There is no single way to calculate the level of development because of the variety of
economies, cultures and peoples. Geographers use a series of development indicators to
compare the development of one region against another. For example:
• Health.Do the population have access to medical care? What level of healthcare is
available - basic or advanced? Is it free?
• Industry. What type of industry dominates? LEDCs focus on primary industries, such
as farming, fishing and mining. MEDCs focus on secondary industries, such as
manufacturing. The most advanced countries tend to focus more on tertiary or
service industries, such as banking and information technology.
• Education.Do the population have access to education? Is it free? What level of
education is available (ie primary, secondary or further/higher education)?
The North South Divide
MEDCs are countries which have a high standard of living and a large GDP. LEDCs are
countries with a low standard of living and a much lower GDP.
The map shows the locations of LEDCs and MEDCs. Most of the southern hemisphere is less
developed, while countries in the northern hemisphere are more developed.
, Economic development indicators
To assess the economic development of a country, geographers use economic
indicators including:
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of goods and services produced by
a country in a year.
• Gross National Product (GNP) measures the total economic output of a country,
including earnings from foreign investments.
• GNP per capita is a country's GNP divided by its population. (Per capita means per
person.)
• Economic growth measures the annual increase in GDP, GNP, GDP per capita, or
GNP per capita.
• Inequality of wealth is the gap in income between a country's richest and poorest
people. It can be measured in many ways, (eg the proportion of a country's wealth
owned by the richest 10 per cent of the population, compared with the proportion
owned by the remaining 90 per cent).
• Inflationmeasures how much the prices of goods, services and wages increase each
year. High inflation (above a few percent) can be a bad thing, and suggests a
government lacks control over the economy.
• Unemployment is the number of people who cannot find work.
