Developing country

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Low-income countries
)

  Developing countries
  Data unavailable

The latest classifications sorted by the IMF[1] and the UN[2]
World map
World map representing Human Development Index categories (based on 2021 data, published in 2022)
  •   Very high
  •   High
  •   Medium
  •   Low
  •   No data

A developing country is a

industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries.[3] However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreement on which countries fit this category.[4][5] The terms low and middle-income country (LMIC) and newly emerging economy (NEE) are often used interchangeably but refers only to the economy of the countries. The World Bank classifies the world's economies into four groups, based on gross national income per capita: high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low income countries. Least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states are all sub-groupings of developing countries. Countries on the other end of the spectrum are usually referred to as high-income countries or developed countries
.

There are controversies over the term's use, as some feel that it perpetuates an outdated concept of

Global South
" is used by some as an alternative term to developing countries.

Developing countries tend to have some characteristics in common often due to their histories or geographies. For example, they commonly have: lower levels of access to safe

littering, water pollution, open defecation), higher proportions of people with tropical and infectious diseases (neglected tropical diseases), more road traffic accidents, and generally poorer quality infrastructure
.

In addition, there are also often high

slums, corruption at all government levels, and political instability. Unlike developed countries, developing countries lack rule of law
.

Access to healthcare is often low.[8] People in developing countries usually have lower life expectancies than people in developed countries, reflecting both lower income levels and poorer public health.[9][10][11] The burden of infectious diseases,[12] maternal mortality,[13][14] child mortality[15] and infant mortality[16][17] are typically substantially higher in those countries. The effects of climate change are expected to impact developing countries more than high-income countries, as most of them have a high climate vulnerability or low climate resilience.[18]

Developing countries often have lower

Population aging is a global phenomenon, but population age has risen more slowly in developing countries.[19]

Development aid or development cooperation is financial aid given by foreign governments and other agencies to support developing countries' economic, environmental, social, and political development. If the Sustainable Development Goals which were set up by the United Nations for the year 2030 are achieved, they would overcome many of these problems.

Terms used to classify countries

There are several terms used to classify countries into rough levels of development. Classification of any given country differs across sources, and sometimes, these classifications or the specific terminology used is considered disparaging.

By income groups

A map of World Bank high-income economies in 2019; high-income economies are indicated in blue, while former high-income economies are shown in teal.

The World Bank classifies the world's economies into four groups, based on gross national income per capita calculated using the Atlas method, re-set each year on July 1:[20]

  1. low-income countries
  2. lower-middle income countries
  3. upper-middle income countries
  4. high income countries (similar to developed countries)

The three groups that are not "high income" are together referred to as "low and middle income countries" (LMICs). For example, for the 2022 fiscal year, a low income country is defined as one with a GNI per capita less than 1,045 in current US$; a lower middle-income country is one with GNI per capita between 1,046 to 4,095 in current US$; an upper middle-income country is one with GNI per capita between 4,096 to 12,695 in current US$, and a high income country is one with GNI per capita of more than 12,696 in current US$.[21] Historical thresholds are documented.

By markets and economic growth

The use of the term "market" instead of "country" usually indicates a specific focus on the characteristics of the countries' capital markets as opposed to the overall economy.

Under other criteria, some countries are at an intermediate stage of development, or, as the

World Economic Outlook classified countries as advanced, emerging, or developing, depending on "(1) per capita income level, (2) export diversification—so oil exporters that have high per capita GDP would not make the advanced classification because around 70% of its exports are oil, and (3) degree of integration into the global financial system".[26]

By geography

Developing countries can also be categorized by geography:

By other parameters

  • Heavily indebted poor countries, a definition by a program of the IMF and World Bank
  • market-driven economy
  • Multi-dimensional clustering system: with the understanding that different countries have different development priorities and levels of access to resources and institutional capacities[27] and to offer a more nuanced understanding of developing countries and their characteristics, scholars have categorized them into five distinct groups based on factors such as levels of poverty and inequality, productivity and innovation, political constraints and dependence on external flows.[28][29]

By self declaration

In general, the WTO accepts any country's claim of itself being "developing". Certain countries that have become "developed" in the last 20 years by almost all economic metrics, still insist to be classified as "developing country", as it entitles them to a preferential treatment at the

Macao, Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates have been cited and criticized for this self-declared status.[30]

Measure and concept of development

  Least developed economies according to ECOSOC
  Least developed economies out of scope of the ECOSOC
  Graduated to developing economy

[when?][citation needed]
Newly industrialized countries as of 2013
Countries by 2023 GDP (nominal) per capita

Development can be measured by economic or human factors. Developing countries are, in general, countries that have not achieved a significant degree of

industrialization relative to their populations, and have, in most cases, a medium to low standard of living. There is an association between low income and high population growth.[31] The development of a country is measured with statistical indices such as income per capita (per person), gross domestic product per capita, life expectancy, the rate of literacy, freedom index and others. The UN has developed the Human Development Index (HDI), a compound indicator of some of the above statistics, to gauge the level of human development for countries where data is available. The UN had set Millennium Development Goals from a blueprint developed by all of the world's countries and leading development institutions, in order to evaluate growth.[32] These goals ended in 2015, to be superseded by the Sustainable Development Goals
.

The concept of the developing nation is found, under one term or another, in numerous theoretical systems having diverse orientations – for example, theories of decolonization, liberation theology, Marxism, anti-imperialism, modernization, social change and political economy.

Another important indicator is the sectoral changes that have occurred since the stage of development of the country. On an average, countries with a 50% contribution from the

tertiary sector stronghold also see a greater rate of economic development
.

Associated theories

The term "developing countries" has many research theories associated with it (in chronological order):

Criticisms of the term

There is criticism for using the term "developing country". The term could imply inferiority of this kind of country compared with a

gross national happiness
have been suggested as important indicators.

One of the early criticisms that questioned the use of the terms "developing" and "underdeveloped" countries was voiced in 1973 by prominent historian and academic Walter Rodney who compared the economic, social, and political parameters between the United States and countries in Africa and Asia.[35][clarification needed]

There is "no established convention" for defining "developing country".[36] According to economist Jeffrey Sachs, the current divide between the developed and developing world is largely a phenomenon of the 20th century.[37][page needed] The late global health expert Hans Rosling has argued against the terms, calling the concept "outdated" since the terms are used under the prerequisite that the world is divided in rich and poor countries, while the fact is that the vast majority of countries are middle-income.[6] Given the lack of a clear definition, sustainability expert Mathis Wackernagel and founder of Global Footprint Network, emphasizes that the binary labeling of countries is "neither descriptive nor explanatory".[38] Wackernagel identifies these binary terms of "developing" vs. "developed" countries, or "North" vs. "South", as "a thoughtless and destructive endorsement of GDP fetish."[38] Wackernagel and Rosling both argue that in reality, there are not two types of countries, but over 200 countries, all faced with the same laws of nature, yet each with unique features.[38][6]

The term "developing" refers to a current situation and not a changing dynamic or expected direction of development. Since the late 1990s, countries identified by the UN as developing countries tended to demonstrate higher growth rates than those in the developed countries category.[39]

To moderate the

less economically developed country
for the poorest nations – which can, in no sense, be regarded as developing. This highlights that the standard of living across the entire developing world varies greatly.

In 2015, the World Bank declared that the "developing / developed world categorization" had become less relevant, due to worldwide improvements in indices such as child mortality rates, fertility rates and extreme poverty rates.[5] In the 2016 edition of its World Development Indicators (WDI), the World Bank made a decision to no longer distinguish between "developed" and "developing" countries in the presentation of its data, considering the two-category distinction outdated.[40] Accordingly, World Bank is phasing out use of that descriptor. Instead, the reports by Worldbank (such as the WDI and the Global Monitoring Report) now include data aggregations for the whole world, for regions, and for income groups – but not for the "developing world".[5][7]

Related terms

The term low and middle-income country (LMIC) is often used interchangeably with "developing country" but refers only to the economy of the countries. Least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states are all sub-groupings of developing countries. Countries on the other end of the spectrum are usually referred to as high-income countries or developed countries.

Global South

The term "

neo-imperialism, and differential economic and social change through which large inequalities in living standards, life expectancy, and access to resources are maintained".[44]

Economic classification of the world's countries by the UNCTAD: the Global North (i.e., developed countries) is highlighted in blue and the Global South (i.e., developing countries and least developed countries) is highlighted in red.[45][46]

Global North and Global South are terms that denote a method of grouping countries based on their defining characteristics with regard to socioeconomics and politics. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Global South broadly comprises Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia (excluding Israel, Japan, and South Korea), and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand).[45][46][a] Most of the Global South's countries are commonly identified as lacking in their standard of living, which includes having lower incomes, high levels of poverty, high population growth rates, inadequate housing, limited educational opportunities, and deficient health systems, among other issues.[b] Additionally, these countries' cities are characterized by their poor infrastructure.[c] Opposite to the Global South is the Global North, which the UNCTAD describes as broadly comprising Northern America and Europe, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.[45][46][a] As such, the two terms do not refer to the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, as many of the Global South's countries are geographically located in the former and, similarly, a number of the Global North's countries are geographically located in the latter.[47]

More specifically, the Global North consists of the world's developed countries, whereas the Global South consists of the world's developing countries and least developed countries.[46][48] The Global South classification, as used by governmental and developmental organizations, was first introduced as a more open and value-free alternative to "Third World"[49] and, likewise, potentially "valuing" terms, such as developed and developing. Countries of the Global South have also been described as being newly industrialized or in the process of industrializing; many of them are current or former subjects of colonialism.[50]

Third World (outdated)

The "Three Worlds" of the Cold War (between 30 April and 24 June 1975)
  First World: Countries aligned with the Western Bloc (i.e., NATO and allies), led by the United States
  Second World: Countries aligned with the Eastern Bloc (i.e., Warsaw Pact, China, and allies), led by the Soviet Union
  Third World: The Non-Aligned Movement, led by India and Yugoslavia, and other neutral countries
The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War and it was used to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada and their allies represented the "First World", while the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and their allies represented the "Second World". This terminology provided a way of broadly categorizing the nations of the Earth into three groups based on political divisions. Due to the complex history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition of the Third World.[51] Strictly speaking, "Third World" was a political, rather than economic, grouping.[52]

Common characteristics

Government, politics and administration

Many developing countries have only attained full

sociologist Patrick Heller as: "closing [the] gap between formal legal rights in the civil and political arena, and the actual capability to meaningfully practice those rights".[54]

Beyond citizenship, the study of the politics of cross-border mobility in developing countries has also shed valuable light in migration debates, seen as a corrective to the traditional focus on developed countries.[55] Some political scientists identify a 'typology of nationalizing, developmental, and neoliberal migration management regimes' across developing countries.[56]

Economy

World regions by total wealth (in trillions USD), 2018

Following

rubber, for a bargain. Companies based in the Western world have often used the cheaper labor in developing countries for production.[57]
The West benefited significantly from this system, but left developing countries undeveloped.

This arrangement is sometimes called neocolonialism, meaning a system in which less-developed countries are taken advantage of by developed countries. It does not necessarily mean that former colonies are still controlled by their former colonizer; it refers to colonial-like exploitation. Developing countries are often helping further develop rich countries, rather than being developed themselves.[58] Several institutions have been established with the goal of putting an end to this system.[59] One of these institutions is the New International Economic Order. They have a 'no-strings-attached' policy that promotes developing countries remaining or becoming self-sufficient. More specifically, they advocate sovereignty over natural resources and industrialization.

Coalitions of developing nations, like the NIEO, frequently lobby for parity in the world stage. The rise of China might imply the rise of the BRIC countries.[57]

Common challenges

The

globalisation, global health governance, health, and prevention needs. This is contrasted by issues developed nations tend to address, such as innovations in science and technology.[60]

Most developing countries have these criteria in common:[61][62]

  • High levels of
    least developed country.[62]
  • Human resource weakness (based on indicators of nutrition, health, education and adult literacy).
  • natural disasters). Among other challenges, developing countries have a higher risk of suffering a balance of payments crisis.[63]

Urban slums

According to UN-Habitat, around 33% of the urban population in the developing world in 2012, or about 863 million people, lived in slums.[64] In 2012, the proportion of urban population living in slums was highest in Sub-Saharan Africa (62%), followed by South Asia (35%), Southeast Asia (31%) and East Asia (28%).[64]: 127 

The UN-Habitat reports that 43% of urban population in developing countries and 78% of those in the least developed countries live in slums.[65]

Slums form and grow in different parts of the world for many reasons. Causes include rapid

informal economy, forced or manipulated ghettoization, poor planning, politics, natural disasters and social conflicts.[66][67][68] For example, as populations expand in poorer countries, rural people move to cities in extensive urban migration that results in the creation of slums.[69]

In some cities, especially in countries in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, slums are not just marginalized neighborhoods holding a small population; slums are widespread, and are home to a large part of urban population. These are sometimes called "slum cities".[70]

Violence against women

A formation of human chain at India Gate by the women from different walks of life at the launch of a National Campaign on prevention of violence against women, in New Delhi on 2 October 2009

Several forms of

Marriage by abduction is found in Ethiopia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Abuse related to payment of bride price (such as violence, trafficking and forced marriage) is linked to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania.[71][72]

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is another form of violence against women which is still occurring in many developing countries. It is found mostly in Africa, and to a lesser extent in the Middle East and some other parts of Asia. Developing countries with the highest rate of women who have been cut are Somalia (with 98% of women affected), Guinea (96%), Djibouti (93%), Egypt (91%), Eritrea (89%), Mali (89%), Sierra Leone (88%), Sudan (88%), Gambia (76%), Burkina Faso (76%), and Ethiopia (74%).[73] Due to globalization and immigration, FGM is spreading beyond the borders of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and to countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, the U.S., and UK.[74]

The

FGM has been legally banned in many African countries.[76]

An image showing statistics by percentage of share of women, older than 14 years old who experienced violence by an intimate partner.
Percentage of women older than 14 who have experienced violence by an intimate partner

According to UN Women facts and figures on ending violence against women,[77] it is estimated that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and sexual violence by intimate partners or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives. Evidence shows women who have had experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence report higher rates of depression, having an abortion and acquiring HIV, compared to women who have not had experienced any physical or sexual violence.[77]

Data from the Middle East and North Africa shows that men who witnessed their fathers against their mothers, and men who experienced some form of violence as children, more likely have reported perpetrating intimate partner violence in their adult relationships.[77]

Healthcare and public health

The status of healthcare that the general public can access is substantially different between developing countries and developed countries.[8] People in developing countries usually have a lower life expectancy than people in developed countries, reflecting both lower income levels and poorer public health.[9][10][11] The burden of infectious diseases,[12] maternal mortality,[13][14] child mortality[15] and infant mortality[16][17] are typically substantially higher in those countries. Developing countries also have less access to medical health services generally,[78] and are less likely to have the resources to purchase, produce and administer vaccines, even though vaccine equity worldwide is important to combatting pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.[79]

Percentage of people with undernutrition by country, World Food Program, 2020
  Under 2.5%
  2.5% – 5.0%
  5.0% – 14.9%
  15.0% – 24.9%
  25.0% – 34.9%
  Over 35.0%
  No data

Undernutrition is more common in developing countries.[80] Certain groups have higher rates of undernutrition, including women – in particular while pregnant or breastfeeding – children under five years of age, and the elderly. Malnutrition in children and stunted growth of children is the cause for more than 200 million children under five years of age in developing countries not reaching their developmental potential.[81] About 165 million children were estimated to have stunted growth from malnutrition in 2013.[82] In some developing countries, overnutrition in the form of obesity is beginning to present within the same communities as undernutrition.[83]

The following list shows the further significant environmentally-related causes or conditions, as well as certain diseases with a strong environmental component:[84]

Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is at very low levels in many developing countries. In 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that "1 in 3 people, or 2.4 billion, are still without sanitation facilities" while 663 million people still lack access to safe and clean drinking water.[86][87] The estimate in 2017 by JMP states that 4.5 billion people currently do not have safely managed sanitation.[88] The majority of these people live in developing countries.

About 892 million people or 12 percent of the global population, practiced open defecation instead of using toilets in 2016.[88] Seventy-six percent (678 million) of the 892 million people practicing open defecation in the world live in just seven countries.[88] Countries with a high number of people openly defecating are India (348 million), followed by Nigeria (38.1 million), Indonesia (26.4 million), Ethiopia (23.1 million), Pakistan (19.7 million), Niger (14.6 million) and Sudan (9.7 million).[89]

Sustainable Development Goal 6 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN in 2015. It calls for clean water and sanitation for all people. This is particularly relevant for people in developing countries.

Energy

Solar cookers use sunlight as energy source for outdoor cooking.

In 2009, about 1.4 billion of people in the world lived without electricity. 2.7 billion relied on wood, charcoal, and dung (

distributed energy options, such as onsite solar power and improved cookstoves, offer rural households modern energy services.[90]

fossil fuels can be difficult and expensive. Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative.[91]

Renewable energy can directly contribute to

poverty alleviation by providing the energy needed for creating businesses and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also make indirect contributions to alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, and lighting.[92]

Kenya is the world leader in the number of solar power systems installed per capita.[93]

Pollution

Water pollution

Factory in China at Yangtze River causing air pollution
Plastic pollution at a beach near Accra, Ghana

Water pollution is a major problem in many developing countries. It requires ongoing evaluation and revision of water resource policy at all levels (international down to individual aquifers and wells). It has been suggested that water pollution is the leading worldwide cause of death and diseases,[94][95] and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily.[95]

India and China are two countries with high levels of water pollution: An estimated 580 people in India die of water pollution related illness (including

waterborne diseases) every day.[96] About 90 percent of the water in the cities of China is polluted.[97] As of 2007, half a billion Chinese had no access to safe drinking water.[98]

However, after a series of reforms, China's environment began to demonstrate enormous improvements around the 2010s. Under the

leadership of CCP general secretary Xi Jinping, a sizable fraction of high-pollution industries have been gradually phased out and many illegally polluting factories were sanctioned or closed. A considerable amount of effort went to enforce environmental regulations at regional levels and holding persons of malpractice accountable, including officials and firm managers. The slogan "clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as gold and silver mountains" proposed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2005[99]
signifies China's determination in amending environmental burdens created during industrialization while shifting to more sustainable modes of development and adopting high-end industries. Water bodies around the country are much cleaner than a decade ago and steadily approaching natural levels in pollutants.

In 2021, China introduced the "coal to gas" policy[100] as one of many policies directed towards achieving peak carbon emissions in 2060. Coal combustion in homes, power stations and production industries constitutes 60% of total energy consumption in China and is the main source of water and air pollution. It is speculated that pollution sources will be progressively eliminated as China reaches the upper tiers of developing countries.

Further details of water pollution in several countries, including many developing countries:

Indoor air pollution

Indoor air pollution in developing nations is a major health hazard.[101] A major source of indoor air pollution in developing countries is the burning of biomass. Three billion people in developing countries across the globe rely on biomass in the form of wood, charcoal, dung, and crop residue, as their domestic cooking fuel.[102]
Because much of the cooking is carried out indoors in environments that lack proper ventilation, millions of people, primarily poor women and children face serious health risks.

Globally, 4.3 million deaths were attributed to exposure to IAP in developing countries in 2012, almost all in low and middle income countries. The South East Asian and Western Pacific regions bear most of the burden with 1.69 and 1.62 million deaths, respectively. Almost 600,000 deaths occur in Africa.[103] An earlier estimate from 2000 put the death toll between 1.5 million and 2 million deaths.[104]

Finding an affordable solution to address the many effects of indoor air pollution is complex. Strategies include improving combustion, reducing smoke exposure, improving safety and reducing labor, reducing fuel costs, and addressing sustainability.[105]

Climate change

Particular vulnerability to climate change

Surface air temperature change over the past 50 years.[106]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed that warming of the climate system due to human intervention is 'unequivocal'.[107] The effects of climate change will be felt around the globe and will result in events such as extreme weather events, droughts, floods, biodiversity loss, disease and sea level rise, which are dangerous for societies and the environment.[108]

Although 79% of carbon emissions are produced by developed countries,[109] and developing countries have not been the major cause of climate change,[107] they are the most at risk from the effects of these changes and may face challenges in adapting to climate change due to the intersecting issues of high climate vulnerability, low economic status,[110] restricted access to technology, failing infrastructure and limited access to financial resources. Where a country is particularly vulnerable to climate change they are called "highly climate vulnerable"[citation needed]. This applies to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, fragile states or failed states like Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, and Somalia, as well as to Small Island Developing States[citation needed]. In the cases where developing countries produce only small quantities of greenhouse gas emissions per capita but are very vulnerable to the negative effects of global warming, the term "forced riders" as opposed to the "free riders" has been used as a descriptor.[18][111] Such countries include Comoros, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.[111]

Climate vulnerability has been quantified in the

United Nations Climate Change Conferences
(COP).

"When we think about livelihoods at risk from climate change impacts, we know that people living in developing countries, and especially the least-developed countries and small island states, often have the least financial resources to adapt," says Nancy Saich, the European Investment Bank's chief climate change expert.[113]

Impacts

A changing climate also results in economic burdens. The economies in

donor countries promised an annual $100 billion by 2020 through the Green Climate Fund for developing countries to adapt to climate change. However, concrete pledges by developed countries have not been forthcoming.[114][115] Emmanuel Macron (President of France) said at the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn (COP 23): "Climate change adds further injustice to an already unfair world".[116] Economic development and climate are inextricably linked, particularly around poverty, gender equality, and energy.[117]

Tackling climate change will only be possible if the

Climate stress is likely to add to existing migration patterns in developing countries and beyond but is not expected to generate entirely new flows of people.[118]: 110  A report by the World Bank in 2018 estimated that around 143 million people in three regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America) could be forced to move within their own countries to escape the slow-onset impacts of climate change. They will migrate from less viable areas with lower water availability and crop productivity and from areas affected by rising sea level and storm surges.[119]

In spite of the cumulative stressors and challenges faced by developing countries in adapting to the effects of climate change, there are those that are world leaders in the field such as Bangladesh. Bangladesh created a national programme in 2009 focused on how the country would adapt to climate change (the first country to do so).[120][121] It established a fund to support these plans, spending on average $1 billion annually in this regard.[122]

Population growth

Map of countries and territories by fertility rate as of 2020

Over the last few decades, global population growth has largely been driven by developing countries, which often have higher birth rates (higher fecundity rate) than developed countries. According to the United Nations, family planning can help to slow population growth and decrease poverty in these countries.[31]

The violent

Northern Mali conflict.[126][127]

Poor governance

Many developing countries are considered flawed democracies or authoritarian regimes by

Democracy Index (The Economist). Following decolonization and independence, elites have often had oligarchic control of the government.[citation needed
]

The establishment of a healthy democratic state has often been challenged by widespread

To fully reach the goal of a low level of corruption, developing countries are usually using special steps for different establishments inside their territories, such as :

Others

Other common challenges include: Increased and intensified industrial and agricultural production and emission of toxic chemicals directly into the soil, air, and water, unsustainable use of energy resources; high dependency on natural resources for livelihood, leading to unsustainable exploitation or depletion of those resources;

food insecurity, illiteracy and unemployment
. The economies of many developing nations are tried to primary products and a majority of their exports go to advanced nations. When advanced nations encounter economic downturns, they can quickly transmit to their developing country trading partners as seen in global economic downturn of 2008–2009.

Opportunities

Country lists

Developing countries according to International Monetary Fund

The following are considered developing economies according to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Database, April 2023.[135]

Countries not listed by IMF

Upper middle income countries by World Bank

  • Albania[136]
  • American Samoa
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Fiji
  • Gabon
  • Georgia
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Indonesia
  • Jamaica
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kosovo
  • Libya
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • Namibia
  • North Macedonia
  • Palau
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Russian Federation
  • Serbia
  • South Africa
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Turkiye
  • Turkmenistan
  • Tuvalu

Lower middle income countries by World Bank

  • Algeria[137]
  • Angola
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Comoros
  • Congo, Rep.
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Djibouti
  • Egypt, Arab Rep.
  • El Salvador
  • Eswatini
  • Ghana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Iran, Islamic Rep.
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kyrgyz Republic
  • Lao PDR
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Mauritania
  • Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
  • Mongolia
  • Morocco
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Nicaragua
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Samoa
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Senegal
  • Solomon Islands
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tunisia
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam
  • West Bank and Gaza
  • Zimbabwe

Countries and regions that are graduated developed economies

The following list, including the

IMF
. Time in brackets is the time to be listed as advanced economies.

Three economies lack data before being listed as advanced economies. However, because of the lack of data, it is difficult to judge whether they were advanced economies or developing economies before being listed as advanced economies.

Newly industrialized countries

Ten countries belong to the "newly industrialized country" classification. They are countries whose economies have not yet reached a developed country's status but have, in a macroeconomic sense, outpaced their developing counterparts:

BRICS countries

Five countries belong to the "

emerging markets" groups and are together called the BRICS
countries:

Society and culture

Media coverage

Western media tends to present a generalized view of developing countries through biased

Global South to the North
and is thought to be an aid in the divide.

Mass media has also played a role in what information the people in developing countries receive. The news often covers developed countries and creates an imbalance of information flow.[153] The people in developing countries do not often receive coverage of the other developing countries but instead gets generous amounts of coverage about developed countries.

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "World Economic and Financial Surveys World Economic Outlook Database—WEO Groups and Aggregates Information". International Monetary Fund. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  2. ^ Least Developed Countries Archived 17 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine (2018 list Archived 21 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine)
  3. .
  4. ^ "Composition of macro geographical (continental) region". United Nation s. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d "Should we continue to use the term "developing world"?". World Bank blogs. 16 November 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  6. ^ from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  7. ^ a b Fantom, Neil; Khokhar, Tariq; Purdie, Edie (15 April 2016). "The 2016 edition of World Development Indicators is out: three features you won't want to miss". Data Blog. World Bank Blogs. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  8. ^ a b Alhaji, Mohammed M.; Alam, Sartaj (21 March 2019). "Health Policy and System Research in Global South: Bridging the Gap through Citizen Participation". Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute. 33 (1). Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  9. ^
    S2CID 149648133
    . Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  10. ^ from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  11. ^ .
  12. ^ . Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  13. ^ from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  14. ^ .
  15. ^ a b Mohsin, Nazzina; Keenan, Laura; Guo, Jing (20 December 2021). "Latest child mortality estimates reveal world remains off track to meeting Sustainable Development Goals". World Bank. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  16. ^ a b "In poor countries birth spacing affects infant mortality". Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. 5 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  17. ^
    PMID 31270780
    . Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  18. ^ .
  19. .
  20. ^ "New country classifications by income level: 2019–2020". Data Blog. World Bank Blogs. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  21. ^ "World Bank Country and Lending Groups". World Bank Data Help Desk. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  22. .
  23. .
  24. .
  25. .
  26. ^ "Q. How does the WEO categorize advanced versus emerging and developing economies?". International Monetary Fund. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  27. S2CID 53533671
    .
  28. .
  29. .
  30. National Archives
    .
  31. ^ a b "Population and poverty". United Nations Population Fund. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  32. ^ "United Nations Millennium Development Goals". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  33. ^ Silver, Marc (4 January 2015). "If You Shouldn't Call It The Third World, What Should You Call It?". NPR. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  34. (PDF) from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  35. ^ Rodney, Walter (1973). How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (PDF). Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications, London and Tanzanian Publishing House, Dar-Es-Salaam. p. 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  36. ^ "Millennium Development Indicators: World and regional groupings". United Nations Statistics Division. 2003. Note b. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  37. .
  38. ^ from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  39. from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  40. ^ Fantom N, Khokhar T, Purdie E (15 April 2016). "The 2016 edition of World Development Indicators is out: three features you won't want to miss". The Data Blog. The World Bank. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  41. ^ Pagel, Heikie; Ranke, Karen; Hempel, Fabian; Köhler, Jonas (11 July 2014). "The Use of the Concept 'Global South' in Social Science & Humanities". Humboldt University of Berlin. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  42. .
  43. .
  44. .
  45. ^ a b c "UNCTADstat - Classifications". United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The developing economies broadly comprise Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia without Israel, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, and Oceania without Australia and New Zealand. The developed economies broadly comprise Northern America and Europe, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
  46. ^ a b c d "Handbook of Statistics 2022" (PDF). unctad.org. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 December 2022. Note: North refers to developed economies, South to developing economies; trade is measured from the export side; deliveries to ship stores and bunkers as well as minor and special-category exports with unspecified destination are not included.
  47. ^ "Introduction: Concepts of the Global South". gssc.uni-koeln.de. Archived from the original on 4 September 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016., "Concepts of the Global South" (PDF). gssc.uni-koeln.de. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  48. S2CID 228984747
    . This article aims to appraise the unevenness of logistics development throughout the world, by comparing city logistics (notion that we define) between developing countries (or Global South countries) (where 'modern' and 'traditional' models often coexist) and developed countries (or Global North countries)
  49. .
  50. .
  51. .
  52. ^ Silver, Marc (4 January 2015). "If You Shouldn't Call It The Third World, What Should You Call It?". NPR. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  53. S2CID 56358607
    .
  54. .
  55. .
  56. .
  57. ^ (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  58. ^ Hickel, Jason (14 January 2017). "Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  59. ^ "Neocolonialism". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  60. S2CID 19407349
    .
  61. ^ "Criteria For Identification Of LDCs". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Development Policy and Analysis Division. 4 March 2010. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  62. ^ a b UN-OHRLLS Criteria for Identification and Graduation of LDCs Archived 25 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine.
  63. S2CID 237827555
    .
  64. ^ a b "State of the World's Cities Report 2012/2013: Prosperity of Cities" (PDF). UNHABITAT. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  65. ^ The challenge of slums – Global report on Human Settlements Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, United Nations Habitat (2003)
  66. ^ "What are slums and why do they exist?" (PDF). Kenya: UN-Habitat. April 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2011.
  67. .
  68. ^ "Assessing Slums in the Development Context" (PDF). United Nations Habitat Group. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  69. S2CID 53972140
    .
  70. ^ Slum Cities and Cities with Slums" States of the World's Cities 2008/2009. UN-Habitat.
  71. ^ "Papua New Guinea: police cite bride price major factor in marital violence". Island Business. 21 November 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2014 – via Violence is not our Culture.
  72. ^ "An exploratory study of bride price and domestic violence in Bundibugyo District, Uganda" (PDF). Centre for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA) and South African Medical Research Council. April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  73. ^ UNICEF (22 July 2013). Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change (PDF). UNICEF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  74. .
  75. ^ Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  76. ^ Citations:
  77. ^ a b c "Facts and figures: Ending violence against women". UN Women. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  78. from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  79. from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  80. .
  81. ^ Grantham-McGregor, Sally et al., the International Child Development Steering Group. "Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries." Lancet 369.9555 (2007): 60–70. PMC. Web. 28 November 2014.
  82. S2CID 11748341
    .
  83. ^ "Progress For Children: A Report Card On Nutrition" (PDF). UNICEF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  84. ^ "Environment and health in developing countries". Priority environment and health risks. World Health Organization. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  85. ^ Russel S. The economic burden of illness for households in developing countries: a review of studies focusing on malaria, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2004
  86. ^ "Key facts from JMP 2015 report". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  87. ^ "WHO | Lack of sanitation for 2.4 billion people is undermining health improvements". www.who.int. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  88. ^ a b c WHO and UNICEF (2017) Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines Archived 25 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017
  89. The World Bank. Archived
    from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  90. .
  91. ^ Power for the People Archived 2012-03-30 at the Wayback Machine p. 3.
  92. ^ Energy for Development: The Potential Role of Renewable Energy in Meeting the Millennium Development Goals Archived 27 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine pp. 7–9.
  93. ^ "China Climate Change Info-Net". Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  94. ^ Pink DH (19 April 2006). "Investing in Tomorrow's Liquid Gold". Yahoo. Archived from the original on 23 April 2006.
  95. ^ a b West L (26 March 2006). "World Water Day: A Billion People Worldwide Lack Safe Drinking Water". About.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  96. ^ "An overview of diarrhea, symptoms, diagnosis and the costs of morbidity" (PDF). CHNRI. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2013.
  97. ^ "China says water pollution so severe that cities could lack safe supplies Archived 30 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine". Chinadaily.com.cn. June 7, 2005.
  98. ^ Kahn J, Yardley J (26 August 2007). "As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes". New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  99. ^ "习近平:绿水青山就是金山银山_新华网". Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  100. ^ ""煤改气"是碳达峰的重要一环,需求有望超预期!". Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  101. PMID 11019457
    .
  102. ^ Duflo E, Greenstone M, Hanna R (2008). "Indoor air pollution, health and economic well-being". S.A.P.I.EN.S. 1 (1). Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  103. ^ "Burden of disease from Indoor Air Pollution for 2012" (PDF). WHO. 24 March 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  104. PMID 12417475
    .
  105. ^ Duflo E, Greenstone M, Hanna R (2008). "Indoor air pollution, health and economic well-being". S.A.P.I.EN.S. 1 (1). Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  106. ^ "GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (v4)". NASA. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  107. ^ from the original on 1 June 2020, retrieved 30 November 2020
  108. ^ a b c "Climate vulnerability monitor 2010: the state of the climate crisis – Documents & Publications – Professional Resources". PreventionWeb.net. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  109. ^ Center for Global Development, 18 August 2015 "Developed Countries Are Responsible for 79 Percent of Historical Carbon Emissions" Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  110. ^ UK Government Official Documents, February 2021, "The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review Headline Messages" Archived 20 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine p. 2
  111. ^ a b "Australia, the US and Europe are climate 'free-riders': it's time to step up". The Conversation (Australia edition). Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  112. ^
    OCLC 828337356
    .
  113. ^ "A plan for the long haul to contribute finance to the European Green Deal". European Investment Bank. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  114. ^ "Climate finance is in "a terrible sense of limbo", says IIED expert Saleemul Huq". D+C. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012.
  115. ISBN 978-1-901795-76-9. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  116. ^ Damian Carrington, "Climate change will determine humanity's destiny, says Angela Merkel" Archived 19 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 15 November 2017 (page visited on 15 November 2017).
  117. ^ a b Ansuategi, A; Greño, P; Houlden, V; et al. (May 2015). "The impact of climate change on the achievement of the post-2015 sustainable development goals" (PDF). CDKN & HR Wallingford. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  118. ^ The World Bank, "Part One: Chapter 2: Reducing Human Vulnerability: Helping People Help Themselves" (PDF), Managing social risks: Empower communities to protect themselves, archived (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2011, retrieved 27 March 2018, p. 109, WDR 2010.
  119. ^ Rigaud, Kanta Kumari; de Sherbinin, Alex; Jones, Bryan; Bergmann, Jonas; Clement, Viviane; Ober, Kayly; Schewe, Jacob; Adamo, Susana; McCusker, Brent; Heuser, Silke; Midgley, Amelia. 2018. Groundswell : Preparing for Internal Climate Migration Archived 22 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine. World Bank, Washington, DC.
  120. ISSN 0028-0836
    .
  121. ^ Haq, Naimul (9 July 2019). "Bangladesh global leader in fighting climate change". Bangladesh Post. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  122. ^ Star Report (10 July 2019). "Hamid for active role in climate change adaptation". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  123. ^ "How Climate Change Is Spurring Land Conflict in Nigeria". Time. 28 June 2018.
  124. ^ "The battle on the frontline of climate change in Mali". BBC News. 22 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  125. ^ "The Deadliest Conflict You've Never Heard of". Foreign Policy. 23 January 2019. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019.
  126. ^ "The Sahel in flames". The New Humanitarian. 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  127. ^ "Climate change, food shortages, and conflict in Mali". Al-Jazeera. 27 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  128. ^ Williams, Jeremy (1 July 2007). "Political factors that affect development". Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  129. ^ a b c Edwards, S. "Trade Orientation, Distortions and Growth In Developing Countries." (n.d.): n. pag. 1–37
  130. ^ "Republic of Armenia Anti-Corruption strategy and Implementation Action Plan" (PDF). Republic of Armenia. 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  131. from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  132. ^ Verspoor A. "Pathways to Change: Improving the Quality of Education in Developing Countries". World Bank Discussion Papers. 53.
  133. ^ "Aid for Trade – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development". www.oecd.org. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  134. ^ "Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals". The Global Goals. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  135. ^ "World Economic Outlook, Database—WEO Groups and Aggregates Information, April 2023". Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  136. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  137. ^ "World Bank Open Data". Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  138. ^ a b c d e "IMF Advanced Economies List. World Economic Outlook, May 1998, p. 134" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 August 2000. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  139. Republic of China. See Foreign relations of Taiwan
    .
  140. ^ "World Economic Outlook, April 2001, p.157" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 September 2001. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  141. ^ "World Economic Outlook, April 2007, p.204" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  142. ^ "World Economic Outlook, April 2008, p.236" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  143. ^ a b "World Economic Outlook, April 2009, p.184" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  144. ^ Velinger, Jan (28 February 2006). "World Bank Marks Czech Republic's Graduation to 'Developed' Status". Radio Prague. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  145. ^ "World Economic Outlook, April 2011, p.172" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  146. ^ "World Economic Outlook, April 2014, p.160" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  147. ^ "World Economic Outlook, April 2015, p.48" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  148. ^ "World Economic Outlook Database – Changes to the Database". www.imf.org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  149. ^ "World Economic Outlook Database – Changes to the Database". www.imf.org. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  150. ^ "World Economic Outlook, October 2012, p.180" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  151. ^ a b "World Economic Outlook, April 2016, p.148" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  152. ^ "Dependency Theory: A Useful Tool for Analyzing Global Inequalities Today?". E-International Relations. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  153. ProQuest 207594362. Archived
    from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.

Works cited

External links