Economic, social and environmental development

How can we tell how developed a country is?

Measures of development • Development can be measured using one single index

(e.g. GDP) or by composite (combined) factors. There are three main different categories to measure development …

1. Economic This data looks at the monetary value from a country. It includes GDP and income per capita (per person). This data is hard to be totally accurate as it is converted into US$ and doesn't include any people working in the informal economy or anyone in subsistence agriculture (farming just to feed a family, not selling for profit.)

2. Social • Social development looks at more issues about how

people live in each country. • For example the Human Development Index is a

measure of three indicators • Life Expectancy • Education (literacy rates and average number of years in

school) • GDP per capita.

HDI 2010

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/UN_Human_Development_Report_2010_1.PNG

2. Social • The Gender Inequality Index is another social

composite measurement looking at;• Reproductive health

• Age of first child rises as gender inequality falls. • Empowerment.

• Women enter politics they become empowered. • Education and employment

• Staying at school or university for longer means more employment opportunities.

3. Environmental • Clear link between environment and development. • Air quality deteriorates as development increases. • Key pollutants include sulphur dioxide and nitrogen

oxides. • Developed countries export manufacturing

(outsourcing the problem) and control vehicle emissions to reduce pollution.

Sulphur dioxide from burning fossil fuels

Gap Minder • Have a look at some data here

Your turn to research! • Choose 4 counties at different levels of

development and complete the data: CIA World fact book

Country Economic ……………………

Social……………………

Environmental …………………