Development Indicators (contd)

Summary of Today : Wednesday 23 April 2009

Population Indicators
Growth rate, Infant mortality, life expectancy and Urban Population are the four most important population (Demographic) indicators used to help measure development. In MEDCs like UK, most people can expect to live well (life expectancy) into their late 70s.
Growth rate is calculated by subtracting the death rate from the birth rate. MEDCs usually have low birth rates. Less developed countries has a fall in growth rate but they are still several times higher than for developed countries.
Higher rates of infant mortality are the major contibutor to higher birth rates in LEDCs
As health services and general quality of life improve = growth rate and infant mortality fall --- life expectancy increases.
E.g. Population indicators ( from UNDP Human Development Report, 2003)
Growth rate (1975-200 Infant Mortality Life expectancy Urban
UK 0.2 5 78.1 89%
Ethiopia 2.7 114 45.5 15%

Social indicators
Countries with a high HDI score over 0.8, those with medium HDI are between 0.5 and 0.79, those under 0.5 have a low HDI.
e.g USA HDI =0.939 ( 279 doctors per 100,000 people)
Ethiopia HDI = 0.359 (1.4 doctors per 100,000 people)
MEDCs like the USA has a far better ratio of doctors per person.

Different level of development
MEDC = GDP over $10,000 per capita, HDI over 0,8, HIgh life expectancy
NIC = GDP $3000-10,000 percapita, HDI approx. 0.65-0.8, good life expectancy
LEDC = GDP $1000-$3000 percapita, HDI approx.0.45-0.65, low life expectancy
LLEDC = GDP less than $1000 percapita, HDI under 0.45, very low life expectancy

Why is development so unequal?
What are the reasons for wide differences in development?
Many LEDCs are located in the Tropics. Causing widespread damage. E.g Earthquake and volcanoes.
Extreme climatic conditions.
Hot and wet conditions are breading ground for disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes, bacteria and viruses.
Colonisation.
Many LEDCs borrow large sum of many from MEDCs creating debts.
Lots of LEDCs are newly independent ( Many suffer from political instability, conflict and civil war)

Difference within countries
Not only do development levels vary between countries, they also vary within countries. E.g. Differences in Italy and Brazil.
Although development indicators are very useful to allow comparisons of development levels between countries. It is very important to remember that these are “average” figures. Country data does not show regional variety.