Social and economic measures of development
The process of a country becoming richer or having better healthcare and education. in countries can be measured in several different ways. Some are economic measures, and others are social measures.
Human Development Index (HDI)
Development is measured using the A statistical index used to rank the 'human development' of countries, on a scale between 0 and 1. Covers life expectancy, education and living standards.). HDI is calculated by the The successor to the League of Nations, the United Nations was established in 1945 as an international organisation designed to keep peace, uphold international law and set standards in human rights.. It measures average The average number of years a person is expected to live depending on where they live., level of education and income for each country in the world. Each country is given a score between 0 and 1 - the closer a country gets to 1, the more developed it is.
Other measures of development
HDI is the best measure of development as it takes into account both economic and social factors. However there are many other measures of development that can be used. Some of them are:
| Measure of development | Description |
| Access to safe water | The percentage of people who have access to safe, clean water. |
| Birth rate | The number of live births per 1,000 people. Birth rates are often high in a less developed country. |
| Death rate | The number of deaths per 1,000 people. High death rates can indicate a less developed country. |
| GNI per capita | Gross national income per person. The value of a country's income, divided by the number of people in that country. |
| Infant mortality rate | The number of babies who don't survive to the age of 1 per 1,000 live births. |
| Life expectancy | The average age that a person may live to. |
| Literacy rate | The percentage of adults who can read and write. |
| People per doctor | A ratio to show the number of people per doctor. A lower ratio can indicate a richer country. |
| Measure of development | Access to safe water |
|---|---|
| Description | The percentage of people who have access to safe, clean water. |
| Measure of development | Birth rate |
|---|---|
| Description | The number of live births per 1,000 people. Birth rates are often high in a less developed country. |
| Measure of development | Death rate |
|---|---|
| Description | The number of deaths per 1,000 people. High death rates can indicate a less developed country. |
| Measure of development | GNI per capita |
|---|---|
| Description | Gross national income per person. The value of a country's income, divided by the number of people in that country. |
| Measure of development | Infant mortality rate |
|---|---|
| Description | The number of babies who don't survive to the age of 1 per 1,000 live births. |
| Measure of development | Life expectancy |
|---|---|
| Description | The average age that a person may live to. |
| Measure of development | Literacy rate |
|---|---|
| Description | The percentage of adults who can read and write. |
| Measure of development | People per doctor |
|---|---|
| Description | A ratio to show the number of people per doctor. A lower ratio can indicate a richer country. |
The Demographic Transition Model and development
The Demographic Transition Model (DTM) shows population changes over time. There are five stages in the DTM and these stages can be linked to levels of development.