Developed country: Difference between revisions

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* {{flagicon|Holy See}} [[Holy See]] {{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}
* {{flagicon|Holy See}} [[Holy See]] {{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}


=== Economist's Quality-of-life survey===
===Economist's Quality-of-life survey===
Research about [[standards of living]] and [[quality of life]] by the [[Economist Intelligence Unit]] resulted in a [[quality-of-life index]]. As of 2005, the highest-ranked economies are<!--
Research about [[standards of living]] and [[quality of life]] by the [[Economist Intelligence Unit]] resulted in a [[quality-of-life index]]. As of 2005, the highest-ranked economies are<!--


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<li>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
<li>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
<li>{{flagicon|South Korea}} [[South Korea]]
<li>{{flagicon|South Korea}} [[South Korea]]
</ol>

{{col-end}}

===InternationalLiving Quality-of-life survey===
Research<ref>[http://www1.internationalliving.com/qofl2010 InternationalLiving Index]</ref> about [[standards of living]] and [[quality of life]] by the [[International Living]] resulted in a [[quality-of-life index]]. As of 2010, the highest-ranked economies are:

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
<ol>

<li value="1">{{flagicon|France}} [[France]]
<li>{{flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]]
<li>{{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Switzerland]]
<li>{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]]
<li>{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]
<li>{{flagicon|Luxembourg}} [[Luxembourg]]

{{col-break}}
<ol>

<li value="7">{{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
<li>{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Belgium]]
<li>{{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]
<li>{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Italy]]
<li>{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]
<li>{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Norway]]

{{col-break}}
<ol>

<li value="13">{{flagicon|Austria}} [[Austria]]
<li>{{flagicon|Liechtenstein}} [[Liechtenstein]]
<li>{{flagicon|Malta}} [[Malta]]
<li>{{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Denmark]]
<li>{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Spain]]
<li>{{flagicon|Finland}} [[Finland]]


{{col-break}}
<ol>

<li value="19">{{flagicon|Uruguay}} [[Uruguay]]
<li>{{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungary]]
<li>{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Portugal]]
<li>{{flagicon|Lithuania}} [[Lithuania]]
<li>{{flagicon|Andorra}} [[Andorra]]
<li>{{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Czech Republic]]


{{col-break}}
<ol>

<li value="25">{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
<li>{{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Argentina]]
<li>{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Slovenia]]
<li>{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Greece]]
<li>{{flagicon|Monaco}} [[Monaco]]
<li>{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Sweden]]
</ol>
</ol>


Revision as of 16:26, 15 September 2010

Developed countries are shown in blue (According to the IMF, as of 2008).

The term developed country is used to describe countries that have a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue and is surrounded by fierce debate. Economic criteria have tended to dominate discussions. One such criterion is income per capita; countries with high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita would thus be described as developed countries. Another economic criterion is industrialization; countries in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors of industry dominate would thus be described as developed. More recently another measure, the Human Development Index (HDI), which combines an economic measure, national income, with other measures, indices for life expectancy and education has become prominent. This criterion would define developed countries as those with a very high (HDI) rating. However, many anomalies exist when determining "developed" status by whichever measure is used.[example needed]

Countries not fitting such definitions are classified as developing countries.

Similar terms

Terms similar to developed country include advanced country, industrialized country, more developed country (MDC), more economically developed country (MEDC), Global North country, first world country, and post-industrial country. The term industrialized country may be somewhat ambiguous, as industrialization is an ongoing process that is hard to define. The term MEDC is one used by modern geographers to specifically describe the status of the countries referred to: more economically developed. The first industrialised country was Britain, followed by Belgium, Germany, United States, France and other Western European countries. According to some economists such as Jeffrey Sachs, however, the current divide between the developed and developing world is largely a phenomenon of the 20th century.[1]

Definition

Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, defined a developed country as follows: "A developed country is one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment."[2] But according to the United Nations Statistics Division,

There is no established convention for the designation of "developed" and "developing" countries or areas in the United Nations system.[3]

And it notes that

The designations "developed" and "developing" are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process.[4]

The UN also notes

In common practice, Japan in Asia, Canada and the United States in North America, Australia and New Zealand in Oceania, and most European countries are considered "developed" regions or areas. In international trade statistics, the Southern African Customs Union is also treated as a developed region and Israel as a developed country; countries emerging from the former Yugoslavia are treated as developing countries; and countries of eastern Europe and of the Commonwealth of Independent States (code 172) in Europe are not included under either developed or developing regions.[3]

According to the classification from IMF before April 2004, all the countries of Eastern Europe (including Central European countries that still belong to the Eastern Europe Group in the UN institutions) as well as the former Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) and Mongolia, were not included under either developed or developing regions, but rather were referred to as "countries in transition"; however they are now widely regarded (in the international reports) as "developing countries". In the 21st century, the original Four Asian Tigers[5] (which are Hong Kong[5][6], Taiwan[5][6], Singapore[5][6] and South Korea[5][6][7][8]) are considered "developed" region or areas, along with Cyprus[6], Czech republic[6], Israel[6], Malta[6] and Slovenia[6].

Human Development Index

World map indicating the Human Development Index (based on 2007 data, published on October 5, 2009)[citation needed]
  0.950 and Over
  0.900–0.949
  0.850–0.899
  0.800–0.849
  0.750–0.799
  0.700–0.749
  0.650–0.699
  0.600–0.649
  0.550–0.599
  0.500–0.549
  0.450–0.499
  0.400–0.449
  0.350–0.399
  under 0.350
  not available
(Color-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems.
Main articles: Human Development Index and List of countries by Human Development Index

The UN HDI is a statistical measure that gauges a country's level of human development. While there is a strong correlation between having a high HDI score and a prosperous economy, the UN points out that the HDI accounts for more than income or productivity. Unlike GDP per capita or per capita income, the HDI takes into account how income is turned "into education and health opportunities and therefore into higher levels of human development." A few examples are Italy and the United States. Despite a relatively large difference in GDP per capita, both countries rank roughly equal in term of overall human development.[9] Since 1980, Norway (2001–2006 and 2009), Japan (1990–91 and 1993), Canada (1992 and 1994–2000) and Iceland (2007–08) have had the highest HDI score. Countries with a score of over 0.800 are considered to have a "high" standard of human development. The top 38 countries have scores ranging from 0.902 in Malta to 0.971 in Norway.[10]

Many countries listed by IMF or[11] CIA as "advanced" (as of 2009), possess an HDI over 0.9 (as of 2007). Many countries[12] possessing an HDI of 0.9 and over (as of 2007), are also listed by IMF or CIA as "advanced" (as of 2009). Thus, many "advanced economies" (as of 2009) are characterized by an HDI score of 0.9 or higher (as of 2007).

The latest index was released on October 5, 2009 and covers the period up to 2007. The following are the 38 countries classified as possessing a "Very high human development" with an HDI at or above 0.900.[13]

Other lists of Developed Countries

Only three institutions have produced lists of "developed countries". The three institutions and their lists are the UN list (shown above), the CIA[14] list and the FTSE Group's list, whose list is not included because its association of developed countries with countries with both high incomes and developed markets is not deemed as directly relevant here.[15] However many institutions have created lists which are sometimes referred to when people are discussing developed countries. The IMF identifies 34 "advanced economies",[6] The OECD, also widely known as the 'developed countries club' [16][17][18] has 30 members. The World Bank identifies 66 "high income countries". The EIU's Quality-of-life survey and a list of countries with welfare states are also included here. The criteria for using all these lists and for countries' inclusion on these lists are often not properly spelt out, and several of these lists are based on old data.

IMF advanced economies

  Countries described as Advanced Economies by the IMF.

According to the International Monetary Fund the following 34 countries are classified as "advanced economies":[6]

•  Australia •  Finland •  Israel •  Norway •  Spain
•  Austria •  France •  Italy •  Portugal •  Sweden
•  Belgium •  Germany •  Japan •  San Marino[19] •   Switzerland
•  Canada •  Greece •  Luxembourg •  Singapore •  Taiwan
•  Cyprus •  Hong Kong •  Malta •  Slovakia •  United Kingdom
•  Czech Republic •  Iceland •  Netherlands •  Slovenia •  United States
•  Denmark •  Ireland •  New Zealand •  South Korea

The CIA has a modified version of an old version of the IMF's list of Advanced Economies. The CIA notes that the IMF's Advanced Economies list "would presumably also cover"[14] some smaller countries. They are:

•  Andorra •  Bermuda •  Faroe Islands •  Holy See •  Liechtenstein •  Monaco

Development Assistance Committee members

Members of the OECD Development Assistance Committee.

There are 24 members—select 23 OECD member countries and the European Commission—in the Development Assistance Committee,[20] a group of the world's major donor countries that discuss issues surrounding development aid and poverty reduction in developing countries.[21] As of 2010, the following OECD member countries are DAC members:

•  Australia •  France •  Luxembourg •  Spain
•  Austria •  Germany •  Netherlands •  Sweden
•  Belgium •  Greece •  New Zealand •   Switzerland
•  Canada •  Ireland •  Norway •  United Kingdom
•  Denmark •  Italy •  Portugal •  United States
•  Finland •  Japan •  South Korea

The DAC membership excludes the following OECD members: Chile, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

High-income OECD members

There are 30 High-income OECD members,[22] although there are three other OECD members (Mexico, Turkey, and Chile) that are not high-income members (but rather are upper-middle-income economies), while Estonia (being a high income economy) is expected to join OECD in 2010.[23] As of 2010, the High-income OECD membership is as follows:

23 countries in Europe:

•  Austria •  Hungary •  Portugal
•  Belgium •  Iceland •  Slovakia
•  Czech Republic •  Ireland •  Slovenia
•  Denmark •  Italy •  Spain
•  Finland •  Luxembourg •  Sweden
•  France •  Netherlands •   Switzerland
•  Germany •  Norway •  United Kingdom
•  Greece •  Poland

3 countries in Asia:

•  Israel
•  Japan
•  South Korea

2 countries in North America:

•  Canada
•  United States

2 countries in Oceania:

•  Australia
•  New Zealand

World Bank high-income economies

Main article: High income economy

"High income economies" are defined by the World Bank as countries with a Gross National Income per capita of $12,196 or more in 2009.[24] According to the United Nations definition some high income countries may also be developing countries. Thus, a high income country may be classified as either developed or developing.[25]

According to the World Bank, the following 69 countries and territories are classified as "high-income economies":[26][27][28]

High-income economy not classified by World Bank:

Economist's Quality-of-life survey

Research about standards of living and quality of life by the Economist Intelligence Unit resulted in a quality-of-life index. As of 2005, the highest-ranked economies are[29]

InternationalLiving Quality-of-life survey

Research[30] about standards of living and quality of life by the International Living resulted in a quality-of-life index. As of 2010, the highest-ranked economies are:


Newsweek's Quality-of-life survey

Research[31] about standards of living and quality of life by Newsweek, resulted in the "world's best countries" index, measuring: "health, education, economy, and politics". As of 15/8/2010, the highest-ranked countries are:

See also

References

  1. ^ Sachs, Jeffrey (2005). The End of Poverty. The Penguin Press. ISBN 1-59420-045-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |tlocation= ignored (help)
  2. ^ http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/G_05_00.htm
  3. ^ a b "Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings (footnote C)". United Nations Statistics Division. revised 17 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm
  5. ^ a b c d e http://www.businesspme.com/uk/articles/economics/78/East-Asian-Tigers-.html
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k IMF Advanced Economies List. World Economic Outlook, Database—WEO Groups and Aggregates Information, October 2009.
  7. ^ http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1018.html
  8. ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/98c62f1c-850f-11dd-b148-0000779fd18c.html
  9. ^ "UN. (2006). Human Development Report". Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  10. ^ "UN. (2008). Human Development Index: A Statistical Update". Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  11. ^ The official classification of "advanced countries" is originally made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF list doesn't deal with non-IMF members. The CIA intends to follow IMF list but adds few countries which aren't dealt with by IMF due to their not being IMF members. By May 2001, the advanced country list of the CIA was more comprehensive than the original IMF list. However, since May 2001, three additional countries (Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia) have been added to the original IMF list, thus leaving the CIA list not updated.
  12. ^ Namely sovereign states, i.e. excluding Macau: In 2003 the government of Macau calculated its HDI as being 0.909 (the UN does not calculate Macau's HDI); In January 2007, the People's Daily reported (from China Modernization Report 2007): "In 2004...Macau...had reached the level of developed countries". However, Macau is not recognized by any international organisation as a developed/advanced territory, while the UNCTAD organisation (of the UN), as well as the CIA, classify Macau as a "developing" territory. The World Bank classifies Macau as a high income economy (along with developed economies as well as with few developing economies).
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ a b CIA (2008). "Appendix B. International Organizations and Groups. [[World Factbook]]". Retrieved 2008-04-10. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  15. ^ http://www.ftse.com/Indices/Country_Classification/Downloads/FTSE_Country_Classification_Sept_09_update.pdf The Developed Countries Glossary entry reads: "The following countries are classified by FTSE as developed countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States."
  16. ^ http://www.hungarianquarterly.com/no160/104.shtml
  17. ^ http://www.indianexpress.com/old/ie/daily/19971214/34850733.html
  18. ^ http://www.esri.go.jp/en/forum1/minute/minute26-e.html
  19. ^ World Economic Outlook, International Monetary Fund, October 2009, second paragraph, line 9–10.
  20. ^ http://www.oecd.org/document/38/0,3343,en_2649_34603_1893350_1_1_1_1,00.html
  21. ^ DAC website >> "The DAC in Dates", On the DAC's self-description, see the introductory letter. On other events, refer to the relevant section by date.
  22. ^ http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#OECD_members
  23. ^ [2]
  24. ^ "World Bank, Country Classification". Retrieved 2009-07-11.
  25. ^ "UN. (2005). UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  26. ^ World Bank - Country Groups. Accessed on July 11, 2009
  27. ^ World Bank - Country Classification. Accessed on October 12, 2008, last paragraph, line 4.
  28. ^ Country classification table, World Bank. Accessed on line December 22, 2008.
  29. ^ The world in 2005: The Economist Intelligence Unit's quality-of-life index, The Economist. Accessed on line January 8, 2007.
  30. ^ InternationalLiving Index
  31. ^ The world's best countries: 2010 index, Newsweek. Accessed on line August, 15 2007.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Developed_country&oldid=385005622"