Measuring development

Studying development is essentially about measuring how developeddeveloped: economically, socially, culturally or technologically advanced one country is compared to other countries, or to the same country in the past. There are many different ways of considering development, but the two most important are economic development and human development.

• Economic development is a measure of how wealthy a country is - and of how this wealth is generated (for example agriculture is considered less economically advanced then banking).
• Human development measures the extent to which people have access to wealth, jobs, knowledge, nutrition, health, leisure and safety - as well as political and cultural freedom. The more material elements in this list, such as wealth and nutrition, are often grouped together under the heading standard of livingstandard of living: Standard of living of a person or a population is usually measured in economic terms, ie how much wealth they have. It also takes into account what there is to spend more on, ie the goods and services that are available for purchase. Life expectancy, literacy rate and other indicators may also be taken into account, when determining standard of living.. The less material elements, such as health and leisure, are often referred to as quality of lifequality of life: The level of well-being and enjoyment of life that people have..

Development indicators

There is no simple, single way to calculate the level of development of a country, region, or people, because countries and economies, cultures and peoples differ so much. Instead geographers use a series of development indicatorsDevelopment indicators: Development indicators are factors that are used to compare the development of one region against another. Examples of indicators include GDP, number of doctors per 1000 people, adult literacy, and life expectancy. to help them judge a country's level of development. For example:

1. Health. Do all the people in a country have access to medical care? What level of healthcare is available - basic or advanced? Is it free or paid for?
2. Industry. What type of industry predominates? LEDCsLEDC: A Less Economically Developed Country [LEDC] has low levels of development, based on economic indicators, such as gross domestic product (the country's income). More of the countries in the southern hemisphere (eg countries in southern Africa, southern Asia and South America) are LEDCs, while more of the countries in the northern hemisphere are More Economically Developed Countries [MEDCs]. tend to focus more on primary industries, such as farming, fishing and mining. MEDCsMEDC: A More Economically Developed Country [MEDC] has high levels of development, based on economic indicators, such as gross domestic product (the country's income). More of the countries in the northern hemisphere are MEDCs, eg UK, USA, Canada, Europe. More of the countries in the southern hemisphere are Less Economically Developed Countries [LEDCs]. focus on secondary industries, such as manufacturing. The most advanced countries tend to focus more on tertiary industries - services businesses, such as banking and information technology.
3. Education. Do all the people in a country have access to education? Is it free? What level of education is available (ie primary education, secondary education or further/higher education)?

The slideshow below shows examples of these indicators. For each one, ask yourself whether it is an economic or a human development indicator

An operating theatre

Regions with high levels of development can be recognised by a high availability of medicines, health technology and educated workers.

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