Development Indicators (D+H) Flashcards
Single Indicators; Economic
- Gross domestic product per capita
- % employed in agriculture
- Energy consumption per capita
- $ per person; 1 - Lichtenstein - 139100, 37 - UK - 46659, 225 - Burundi - 752
Single Indicators; Social
- Infant mortality rate
- Life expectancy
- People per doctor
- Calorie intake per person
- % attendance at secondary school
- Adult literacy rate; 1 - North Korea - 100, 26 - UK - 99, 216 - Chad - 22.3
Problems with using single indicators;
Development indicators are averages, therefore figures may disguise inequalities within a country.
- In Somalia, the capital Mogadishu has lower death rate than average as there is better access to hospitals and doctors there.
- In the south of the country the death rate is higher than average as there is food insecurity, due to prolonged civil war and natural disasters.
Factors that affect development - Human
Trade, Population Growth, Industrialization, Political turmoil
Factors that affect development - Physical
Climate, Resources, Relief, Natural disasters
Problems with using single indicators;
Even within cities there can be big differences.
- In Mumbai there is a much lower life expectancy in the slums like Dharavi than in richer areas like Colaba.
- This is also true of cities in developed countries.
- Men in the Possil area of Glasgow have a life expectancy of 66. Those in the more affluent Jordanhill area have a life expectancy of 80.
Problems with using single indicators;
Kuwait
- In Kuwait, huge oil revenues give a high GNP per capita.
- Money is spread unevenly and only goes to a few rich and adult literacy rate are not those expected of a rich country.
Problems with using single indicators;
Census
- Most developing countries censuses are poorly financed and information is inaccurate.
- This means statistics cannot be fully trusted.
Problems with using single indicators;
Diet
- Calories per day is an inaccurate measure as in some countries people consume only one type of food. This is not a balanced diet.
- This happens in Malawi which has mainly a maize based diet.
Problems with using single indicators;
Gross National Income (GNI)
- In countries such as Bangladesh Gross National Income ( GNI) per capita is irrelevant as many of the people are involved in subsistence agriculture.
- Some do not use money and mainly barter to obtain goods and services.
Composite Indicators
An alternative to using single indicators is to use a composite indicator. These combine a selection of social and economic indicators to provide a more holistic approach to measuring development. One of the most commonly used composite indicators is the HDI (Human Development Indicator) 1 - Norway - 0.957, 13 - UK - 0.932, 188 - Niger - 0.394
The HDI ( Human Development Indicator) combines; 1. Health - Life expectancy at birth
- Shows the possible life span for each person which provides a measure of the health and well being within a country.
- People who live in developed countries will live longer as they will have access t good health care, regular food supplies and are economically better off.
The HDI ( Human Development Indicator) combines; 2. Education - Average length of schooling years, Literacy rate (as percentage of adults who can read)
- Economically more developed countries would be expected to have a high figure reflecting compulsory primary and secondary schooling.
The HDI ( Human Development Indicator) combines; 3. Wealth - GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP)
- This indicator uses exchange rates to equalize purchasing power and takes into account the cost of living in a country.
- Indicates the wealth generation of the population which provides a measure of the wealth/prosperity of the country.
