Measuring Development Flashcards
GDP
A single measure of development looms at 1 aspect of the quality of life
E.g. of a single measure of development = GDP (gross domestic product). This is the total value of goods + services produced in a country over 1 year
GDP (-)
It’s good at showing the economic growth of a country over time. It doesn’t account for inequality w/I a country. Also doesn’t give any insight into what that country spends their income on
Is the GDP spent on improving the quality of life of the people or it is spend on the military whilst poverty remains in the country?
According = IMF ranked on their GDP = biggest economies in the world = United States, China, Japan
Life expectancy
Global rankings of development are different when examining life expectancy rather than GDP
according = WHO Japan tops the ranking w/ LE =84.2 yrs
America (outside the top 10 = 78.5 yrs)
Composite indices
Composite index combines several measures = development 2 give a more holistic view of development
Economic measures of development include income per capita + balance of the diff economic sectors
E.g. include the HDI (human development index) + GII (gender inequality index)
HDI
Includes: life expectancy at birth (shows the healthcare provision of a country)
Expected + mean years of schooling (shows the education provision of a country)
Gross National Income (shows the state of the economy in the country)
A score = 1 would be the highest achieve able score = HDI
Environmental quality index (EQI)
EQU looks at a number = environmental factors together
An e.t. of 1 factor = air pollution measures
Development Gap + Inequality
Gap b/ rich + poor (income inequality) widening globally + nationally
Suggests globalisation has created winners + losers w/I different countries + b/ different countries
Measuring inequality
We measure inequality using GINI coefficient
A Gini coefficient = 0 would mean that everybody in the country was = + 100% of the wealth was shared b/ 100% of the pop
A Gini coefficient = 1 would mean that the country is perfect,y unequal + 100% of the wealth is owned by 1 person
Realities of Gini coefficient
In reality a score = 0 or 1 is X possible + so countries lay somewhere in between
South Africa = e.g. of a v unequal country w/ a Gini coefficient of 0.62 = 2017
Iceland is 1 of the most equal countries w/ a Gini coefficient = 0.25 = 2017
Inequal b/ countries
Some ppl argue that globalisation enables the rich (TNCs + global elites) 2 accumulate wealth faster than the poor do (provide cheap labour/ are switched off)
Inequality w/i countries
World Inequality Report = 2018 found = US the share of national income that the top 1% own has inc = 11% in 1980 - 20% = 2014
In the UK London was recently found 2 be the most unequal city while Sunderland was the most equal