The Main characteristics of a developed country Are those that account for the social, economic, political and environmental advances made. A developed country Will be the one that possesses a high level of progress and a significant projection of growth of those factors.
Traditionally the focus was on the economic progress of nations to determine their degree of development. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is the historical indicator for measuring economic development. Although today the levels of industrialization of the country and the balance of its commercial operations are also considered.
It should be clarified that there are differences in the academic field on which are the best criteria to establish the level of development of each town. However, analysts, in conjunction with the major international agencies, agree on the application of global metrics to determine how developed a country is.
Thus, in addition to economic development, theorists agree to include other aspects to take into account. On the one hand, the political situation, delimited by the stability of governments, the level of corruption And the absence of armed conflict and violence, among other components.
On the other hand, the social context is evaluated according to classic statistics, such as the life expectancy at birth or the number of years of average schooling of the inhabitants.
Also today, new phenomena are being studied to understand the diversity of contemporary society. This includes measures on social equity, gender equality and the level of poverty.
Finally, we consider the environmental situation, which in recent decades has been gaining ground, to become a central theme in the development of countries.
Pollution of the environment is a factor of recent consideration, but its role is beginning to grow.
7 main characteristics of a developed country
1- Economic development
An economy is considered to be developed when it has high levels of economic growth and financial security.
Among the factors most accepted for determining the economic strength of a country are the GDP per capita , Which represents the total gross income of an economy divided by the number of inhabitants of the country.
Some economists consider that a GDP of between.000 and.000 dollars per inhabitant is sufficient to consider that the economy is developed. However, other theoretical trends determined that the $ 1,000 per capita barrier needs to be overcome to speak of a developed country.
The United Nations (UN), in its global economic report, establishes, in addition to developed economies, developing and undeveloped economies. But as the report points out, the classification that only considers the economic aspect will not reflect the complexity of measuring the development of countries.
The 10 countries with the highest GDP per capita in the world. Source: International Monetary Fund.
2- Industrialization and foreign trade
The level of industrialization of the country will be higher as it depends less on agricultural activity to survive.
Those countries that can generate greater added value over their natural resources and raw materials will reach a higher level of industrialization, and therefore of development.
The trade balance represents the difference between imports and exports of each country. It gives us information about the commercial flows of each one. A country will be more developed to the extent that it has a balanced or profitable trade balance.
This will happen when the level of exports is equal to or higher (surplus) at the level of imports. Otherwise we will have deficits, that is, we import more than what is exported. On the other hand, it will be necessary to observe the trade and financial agreements in which each country is a member.
Trade balance at the global level in 2006. In blue the countries with surplus and in red the countries with deficit. In gray without data. Source: CIA factbook, CIA.
3- Political stability
Another reliable index, developed by the World Bank, is the IGM (Global Governance Indicator). Its elaboration includes data on political stability, absence of violence and armed conflicts, government effectiveness, respect and quality of laws, transparency and possibility of dialogue on the part of the citizens.
The IGM estimate is based on a scale of between -2.5 and +2.5 points. Countries closer to +2.5 show a high degree of governance, a factor that determines their level of development. On the other hand, those who are under 0 will not have a government with good projections nor will they be able to reach full development.
4- Health and education
Since 1990, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has developed the Human Development Index (HDI).
This well-known report takes into account 3 dimensions of human life - health, education and income - on which it produces an index that concentrates the developed countries in their first positions.
In terms of health, the life expectancy index at birth is considered. This value reflects the possibility that the inhabitants of a country have a long and healthy life.
Regarding education, the average number of years of schooling that citizens possess is established, to reflect their ability to incorporate knowledge and knowledge. Income is calculated on the basis of GDP per capita.
Human Development Index in the world 2017. The color blue is more intense as the rate of development of each country increases. Source: 2016 Human Development Report, UN.
5- Social equity, gender equality and low levels of poverty
For some years, the HDI considers other values to understand human development in an integral way. The level of equity between the different social classes and between the two sexes is measured.
The percentage of women empowered in society is also investigated and the extent of poverty among the population is analyzed, taking into account their multiple dimensions.
According to the latest report published by the United Nations, the five countries with the highest human development index are: Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.
In Asia the first place is occupied Singapore, in America the honor is of Canada, whereas in Africa the Seychelles Islands occupy the first position.
6- Scarce corruption
The political situation is also key to determining the development of countries. First, good governance by governments should be considered as the pillar of the country's political welfare. We must also analyze the levels of corruption in the country, at different levels of government.
Increased corruption undermined the governance of peoples and increased the current crisis of democratic representation in some regions.
This is due to the growing distrust among citizens of those countries with high corruption cases. The lower this level, the faster the development of societies.
Index of Corruption Perception in the world in 2015. The higher the percentage, the lower the level of corruption. Source: Transparency International.
7- Clean environment
Developed countries have been leaders at economic and industrial level, but also in terms of environmental pollution .
Although the most advanced economies are the most polluting in the last decades, the agreements in the international community and the pressure of different groups of activists have changed the situation.
The idea of living in a sustainable world is no longer a dream to become a reality.
First it was in Kyoto, Japan, in 1993, and then in Paris, France, in 2016. At both global environmental summits, leaders from virtually every country in the globe agreed that the progress of their peoples would only be possible in coexistence With a pollution-free environment.
Several goals were set to strengthen the use of clean energy and to reduce the emission of toxic gases.
Water pollution in the world. The color green represents countries where more than 95% of the population has access to clean water, while in yellow are countries that provide clean water to between 75% and 94% of its inhabitants. Red in countries where less than 75% of the population has access to potable water. Source: UNDP 2006, UN.
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