Changing Economic World: The Development Gap
The development gap is the difference in wealth and quality of life between the world's richer and poorer countries. It is measured using economic indicators, such as Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, and social indicators, such as life expectancy and literacy rate, which are often combined into a single score called the Human Development Index (HDI). The gap has physical, historical, economic and political causes, and countries and organisations use strategies such as aid, fairer trade and debt relief to try to narrow it.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- Learn the difference between an economic measure of development (e.g. GNI per capita) and a social measure (e.g. life expectancy, literacy rate).
- Learn what the Human Development Index (HDI) combines and why using several measures gives a fuller picture than GNI per capita alone.
- Learn the physical causes of uneven development (e.g. climate, being landlocked, natural hazards) separately from the historical and economic causes (e.g. colonialism, unequal trade, debt).
- Learn the difference between short-term (emergency) aid and long-term (development) aid, and between top-down and bottom-up strategies.
- Learn one named example of a bottom-up strategy (e.g. the Grameen Bank microfinance scheme in Bangladesh) and one of a top-down strategy (e.g. a large, government-led infrastructure project).
- For 'assess' or 'evaluate' questions, plan one paragraph in support of the statement and one against it, each backed by a named example, then write a conclusion that directly answers the question.
Worked example
Country X has a GNI per capita of 2,000 US dollars and a life expectancy of 61 years. Country Y has a GNI per capita of 38,000 US dollars and a life expectancy of 82 years. Calculate the difference in GNI per capita between the two countries, and state whether GNI per capita or life expectancy shows the smaller relative gap between them.
- Find the difference in GNI per capita: 38,000 - 2,000.
- Calculate: 38,000 - 2,000 = 36,000, so the GNI per capita gap is 36,000 US dollars.
- Compare the two countries as a ratio for each measure: GNI per capita, 38,000 / 2,000 = 19 times higher in Country Y.
- Life expectancy, 82 / 61 = approximately 1.3 times higher in Country Y.
- Since 1.3 is much smaller than 19, life expectancy shows the smaller relative gap between the two countries.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Geography exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Explain TWO economic causes of the development gap between richer and poorer countries.
'International aid is the most effective way of closing the development gap.' Assess the extent to which you agree with this statement.
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