Measuring development

Classifying countries

is the progress a country makes in improving its people's lives: their wealth, health, education and freedom.

AQA uses three groups:

(high-income countries), such as the UK and Japan;
(newly emerging economies), whose economies are growing fast, such as Nigeria, Brazil, India and China;
(low-income countries), such as Ethiopia and Afghanistan.

The World Bank sorts countries by income: for 2026, a low-income country had a gross national income (GNI) of $1,135 or less per person in 2024.

Key terms

Measures of development

Measure	What it shows	Limits
	Average income	An average: hides gaps between rich and poor
Birth rate (births per 1,000 people a year)	Falls as women get education and jobs	Also shaped by religion and culture
Death rate (deaths per 1,000 a year)	Health care	Can be high in HICs with many old people
(deaths under 1, per 1,000 births)	Health care and clean water	Not always recorded
	Overall health	An average
Literacy rate	Education	Says nothing about higher skills

No single measure tells the whole story, so a mix of economic and social measures is used.

Key terms

The Human Development Index

The (HDI), from the United Nations, combines three measures into one score between 0 and 1:

health: life expectancy;
education: years of schooling;
wealth: GNI per head.

In the UN's 2025 report, Iceland had the highest HDI, 0.972, and Nigeria ranked 164th, with 0.560.

Because it combines social and economic measures, the HDI gives a fuller picture than income alone. But it is still an average for a whole country, and it leaves out things such as freedom and inequality.

Key terms

The Demographic Transition Model

The (DTM) shows how birth and death rates change as a country develops:

High fluctuating: high birth and death rates; little growth. Few places today.
Early expanding: death rates fall with better health care and food; rapid growth. Some LICs.
Late expanding: birth rates fall, as women have education, jobs and contraception; growth slows. Many NEEs.
Low fluctuating: low birth and death rates; slow growth. Most HICs, such as the UK.
Declining: birth rates fall below death rates; the population shrinks, such as Japan.

Key terms

Exam practice

Plan your own answer first, then open the model answers to see what each level looks like.

4 marks · about 4 minutes

Explain why a range of measures is used to show a country's level of development.

Explain means: Give the reasons why something happens, developing each point with "because" or "so".

Level 1 (Basic)· 2/4 marks (band 1–2)

GNI per head shows wealth. Life expectancy shows health. Using more than one is better.

Why this level: Two measures named, but it doesn't explain why one measure isn't enough. To reach Level 2: explain the limits of a single measure and what a combination adds.

Level 2 (Clear)· 4/4 marks (band 3–4)

No single measure tells the whole story. GNI per head is an average, so it hides gaps between rich and poor, and it says nothing about health or education. Social measures, such as life expectancy and literacy rate, show people's quality of life. Combining economic and social measures, as the HDI does, gives a fuller picture of development.

Why this level: A clear explanation of the limits of one measure, with examples, and why combining them helps. Full marks.

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