Which is an economic indicator of development?

GNI per person. It measures income.

What does the literacy rate measure?

the percentage of adults who can read and write. It is a social indicator.

What does a high infant mortality rate suggest?

poor healthcare, nutrition or sanitation. Babies are the most vulnerable.

What range of values does the HDI have?

0 to 1. Closer to 1 means more developed.

Why is the HDI considered better than GNI alone?

It combines social and economic measures. It includes health and education as well as income.

What is the main weakness of any average figure for a country?

It hides differences between rich and poor people. A few very rich people can raise the average.

Measuring development · Cambridge IGCSE Geography (9

In plain words

How do you measure whether life is better in one country than another? You could count money. You could count how long people live, or how many can read. Each number tells part of the truth, and none tells it all.

8 things to know

Development is the improvement in the standard of living and quality of life of a country's people.
Economic indicators. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year. Gross national income (GNI) and gross national product (GNP) also include income earned abroad. They are usually given per person (per capita).
Social indicators: life expectancy; the literacy rate, the percentage of adults who can read and write; the infant mortality rate, the number of babies per 1000 born who die before the age of one; calorie intake; and the number of people per doctor.
The Human Development Index (HDI) combines life expectancy, education and income into one figure between 0 and 1.
Countries are grouped by income as low-income countries (LICs), middle-income countries (MICs) and high-income countries (HICs).
Limits of indicators: they are averages, which hide the gap between rich and poor. Money measures leave out the informal economy and differences in the cost of living. Data may be out of date or unreliable.
A combined measure such as the HDI gives a fuller picture than any single indicator.
Standard of living is about material wealth. Quality of life is wider: health, education, safety, freedom and the environment.

Worked example

Country A has a higher GNI per person than country B, but a lower life expectancy and literacy rate. What does this suggest?

The average income in A is higher, but the money is not reaching most people, or is not being spent on health and education.
A may be very unequal: a few rich people raise the average.
One indicator alone is misleading. A combined measure such as the HDI would rank B closer to, or above, A.

Tips and tricks

"Per capita" means per person. A large country can have a huge GDP and still be poor per person.
To evaluate an indicator, give one thing it shows well and one thing it hides.

6 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Measuring development: 6 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

Which is an economic indicator of development?
- life expectancy
- literacy rate
- GNI per person (the answer)
- infant mortality rate
It measures income.
What does the literacy rate measure?
- the number of schools
- the percentage of adults who can read and write (the answer)
- the number of books sold
- the years spent in school
It is a social indicator.
What does a high infant mortality rate suggest?
- good healthcare
- poor healthcare, nutrition or sanitation (the answer)
- a high income
- an ageing population
Babies are the most vulnerable.
What range of values does the HDI have?
- 1 to 100
- 0 to 1 (the answer)
- 0 to 10
- −1 to 1
Closer to 1 means more developed.
Why is the HDI considered better than GNI alone?
- It is easier to calculate.
- It combines social and economic measures. (the answer)
- It only measures income.
- It ignores health.
It includes health and education as well as income.
What is the main weakness of any average figure for a country?
- It is too large.
- It hides differences between rich and poor people. (the answer)
- It cannot be compared.
- It changes daily.
A few very rich people can raise the average.

6 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 9 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Measuring development

Cambridge IGCSE Geography (9–1) 0976 · 9 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

Define infant mortality rate.[2]
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The number of babies who die before their first birthday, per 1000 live births in a year.
I got this one
Name the three things that the Human Development Index combines.[3]
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Life expectancy, education and income per person.
I got this one
Explain two limitations of using GNI per person to measure development.[4]
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It is an average, so it hides inequality between rich and poor. It says nothing about health, education or quality of life. (Also: it leaves out the informal economy.)
I got this one

Answers: Measuring development

1. The number of babies who die before their first birthday, per 1000 live births in a year.
2. Life expectancy, education and income per person.
3. It is an average, so it hides inequality between rich and poor. It says nothing about health, education or quality of life. (Also: it leaves out the informal economy.)