27. Economic Development and Inequality Countries Grouped by United Nations Russian Federation Canada United States China India UN Groups by basic economic country conditions
Least developed countries Developing countries Economies in transition Developed countries
1. Countries grouped by the United Nations
1. Examine figure 1. Which continent has the most developed countries? 2. Which continent has the most countries defined as ‘least developed’?
What Do These Categories Mean?
Category of Country Level of Economic Development Developed country
Developing country
Least developed country
An economy in transition (changing)
A country that has a high quality of life, a well-developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure compared to other less industrialised nations
A country that has not reached a high level of industrialisation given its growing population. In most cases, it has a medium-to-low standard of living
A country that has a low level of income and faces major barriers to development, such as its population having a low quality of life, no access to healthcare and little to no income
A country that is changing its economy from being under government control to a market economy. This means companies are not controlled by the government