27. Economic Development and Inequality 27.2 How We Measure Economic Development
There are a number of different indicators of economic development. Each can be measured to identify how developed a country’s economy is or used to compare the economic development of different countries.
Indicators of Economic Development
Gross national
income (GNI) is the total amount of money earned by a
nation’s people and businesses from making goods and providing services in a financial year. It is measured in US dollars (US$). To calculate its amount per capita (which means per single person), divide GNI by the population of the country.
GNI Average life expectancy is the
average number of years a person can expect to live from time of birth.
The numbers employed in secondary and tertiary activities
Education rate means the average number of years spent in education in a country.
Indicators of Economic Development
The higher the rates for each of these indicators, the more developed a country’s economy is considered to be.
The adult literacy
rate is the percentage of adults in a country who can read and write.