{{Short description|Nation with a lower living standard relative to more developed countries}}{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}File:IMF advanced economies and UN least developed countries.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|{{legend|#00b9fa|Developed countries or cities}}{{legend|#ffb219|Developing countries}}{{legend|#ff562f|Least developed countries}}{{legend|#b9b9b9|Data unavailable}}The latest classifications sorted by the IMFWEB, World Economic and Financial Surveys World Economic Outlook Databaseâ€”WEO Groups and Aggregates Information,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2022/01/weodata/groups.htm, International Monetary Fund, 2 June 2022, 3 March 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230303145301/https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2022/01/weodata/groups.htm, live, and the (United Nations|UN]]Least Developed Countries {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517090756www.unohrlls.org/en/ldc/related/62/ |date=17 May 2011 }} (2018 list {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221185727unohrlls.org/custom-content/uploads/2018/12/list-of-least-developed-countries-rev1.pdf |date=21 December 2019 }}))File:HDI2022Incrimental.svg|alt=World map|thumb|World map representing #008c00ff">Very high}}

#ffcc00ff|High}}

#ff6600ff|Medium}}

#d40000ff|Low}}

#b9b9b9ff|No data}}}}A developing country is a sovereign state with a less developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries.BOOK, O’Sullivan, Arthur, Arthur O’Sullivan (economist), Steven M., Sheffrin, vanc, Economics: Principles in Action,archive.org/details/economicsprincip00osul, limited, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2003, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 471, 978-0-13-063085-8, However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreement on which countries fit this category.WEB,unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20100306024500unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20100306024500unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm, 6 March 2010,unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#ftnc, Composition of macro geographical (continental) region, United Nation s, The terms low and middle-income country (LMIC) and newly emerging economy (NEE) are often used interchangeably but refers only to the economy of the countries. The World Bank classifies the world’s economies into four groups, based on gross national income per capita: high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low income countries. Least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states are all sub-groupings of developing countries. Countries on the other end of the spectrum are usually referred to as high-income countries or developed countries.There are controversies over the term’s use, as some feel that it perpetuates an outdated concept of “us” and “them”. In 2015, the World Bank declared that the “developing/developed world categorization” had become less relevant and that they will phase out the use of that descriptor. Instead, their reports will present data aggregations for regions and income groups. The term “Global South” is used by some as an alternative term to developing countries.Developing countries tend to have some characteristics in common often due to their histories or geographies. For example, they commonly have: lower levels of access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, energy poverty, higher levels of pollution (e.g. air pollution, littering, water pollution, open defecation), higher proportions of people with tropical and infectious diseases (neglected tropical diseases), more road traffic accidents, and generally poorer quality infrastructure.In addition, there are also often high unemployment rates, widespread poverty, widespread hunger, extreme poverty, child labour, malnutrition, homelessness, substance abuse, prostitution, overpopulation, civil disorder, human capital flight, a large informal economy, high crime rates (extortion, robbery, burglary, murder, homicide, arms trafficking, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping, rape), low education levels, economic inequality, school desertion, inadequate access to family planning services, teenage pregnancy, many informal settlements and slums, corruption at all government levels, and political instability. Unlike developed countries, developing countries lack rule of law.Access to healthcare is often low. People in developing countries usually have lower life expectancies than people in developed countries, reflecting both lower income levels and poorer public health. The burden of infectious diseases, maternal mortality, child mortality and infant mortality are typically substantially higher in those countries. The effects of climate change are expected to impact developing countries more than high-income countries, as most of them have a high climate vulnerability or low climate resilience.JOURNAL, Althor G, Watson JE, Fuller RA, February 2016, Global mismatch between greenhouse gas emissions and the burden of climate change, Scientific Reports, En, 6, 1, 20281, 2016NatSR...620281A, 10.1038/srep20281, 4742864, 26848052, Developing countries often have lower median ages than developed countries. Population aging is a global phenomenon, but population age has risen more slowly in developing countries.JOURNAL, 27 May 2014, World population ageing 2013,dx.doi.org/10.18356/30d0966c-en, Statistical Papers â€“ United Nations (Ser. A), Population and Vital Statistics Report, 10.18356/30d0966c-en, 9789210566513, 2412-138X, Development aid or development cooperation is financial aid given by foreign governments and other agencies to support developing countries’ economic, environmental, social, and political development. If the Sustainable Development Goals which were set up by the United Nations for the year 2030 are achieved, they would overcome many of these problems.{{TOC limit|3}}

Terms used to classify countries

There are several terms used to classify countries into rough levels of development. Classification of any given country differs across sources, and sometimes, these classifications or the specific terminology used is considered disparaging.

By income groups

(File:High-income economies 2019.png|thumb|right|A map of World Bank high-income economies in 2019; high-income economies are indicated in blue, while former high-income economies are shown in teal. |alt=|upright=1.6)The World Bank classifies the world’s economies into four groups, based on gross national income per capita calculated using the Atlas method, re-set each year on 1 July:WEB, New country classifications by income level: 2019â€“2020,blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/new-country-classifications-income-level-2019-2020, 12 February 2021, World Bank Blogs, Data Blog, 1 July 2019, en, 7 January 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210107201418/https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/new-country-classifications-income-level-2019-2020, live,

low-income countries
lower-middle income countries
upper-middle income countries
high income countries (similar to developed countries)

The three groups that are not “high income” are together referred to as “low and middle income countries” (LMICs). For example, for the 2022 fiscal year, a low income country is defined as one with a GNI per capita less than 1,045 in current US$; a lower middle-income country is one with GNI per capita between 1,046 and 4,095 in current US$; an upper middle-income country is one with GNI per capita between 4,096 and 12,695 in current US$, and a high income country is one with GNI per capita of more than 12,696 in current US$.WEB,datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups, World Bank Country and Lending Groups, World Bank Data Help Desk, 10 January 2022, 28 October 2019,web.archive.org/web/20191028223324/https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups, live, Historical thresholds are documented.

By markets and economic growth

The use of the term “market” instead of “country” usually indicates a specific focus on the characteristics of the countries’ capital markets as opposed to the overall economy.

Developed countries and developed markets
Developing countries include in decreasing order of economic growth or size of the capital market:
- Newly industrialized countriesBOOK, Globalization and the Transformation of Foreign Economic Policy, PaweÅ‚, BoÅ¼yk, vanc, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2006, 978-0-7546-4638-9, Newly Industrialized Countries, BOOK, The Limits of Convergence, Mauro F., GuillÃ©n, vanc, Princeton University Press, 2003, 978-0-691-11633-4, Multinationals, Ideology, and Organized Labor, Mauro F. GuillÃ©n, BOOK, Geography, An Integrated Approach, Waugh, David, vanc, Nelson Thornes Ltd., 2000, 978-0-17-444706-1, 3rd, 563, 576â€“579, 633, and 640, Manufacturing industries (chapter 19), World development (chapter 22), BOOK, Principles of Economics, Mankiw, N. Gregory, vanc, 2007, Cengage Learning, 978-0-324-22472-6, 4th,
- Emerging markets
- Frontier markets
- Least developed countries (also called less economically developed country)

Under other criteria, some countries are at an intermediate stage of development, or, as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put it, following the fall of the Soviet Union, “countries in transition”: all those of Central and Eastern Europe (including Central European countries that still belonged to the “Eastern Europe Group” in the UN institutions); the former Soviet Union (USSR) countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan); and Mongolia. By 2009, the IMF’s World Economic Outlook classified countries as advanced, emerging, or developing, depending on “(1) per capita income level, (2) export diversificationâ€”so oil exporters that have high per capita GDP would not make the advanced classification because around 70% of its exports are oil, and (3) degree of integration into the global financial system”.WEB, Q. How does the WEO categorize advanced versus emerging and developing economies?,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/faq.htm#q4b, 20 July 2009, International Monetary Fund, 17 April 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200417061830/https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/faq.htm#q4b, live,

By geography

Developing countries can also be categorized by geography:

Small Island Developing States (a group of developing countries that are small island countries which tend to share similar sustainable development challenges: small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments).
Landlocked Developing Countries (landlocked countries often experience economic and other disadvantages)

By other parameters

Heavily indebted poor countries, a definition by a program of the IMF and World Bank
Transition economy, moving from a centrally planned to market-driven economy
Multi-dimensional clustering system: with the understanding that different countries have different development priorities and levels of access to resources and institutional capacitiesJOURNAL, Koch, Svea, vanc, 1 June 2015, From Poverty Reduction to Mutual Interests? The Debate on Differentiation in EU Development Policy, Development Policy Review, 33, 4, 479â€“502, 10.1111/dpr.12119, 10419/199382, 53533671, 1467-7679, free, free, and to offer a more nuanced understanding of developing countries and their characteristics, scholars have categorized them into five distinct groups based on factors such as levels of poverty and inequality, productivity and innovation, political constraints and dependence on external flows.JOURNAL, VÃ¡zquez, Sergio Tezanos, Sumner, Andy, vanc, December 2013, Revisiting the Meaning of Development: A Multidimensional Taxonomy of Developing Countries, The Journal of Development Studies, 49, 12, 1728â€“1745, 10.1080/00220388.2013.822071, 155046265, JOURNAL, Taeihagh, Araz, vanc, Crowdsourcing, Sharing Economies and Development, Journal of Developing Societies, 33, 2, 2017, 191â€“222, 10.1177/0169796x17710072, 1707.06603, 32008949,

By self declaration

In general, the WTO accepts any country’s claim of itself being “developing”. Certain countries that have become “developed” in the last 20 years by almost all economic metrics, still insist to be classified as “developing country”, as it entitles them to a preferential treatment at the WTO, countries such as Brunei, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Macao, Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates have been cited and criticized for this self-declared status.WEB, 26 July 2019, whitehouse.gov, Memorandum on Reforming Developing-Country Status in the World Trade Organization., NARA, National Archives,trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-reforming-developing-country-status-world-trade-organization, 1 March 2021, 16 February 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230216200055/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-reforming-developing-country-status-world-trade-organization/, live,

Measure and concept of development

File:Least Developed Countries.png|thumb|upright=1.6|{{legend|#007f00|Least developed economies according to ECOSOC}}{{legend|#00ff00|Least developed economies out of scope of the ECOSOC ECOSOCFile:Newly industrialized countries 2013.svg|thumb|Newly industrialized countries Newly industrialized countriesFile:Map_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita_in_2023.svg|thumb|Countries by 2023 GDP (nominal) per capita ]]Development can be measured by economic or human factors. Developing countries are, in general, countries that have not achieved a significant degree of industrialization relative to their populations, and have, in most cases, a medium to low standard of living. There is an association between low income and high population growth.NEWS, Population and poverty,www.unfpa.org/resources/population-and-poverty, 21 September 2018, United Nations Population Fund, en, 21 May 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190521093951/https://www.unfpa.org/resources/population-and-poverty, live, The development of a country is measured with statistical indices such as income per capita (per person), gross domestic product per capita, life expectancy, the rate of literacy, freedom index and others. The UN has developed the Human Development Index (HDI), a compound indicator of some of the above statistics, to gauge the level of human development for countries where data is available. The UN had set Millennium Development Goals from a blueprint developed by all of the world’s countries and leading development institutions, in order to evaluate growth.WEB, United Nations Millennium Development Goals,www.un.org/millenniumgoals/, 28 March 2018, www.un.org, 4 May 2007,www.un.org/millenniumgoals/," title="web.archive.org/web/20070504153515www.un.org/millenniumgoals/,">web.archive.org/web/20070504153515www.un.org/millenniumgoals/, live, These goals ended in 2015, to be superseded by the Sustainable Development Goals.The concept of the developing nation is found, under one term or another, in numerous theoretical systems having diverse orientations â€“ for example, theories of decolonization, liberation theology, Marxism, anti-imperialism, modernization, social change and political economy.Another important indicator is the sectoral changes that have occurred since the stage of development of the country. On an average, countries with a 50% contribution from the secondary sector (manufacturing) have grown substantially. Similarly, countries with a tertiary sector stronghold also see a greater rate of economic development.

Associated theories

The term “developing countries” has many research theories associated with it (in chronological order):

Modernization theory â€“ to explain the process of modernization within societies
Dependency theory â€“ the notion that resources flow from a “periphery” of poor and underdeveloped states to a “core” of wealthy states, enriching the latter at the expense of the former
Development theory â€“ a collection of theories about how desirable change in society is best achieved.
Postdevelopment theory â€“ holds that the whole concept and practice of development is a reflection of Western-Northern hegemony over the rest of the world

Criticisms of the term

Global South

The term “Global South” began to be used more widely since about 2004.WEB, Pagel, Heikie, Ranke, Karen, Hempel, Fabian, KÃ¶hler, Jonas, 11 July 2014, The Use of the Concept ‘Global South’ in Social Science & Humanities,www.academia.edu/7917466, 6 October 2016, Humboldt University of Berlin, 13 December 2021,web.archive.org/web/20211213073610/https://www.academia.edu/7917466, live, BOOK, Mitlin, Diana,books.google.com/books?id=GYdeNdKrp8sC&pg=PA13, Urban Poverty in the Global South: Scale and Nature, Satterthwaite, David, 2013, Routledge, 9780415624664, 13, vanc, It can also include poorer “southern” regions of wealthy “northern” countries.BOOK, Braveboy-Wagner, Jacqueline Anne,books.google.com/books?id=s3s7a39GHIEC&pg=PA11, The Foreign Policies of the Global South: Rethinking Conceptual Frameworks, 2003, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 9781588261755, 11, The Global South refers to these countries’ “interconnected histories of colonialism, neo-imperialism, and differential economic and social change through which large inequalities in living standards, life expectancy, and access to resources are maintained”.JOURNAL, Dados, Nour, Connell, Raewyn, vanc, 1 January 2012, the global south, Contexts, 11, 1, 12â€“13, 10.1177/1536504212436479, 41960738, 60907088, free, {{excerpt|Global North and Global South|paragraphs=1-2}}

Third World (outdated)

Common characteristics

Government, politics and administration

Many developing countries have only attained full self-determination and democracy after the second half of the 20th century. Many were governed by an imperial European power until decolonization. Political systems in developing countries are diverse, but most states had established some form of democratic governments by the early 21st century, with varying degrees of success and political liberty.JOURNAL, Palat, Ravi Arvind, April 2010, World Turned Upside Down? Rise of the global South and the contemporary global financial turbulence, Third World Quarterly, 31, 3, 365â€“384, 10.1080/01436597.2010.488465, 56358607, The inhabitants of developing countries were introduced to democratic systems later and more abruptly than their Northern counterparts and were sometimes targeted by governmental and non-governmental efforts to encourage participation. ‘Effective citizenship’ is defined by sociologist Patrick Heller as: “closing [the] gap between formal legal rights in the civil and political arena, and the actual capability to meaningfully practice those rights”.JOURNAL, Heller, Patrick, October 2012, Democracy, Participatory Politics and Development: Some Comparative Lessons from Brazil, India and South Africa, Polity, 44, 4, 643â€“665, 10.1057/pol.2012.19, 154320311, Beyond citizenship, the study of the politics of cross-border mobility in developing countries has also shed valuable light in migration debates, seen as a corrective to the traditional focus on developed countries.BOOK, Haas, Hein de, The age of migration: international population movements in the modern world, Castles, Stephen, Miller, Mark J, 2020, 978-1-352-00798-5, 96â€“123, Bloomsbury Academic, 1143614574, Some political scientists identify a ‘typology of nationalizing, developmental, and neoliberal migration management regimes’ across developing countries.JOURNAL, Adamson, Fiona B., Tsourapas, Gerasimos, 24 October 2019, The Migration State in the Global South: Nationalizing, Developmental, and Neoliberal Models of Migration Management, International Migration Review, 54, 3, 853â€“882, 10.1177/0197918319879057, free,

Economy

File:Worlds_regions_by_total_wealth(in_trillions_USD),_2018.jpg|thumb|World regions by total wealth wealthFollowing independence and decolonization in the 20th century, most developing countries had dire need of new infrastructure, industry and economic stimulation. Many relied on foreign investment. This funding focused on improving infrastructure and industry, but led to a system of systemic exploitation.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} They exported raw materials, such as rubber, for a bargain. Companies based in the Western world have often used the cheaper labor in developing countries for production.JOURNAL, Roy, Pallavi, 2 July 2016, Economic growth, the UN and the Global South: an unfulfilled promise,eprints.soas.ac.uk/22135/1/Roy%20Growth%20and%20Redistribution.pdf, Third World Quarterly, 37, 7, 1284â€“1297, 10.1080/01436597.2016.1154440, 156462246, 23 September 2020, 13 August 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210813212020/https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/22135/1/Roy%20Growth%20and%20Redistribution.pdf, live, The West benefited significantly from this system, but left developing countries undeveloped.This arrangement is sometimes called neocolonialism, meaning a system in which less-developed countries are taken advantage of by developed countries. It does not necessarily mean that former colonies are still controlled by their former colonizer; it refers to colonial-like exploitation. Developing countries are often helping further develop rich countries, rather than being developed themselves.NEWS, Hickel, Jason, 14 January 2017, Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries, The Guardian,www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jan/14/aid-in-reverse-how-poor-countries-develop-rich-countries, 17 March 2019, 10 October 2019,web.archive.org/web/20191010231327/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jan/14/aid-in-reverse-how-poor-countries-develop-rich-countries, live, Several institutions have been established with the goal of putting an end to this system.WEB, Neocolonialism,www.britannica.com/topic/neocolonialism, 1 April 2019, Encyclopedia Britannica, en, 25 July 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210725235643/https://www.britannica.com/topic/neocolonialism, live, One of these institutions is the New International Economic Order. They have a ‘no-strings-attached’ policy that promotes developing countries remaining or becoming self-sufficient. More specifically, they advocate sovereignty over natural resources and industrialization.Coalitions of developing nations, like the NIEO, frequently lobby for parity in the world stage. The rise of China might imply the rise of the BRIC countries.

Common challenges

{{Development economics sidebar}}The global issues most often discussed by developing countries include globalisation, global health governance, health, and prevention needs. This is contrasted by issues developed nations tend to address, such as innovations in science and technology.JOURNAL, Ager, Alastair, Yu, Gary, Hermosilla, Sabrina, September 2012, Mapping the key issues shaping the landscape of global public health, Global Public Health, 7, sup1, S16â€“S28, 10.1080/17441692.2012.679741, 22765282, 19407349, Most developing countries have these criteria in common:WEB,www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/least-developed-country-category/ldc-criteria.html, Criteria For Identification Of LDCs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Development Policy and Analysis Division, 2 March 2018, 4 March 2010, 20 June 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190620211438/https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/least-developed-country-category/ldc-criteria.html, live, UN-OHRLLS Criteria for Identification and Graduation of LDCs {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725125957unohrlls.org/about-ldcs/criteria-for-ldcs/ |date=25 July 2019 }}.

High levels of poverty â€“ measured based on GNI per capita averaged over three years. For example, if the GNI per capita is less than US$1,025 (as of 2018) the country is regarded as a least developed country.
Human resource weakness (based on indicators of nutrition, health, education and adult literacy).
Economic vulnerability (based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters). Among other challenges, developing countries have a higher risk of suffering a balance of payments crisis.JOURNAL, Camba-Crespo, A., GarcÃa-Solanes, J., TorrejÃ³n-Flores, F., Current-account breaks and stability spells in a global perspective, Applied Economic Analysis, 7 July 2021, 30, 88, 1â€“17, 10.1108/AEA-02-2021-0029, 237827555, free,

Urban slums

Violence against women

(File:A formation of human chain at India Gate by the women from different walks of life at the launch of a National Campaign on prevention of violence against women, in New Delhi on October 02, 2009.jpg|thumb|A formation of human chain at India Gate by the women from different walks of life at the launch of a National Campaign on prevention of violence against women, in New Delhi on 2 October 2009)Several forms of violence against women are more prevalent in developing countries than in other parts of the world. Acid throwing is associated with Southeast Asia, including Cambodia. Honor killing is associated with the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Marriage by abduction is found in Ethiopia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Abuse related to payment of bride price (such as violence, trafficking and forced marriage) is linked to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania.NEWS, Papua New Guinea: police cite bride price major factor in marital violence,www.violenceisnotourculture.org/News-and-Views/papua-new-guinea-police-cite-bride-price-major-factor-marital-violence," title="web.archive.org/web/20150218182845www.violenceisnotourculture.org/News-and-Views/papua-new-guinea-police-cite-bride-price-major-factor-marital-violence,">web.archive.org/web/20150218182845www.violenceisnotourculture.org/News-and-Views/papua-new-guinea-police-cite-bride-price-major-factor-marital-violence, 18 February 2015,www.violenceisnotourculture.org/News-and-Views/papua-new-guinea-police-cite-bride-price-major-factor-marital-violence, Island Business, Violence is not our Culture, 21 November 2011, 6 August 2014, WEB, An exploratory study of bride price and domestic violence in Bundibugyo District, Uganda,www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf, Centre for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA) and South African Medical Research Council, April 2012, 6 August 2014,www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20130717105205www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20130717105205www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf, 17 July 2013, dead, Female genital mutilation (FGM) is another form of violence against women which is still occurring in many developing countries. It is found mostly in Africa, and to a lesser extent in the Middle East and some other parts of Asia. Developing countries with the highest rate of women who have been cut are Somalia (with 98% of women affected), Guinea (96%), Djibouti (93%), Egypt (91%), Eritrea (89%), Mali (89%), Sierra Leone (88%), Sudan (88%), Gambia (76%), Burkina Faso (76%), and Ethiopia (74%).BOOK, UNICEF, UNICEF, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change,www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf, UNICEF, 22 July 2013, 18 November 2013, 5 April 2015,www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20150405083031www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20150405083031www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf, dead, Due to globalization and immigration, FGM is spreading beyond the borders of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and to countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, the U.S., and UK.BOOK, Nussbaum, Martha, vanc, Martha Nussbaum, Judging other cultures: the case of genital mutilation,books.google.com/books?id=43U8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120, Nussbaum, Martha, Martha Nussbaum, Sex & social justice, 120â€“121, Oxford University Press, New York, 1999, 978-0195110326, registration,archive.org/details/sexsocialjustice00nuss/page/120, The Istanbul Convention prohibits female genital mutilation (Article 38).BOOK, Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence,rm.coe.int/168046031c, 12 April 2011, 8 October 2017, 26 May 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190526172721/https://rm.coe.int/168046031c, live, As of 2016, FGM has been legally banned in many African countries.Citations:

NEWS, Lyons, Kate, The Gambia bans female genital mutilation,www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-gambia-bans-female-genital-mutilation, The Guardian, 24 November 2015, 9 May 2016, 4 January 2018,web.archive.org/web/20180104210127/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-gambia-bans-female-genital-mutilation, live,
NEWS, Richards, Kimberly, History has been made: female genital mutilation banned in Nigeria,aplus.com/a/nigeria-bans-genital-mutilation, A Plus (aplus.com), A Plus, 3 June 2015, 9 May 2016, 8 May 2016,aplus.com/a/nigeria-bans-genital-mutilation," title="web.archive.org/web/20160508152355aplus.com/a/nigeria-bans-genital-mutilation,">web.archive.org/web/20160508152355aplus.com/a/nigeria-bans-genital-mutilation, live,
BOOK, UNFPA, UNFPA, Female genital mutilation (FGM) frequently asked questions,www.unfpa.org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-frequently-asked-questions, United Nations Population Fund, December 2015, 9 May 2016, 4 August 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190804194439/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-gambia-bans-female-genital-mutilation, live,

(File:Women who experienced violence by an intimate partner, OWID.svg|alt=An image showing statistics by percentage of share of women, older than 14 years old who experienced violence by an intimate partner.|thumb|239x239px|Percentage of women older than 14 who have experienced violence by an intimate partner)According to UN Women facts and figures on ending violence against women, it is estimated that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and sexual violence by intimate partners or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives. Evidence shows women who have had experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence report higher rates of depression, having an abortion and acquiring HIV, compared to women who have not had experienced any physical or sexual violence.Data from the Middle East and North Africa shows that men who witnessed their fathers against their mothers, and men who experienced some form of violence as children, more likely have reported perpetrating intimate partner violence in their adult relationships.WEB, Facts and figures: Ending violence against women,www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures, 26 September 2020, UN Women, en, 25 May 2019,www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures," title="web.archive.org/web/20190525050922www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures,">web.archive.org/web/20190525050922www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures, live,

Healthcare and public health

The status of healthcare that the general public can access is substantially different between developing countries and developed countries.JOURNAL, Alhaji, Mohammed M., Alam, Sartaj, 21 March 2019, Health Policy and System Research in Global South: Bridging the Gap through Citizen Participation,ejournalsystem.net/index.php/jpmi/article/view/2474, Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute, 33, 1, 23 September 2020, 2 October 2020,ejournalsystem.net/index.php/jpmi/article/view/2474," title="web.archive.org/web/20201002001218ejournalsystem.net/index.php/jpmi/article/view/2474,">web.archive.org/web/20201002001218ejournalsystem.net/index.php/jpmi/article/view/2474, dead, People in developing countries usually have a lower life expectancy than people in developed countries, reflecting both lower income levels and poorer public health.JOURNAL, Jetter, Michael, Laudage, Sabine, Stadelmann, David, The Intimate Link Between Income Levels and Life Expectancy: Global Evidence from 213 Years*, Social Science Quarterly, June 2019, 100, 4, 1387â€“1403, 10.1111/ssqu.12638, 149648133,doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12638, 14 April 2022, en, 0038-4941, 10419/145149, free, JOURNAL, Rogers, R. G., Wofford, S., Life expectancy in less developed countries: socioeconomic development or public health?, Journal of Biosocial Science, April 1989, 21, 2, 245â€“252, 10.1017/s0021932000017934, 2722920, 23505067,pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2722920/, 14 April 2022, 0021-9320, 14 April 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220414172358/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2722920/, live, JOURNAL, Freeman, Toby, Gesesew, Hailay Abrha, Bambra, Clare, Giugliani, Elsa Regina Justo, Popay, Jennie, Sanders, David, Macinko, James, Musolino, Connie, Baum, Fran, Why do some countries do better or worse in life expectancy relative to income? An analysis of Brazil, Ethiopia, and the United States of America, International Journal for Equity in Health, 10 November 2020, 19, 1, 202, 10.1186/s12939-020-01315-z, 33168040, 7654592, 1475-9276, free, The burden of infectious diseases,JOURNAL, Fauci, A. S., Infectious Diseases: Considerations for the 21st Century, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1 March 2001, 32, 5, 675â€“685, 10.1086/319235, 11229834, 878968,doi.org/10.1086/319235, 14 April 2022, maternal mortality,JOURNAL, Declercq, Eugene, Zephyrin, Laurie, Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Primer,www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-brief-report/2020/dec/maternal-mortality-united-states-primer, Commonwealth Fund, 16 December 2020, 10.26099/ta1q-mw24, 14 April 2022, en, 23 March 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210323202309/https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-brief-report/2020/dec/maternal-mortality-united-states-primer, live, JOURNAL, Girum, Tadele, Wasie, Abebaw, Correlates of maternal mortality in developing countries: an ecological study in 82 countries, Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology, 7 November 2017, 3, 1, 19, 10.1186/s40748-017-0059-8, 29142757, 5674830, 2054-958X, free, child mortalityWEB, Mohsin, Nazzina, Keenan, Laura, Guo, Jing, Latest child mortality estimates reveal world remains off track to meeting Sustainable Development Goals,www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/12/20/latest-child-mortality-estimates-reveal-world-remains-off-track-to-meeting-sustainable-development-goals, World Bank, 20 December 2021, 14 April 2022, en, 14 April 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220414172358/https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/12/20/latest-child-mortality-estimates-reveal-world-remains-off-track-to-meeting-sustainable-development-goals, live, and infant mortalityWEB, In poor countries birth spacing affects infant mortality,www.mpg.de/13691716/birth-spacing-affects-infant-mortality, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 5 July 2019, 14 April 2022, en, 29 June 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220629163139/https://www.mpg.de/13691716/birth-spacing-affects-infant-mortality, live, JOURNAL, Molitoris, Joseph, Barclay, Kieron, Kolk, Martin, When and Where Birth Spacing Matters for Child Survival: An International Comparison Using the DHS, Demography, 3 July 2019, 56, 4, 1349â€“1370, 10.1007/s13524-019-00798-y, 31270780, 6667399,doi.org/10.1007/s13524-019-00798-y, 14 April 2022, 0070-3370, are typically substantially higher in those countries. Developing countries also have less access to medical health services generally,JOURNAL, Peters, David H., Garg, Anu, Bloom, Gerry, Walker, Damian G., Brieger, William R., Rahman, M. Hafizur, Poverty and access to health care in developing countries, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2008, 1136, 1, 161â€“171, 10.1196/annals.1425.011, 17954679, 2008NYASA1136..161P, 24649523, 0077-8923, free, and are less likely to have the resources to purchase, produce and administer vaccines, even though vaccine equity worldwide is important to combatting pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.JOURNAL, Hotez, Peter J., Bottazzi, Maria Elena, Whole Inactivated Virus and Protein-Based COVID-19 Vaccines, Annual Review of Medicine, 27 January 2022, 73, 1, 55â€“64, 10.1146/annurev-med-042420-113212, 34637324, 238747462, 0066-4219, free, File:Hunger Map 2020 World Food Programme.svg|thumb|310px|Percentage of people with undernutrition by country, World Food Program World Food Program Undernutrition is more common in developing countries.BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=w4CGAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA20, World Hunger Routledge Introductions to Development, Liz, Young, vanc, 2002, 9781134774944, 20, Routledge, Certain groups have higher rates of undernutrition, including women â€“ in particular while pregnant or breastfeeding â€“ children under five years of age, and the elderly. Malnutrition in children and stunted growth of children is the cause for more than 200 million children under five years of age in developing countries not reaching their developmental potential.Grantham-McGregor, Sally et al., the International Child Development Steering Group. “Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries.” Lancet 369.9555 (2007): 60â€“70. PMC. Web. 28 November 2014. About 165 million children were estimated to have stunted growth from malnutrition in 2013.JOURNAL, Bhutta ZA, Das JK, Rizvi A, Gaffey MF, Walker N, Horton S, Webb P, Lartey A, Black RE, Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: what can be done and at what cost?, Lancet, 382, 9890, 452â€“477, August 2013, 23746776, 10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60996-4, 11748341, In some developing countries, overnutrition in the form of obesity is beginning to present within the same communities as undernutrition.WEB, Progress For Children: A Report Card On Nutrition,www.unicef.org/nutrition/files/Progress_for_Children_-_No._4.pdf, UNICEF, 23 April 2018, 12 January 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210112154958/https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/files/Progress_for_Children_-_No._4.pdf, dead, The following list shows the further significant environmentally-related causes or conditions, as well as certain diseases with a strong environmental component:WEB,www.who.int/heli/risks/ehindevcoun/en, Environment and health in developing countries, 8 September 2016, Priority environment and health risks, World Health Organization, 4 October 2020, 14 November 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201114002040/https://www.who.int/heli/risks/ehindevcoun/en/, live,

Illness/disease (malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, etc.): Illness imposes high and regressive cost burdens on families in developing countries.Russel S. The economic burden of illness for households in developing countries: a review of studies focusing on malaria, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2004
Tropical and infectious diseases (neglected tropical diseases)
Unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and hygiene
Indoor air pollution in developing nations
Pollution (e.g. air pollution, water pollution)
Motor vehicle collisions
Unintentional poisoning
Non communicable diseases and weak healthcare systems

Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)

{{Further|WASH|Water issues in developing countries}}Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is at very low levels in many developing countries. In 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that “1 in 3 people, or 2.4 billion, are still without sanitation facilities” while 663 million people still lack access to safe and clean drinking water.WEB,www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp-2015-key-facts/en/,who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp-2015-key-facts/en/," title="web.archive.org/web/20150703230219who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp-2015-key-facts/en/,">web.archive.org/web/20150703230219who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp-2015-key-facts/en/, dead, 3 July 2015, Key facts from JMP 2015 report, World Health Organization, en-GB, 17 November 2017, WEB,www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/jmp-report/en/,www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/jmp-report/en/," title="web.archive.org/web/20150702063242www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/jmp-report/en/,">web.archive.org/web/20150702063242www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/jmp-report/en/, dead, 2 July 2015, WHO {{!, Lack of sanitation for 2.4 billion people is undermining health improvements|website=www.who.int|access-date=17 November 2017}} The estimate in 2017 by JMP states that 4.5 billion people currently do not have safely managed sanitation. The majority of these people live in developing countries.About 892 million people or 12 percent of the global population, practiced open defecation instead of using toilets in 2016.WHO and UNICEF (2017) Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725020452washdata.org/reports |date=25 July 2019 }}. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2017 Seventy-six percent (678 million) of the 892 million people practicing open defecation in the world live in just seven countries. Countries with a high number of people openly defecating are India (348 million), followed by Nigeria (38.1 million), Indonesia (26.4 million), Ethiopia (23.1 million), Pakistan (19.7 million), Niger (14.6 million) and Sudan (9.7 million).WEB, People practicing open defecation (% of population) â€“ Indonesia, Nigeria, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, India, Pakistan,data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS?locations=ID-NG-NE-ET-SD-IN-PK, data.worldbank.org, The World Bank, 15 October 2019, 15 October 2019,web.archive.org/web/20191015122909/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS%3Flocations%3DID-NG-NE-ET-SD-IN-PK, live, Sustainable Development Goal 6 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN in 2015. It calls for clean water and sanitation for all people. This is particularly relevant for people in developing countries.

Energy

File:Solar-Panel-Cooker-in-front-of-hut.jpg|thumb| Solar cooker Solar cookerIn 2009, about 1.4 billion of people in the world lived without electricity. 2.7 billion relied on wood, charcoal, and dung (dry animal dung fuel) for home energy requirements. This lack of access to modern energy technology limits income generation, blunts efforts to escape poverty, affects people’s health due to indoor air pollution, and contributes to global deforestation and climate change. Small-scale renewable energy technologies and distributed energy options, such as onsite solar power and improved cookstoves, offer rural households modern energy services.JOURNAL, Sovacool BK, Energy. Deploying off-grid technology to eradicate energy poverty, Science, 338, 6103, 47â€“8, October 2012, 23042871, 10.1126/science.1222307, 206541473, Renewable energy can be particularly suitable for developing countries. In rural and remote areas, transmission and distribution of energy generated from fossil fuels can be difficult and expensive. Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative.Power for the People {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330120425www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/renewable_energy.pdf |date=30 March 2012 }} p. 3.Renewable energy can directly contribute to poverty alleviation by providing the energy needed for creating businesses and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also make indirect contributions to alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, and lighting.Energy for Development: The Potential Role of Renewable Energy in Meeting the Millennium Development Goals {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527233918www.worldwatch.org/system/files/ren21-1.pdf |date=27 May 2008 }} pp. 7â€“9.Kenya is the world leader in the number of solar power systems installed per capita.WEB,en.ccchina.gov.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=38323&TId=97, China Climate Change Info-Net, 30 April 2018,en.ccchina.gov.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=38323&TId=97," title="web.archive.org/web/20131105071350en.ccchina.gov.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=38323&TId=97,">web.archive.org/web/20131105071350en.ccchina.gov.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=38323&TId=97, 5 November 2013, dead,

Pollution

Water pollution

Indoor air pollution

Climate change{{anchor|Global_warming}}

{{Further|Effects of climate change|Climate change in Africa|Climate change in South Asia}}

Particular vulnerability to climate change

(File:Change in Average Temperature With Fahrenheit.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|Surface air temperature change over the past 50 years.WEB, GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (v4),data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/maps/index_v4.html, 12 January 2024, NASA, )The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed that warming of the climate system due to human intervention is ‘unequivocal’.{{Citation|title=Near-term Climate Change: Projections and Predictability|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107415324.023|work=Climate Change 2013 â€“ The Physical Science Basis|year=2014|pages=953â€“1028|editor-last=Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change|place=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/cbo9781107415324.023|isbn=978-1-107-41532-4|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=1 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601235158www.cambridge.org/core/books/climate-change-2013-the-physical-science-basis/nearterm-climate-change-projections-and-predictability/279D68DA9F51A8F880E478B58146AD43|url-status=live}} The effects of climate change will be felt around the globe and will result in events such as extreme weather events, droughts, floods, biodiversity loss, disease and sea level rise, which are dangerous for societies and the environment.Although 79% of carbon emissions are produced by developed countries,Center for Global Development, 18 August 2015 “Developed Countries Are Responsible for 79 Percent of Historical Carbon Emissions” {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222050116www.cgdev.org/media/who-caused-climate-change-historically |date=22 December 2020 }} and developing countries have not been the major cause of climate change, they are the most at risk from the effects of these changes and may face challenges in adapting to climate change due to the intersecting issues of high climate vulnerability, low economic status,UK Government Official Documents, February 2021, “The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review Headline Messages” {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520070152assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/957629/Dasgupta_Review_-_Headline_Messages.pdf |date=20 May 2022 }} p. 2 restricted access to technology, failing infrastructure and limited access to financial resources. Where a country is particularly vulnerable to climate change they are called “highly climate vulnerable“{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}. This applies to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, fragile states or failed states like Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, and Somalia, as well as to Small Island Developing States{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}. In the cases where developing countries produce only small quantities of greenhouse gas emissions per capita but are very vulnerable to the negative effects of global warming, the term “forced riders” as opposed to the “free riders” has been used as a descriptor.WEB, Australia, the US and Europe are climate ‘free-riders’: it’s time to step up,theconversation.com/australia-the-us-and-europe-are-climate-free-riders-its-time-to-step-up-53953, 4 May 2018, The Conversation (Australia edition), 4 May 2018,web.archive.org/web/20180504155748/https://theconversation.com/australia-the-us-and-europe-are-climate-free-riders-its-time-to-step-up-53953, live, Such countries include Comoros, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, SÃ£o TomÃ© and PrÃncipe, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.Climate vulnerability has been quantified in the Climate Vulnerability Monitor reports of 2010 and 2012. Climate vulnerability in developing countries occurs in four impact areas: health, extreme weather, habitat loss, and economic stress. A report by the Climate Vulnerability Monitor in 2012 estimated that climate change causes 400,000 deaths on average each year, mainly due to hunger and communicable diseases in developing countries.BOOK, Matthew McKinnon, Climate vulnerability monitor : a guide to the cold calculus of a hot planet, 2012, DARA, DARA, Climate Vulnerable Forum, 9788461605675, 2nd, Madrid, 828337356, {{Rp|17}} These effects are most severe for the world’s poorest countries. Internationally there is recognition of the mismatch between those that have caused climate change and those which will suffer the most from climate change, termed “climate justice”. It has been a topic for discussion at some of the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP).“When we think about livelihoods at risk from climate change impacts, we know that people living in developing countries, and especially the least-developed countries and small island states, often have the least financial resources to adapt,” says Nancy Saich, the European Investment Bank’s chief climate change expert.WEB, A plan for the long haul to contribute finance to the European Green Deal,www.eib.org/en/stories/climate-bank-roadmap, 10 June 2021, European Investment Bank, en, 19 June 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210619233202/https://www.eib.org/en/stories/climate-bank-roadmap, live,

Impacts

Population growth

Poor governance

Many developing countries are considered flawed democracies or authoritarian regimes by democracy indices such as the V-Dem Democracy indices and Democracy Index (The Economist). Following decolonization and independence, elites have often had oligarchic control of the government.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}The establishment of a healthy democratic state has often been challenged by widespread corruption and nepotism and a low confidence and participation in democratic process. Political instability and political corruption are common problems.WEB, Williams, Jeremy, 1 July 2007, Political factors that affect development,earthbound.report/2007/07/01/political-factors-that-affect-development/, 20 June 2020, 21 June 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200621060902/https://earthbound.report/2007/07/01/political-factors-that-affect-development/, live, Edwards, S. “Trade Orientation, Distortions and Growth In Developing Countries.” (n.d.): n. pag. 1â€“37 To fully reach the goal of a low level of corruption, developing countries are usually using special steps for different establishments inside their territories, such as :

Development or creation of a fair public administration system that is not partially based on corruption and is entirely based on the values and laws of the country
Better investigation towards the sources of the corruption and probable causes of that particular action
Publicly informing the residents about the source of corruption and negative influence on the country’s economy
Regulation of the official positions of an individual to not be the source of abuse for corruption.
Creation of special laws dedicated to the corruption itself for specific establishmentsWEB,www.gov.am/files/docs/74.pdf, Republic of Armenia Anti-Corruption strategy and Implementation Action Plan, 2003, Republic of Armenia, 16 February 2022, 31 May 2011,www.gov.am/files/docs/74.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20110531195758www.gov.am/files/docs/74.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20110531195758www.gov.am/files/docs/74.pdf, live,

Others

Other common challenges include: Increased and intensified industrial and agricultural production and emission of toxic chemicals directly into the soil, air, and water, unsustainable use of energy resources; high dependency on natural resources for livelihood, leading to unsustainable exploitation or depletion of those resources; child marriage, indebtedness (see Debt of developing countries) and underperforming civil service (see Civil service reform in developing countries), food insecurity, illiteracy and unemployment. The economies of many developing nations are tried to primary products and a majority of their exports go to advanced nations. When advanced nations encounter economic downturns, they can quickly transmit to their developing country trading partners as seen in global economic downturn of 2008â€“2009.

Opportunities

Human Capital
Trade Policy: Countries with more restrictive policies have not grown as fast as countries with open and less distorted trade policies.JOURNAL, Harrison, Ann, vanc, Openness and Growth: A Time-series, Cross-country Analysis for Developing Countries, Journal of Development Economics, 48, 2, 1996, 419â€“47, 10.1016/0304-3878(95)00042-9, 53981521,repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1165&context=mgmt_papers, 10 July 2019, 20 July 2018,web.archive.org/web/20180720022150/https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1165&context=mgmt_papers, live, free,
Investment: Investment has a positive effect on growth.
EducationJOURNAL, Verspoor, Adriaan, vanc, Pathways to Change: Improving the Quality of Education in Developing Countries, World Bank Discussion Papers, 53,
Aid for Trade: Included in Sustainable Development Goal 8 under Target 8.a.1 Increase aid for trade is an initiative to help developing countries practice trade and benefit. Aid for trade is to assist developing countries in trade related programmes, prioritize trade and trade capacity, improve trade performance and reduce poverty.WEB, Aid for Trade â€“ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,www.oecd.org/aidfortrade/, 24 September 2020, www.oecd.org, en, 10 September 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200910112200/https://www.oecd.org/aidfortrade/, live,
Global partnership: A provision of Sustainable Development Goal 17 which advocates for international investment and support to achieve innovative technological development, access to market, and fair trade for developing countries.WEB, Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals,www.globalgoals.org/17-partnerships-for-the-goals, 25 September 2020, The Global Goals, en, 27 September 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200927092335/https://www.globalgoals.org/17-partnerships-for-the-goals, live,

Country lists

Developing countries according to International Monetary Fund

The following are considered developing economies according to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, {{as of|April 2023|alt=April 2023}}.WEB,www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/groups-and-aggregates, World Economic Outlook, Databaseâ€”WEO Groups and Aggregates Information, April 2023, 17 April 2023, 16 April 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230416224423/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/groups-and-aggregates, live, {{div col|colwidth=18em}}

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{{flag|Brazil}}
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{{flag|Saint Lucia}}
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{{flag|Samoa}}
{{flag|Senegal}}
{{flag|Serbia}}
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{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
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{{flag|Ukraine}}
{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
{{flag|Uruguay}}
{{flag|Uzbekistan}}
{{flag|Vanuatu}}
{{flag|Venezuela}}
{{flag|Vietnam}}
{{flag|Yemen}}
{{flag|Zambia}}
{{flag|Zimbabwe}}

{{div col end}}Countries not listed by IMF

{{flag|Abkhazia}}
{{flag|Cuba}}
{{flag|North Korea}}
{{flag|Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic}}
{{flag|South Ossetia}}

Upper middle income countries by World Bank

AlbaniaWEB,data.worldbank.org/country/XT, Archived copy, 25 May 2023, 25 May 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230525041102/https://data.worldbank.org/country/XT, live,
American Samoa
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belize
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Equatorial Guinea
Fiji
Gabon
Georgia
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Indonesia
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Libya
Malaysia
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Namibia
North Macedonia
Palau
Paraguay
Peru
Russian Federation
Serbia
South Africa
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Thailand
Tonga
Turkiye
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu

Lower middle income countries by World Bank

AlgeriaWEB,data.worldbank.org/country/XN, World Bank Open Data, 25 May 2023, 25 May 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230525041113/https://data.worldbank.org/country/XN, live,
Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Comoros
Congo, Rep.
CÃ´te d’Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt, Arab Rep.
El Salvador
Eswatini
Ghana
Haiti
Honduras
India
Iraq
Iran, Islamic Rep.
Kenya
Kiribati
Kyrgyz Republic
Lao PDR
Lebanon
Lesotho
Mauritania
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Mongolia
Morocco
Myanmar
Nepal
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Samoa
Senegal
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Tunisia
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
West Bank and Gaza
Zimbabwe

Countries and regions that are graduated developed economies

The following list, including the Four Asian Tigers and new Eurozone European Union countries (except for Czech Republic), were historically considered developing countries and regions until the 1990s, and are now listed as advanced economies (developed countries and regions) by the IMF. Time in brackets is the time to be listed as advanced economies.

{{flag|Hong Kong}} (since 1997)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/weo0598/pdf/0598sta.pdf, IMF Advanced Economies List. World Economic Outlook, May 1998, p. 134, 15 January 2014, 18 August 2000,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/weo0598/pdf/0598sta.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20000818233010www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/weo0598/pdf/0598sta.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20000818233010www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/weo0598/pdf/0598sta.pdf, live,
{{flag|Israel}} (since 1997)
{{flag|Singapore}} (since 1997)
{{flag|South Korea}} (since 1997)
{{flag|Taiwan}} (since 1997)The recognition of Taiwan is disputed; most UN-member states officially recognise the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan, however, some others maintain non-diplomatic relations with the Republic of China. See Foreign relations of Taiwan.
{{flag|Cyprus}} (since 2001)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2001/01/pdf/append.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2001, p.157, 15 January 2014, 13 September 2001,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2001/01/pdf/append.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20010913073731www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2001/01/pdf/append.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20010913073731www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2001/01/pdf/append.pdf, live,
{{flag|Slovenia}} (since 2007)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/statappx.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2007, p.204, 15 January 2014, 5 November 2011,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/statappx.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20111105062023www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/statappx.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20111105062023www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/statappx.pdf, live,
{{flag|Malta}} (since 2008)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2008, p.236, 15 January 2014, 16 May 2011,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/pdf/statapp.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20110516113641www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/pdf/statapp.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20110516113641www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, live,
{{flag|Czech Republic}} (since 2009,WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2009, p.184, 15 January 2014, 14 November 2011,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/pdf/statapp.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20111114113955www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/pdf/statapp.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20111114113955www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, live, since 2006 by World Bank)WEB, Velinger, Jan, World Bank Marks Czech Republic’s Graduation to ‘Developed’ Status, Radio Prague,www.radio.cz/en/article/76314, 28 February 2006, 22 January 2007, 12 January 2008,www.radio.cz/en/article/76314," title="web.archive.org/web/20080112081601www.radio.cz/en/article/76314,">web.archive.org/web/20080112081601www.radio.cz/en/article/76314, live,
{{flag|Slovakia}} (since 2009)
{{flag|Estonia}} (since 2011)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2011, p.172, 15 January 2014, 6 May 2011,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/statapp.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20110506073614www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/statapp.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20110506073614www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, live,
{{flag|Latvia}} (since 2014)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/pdf/text.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2014, p.160, 21 May 2014, 8 April 2014,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/pdf/text.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20140408225045www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/pdf/text.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20140408225045www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/pdf/text.pdf, live,
{{flag|Lithuania}} (since 2015)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/pdf/text.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2015, p.48, 11 April 2015, 13 April 2015,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/pdf/text.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20150413200149www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/pdf/text.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20150413200149www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/pdf/text.pdf, live,
{{flag|Andorra}} (since 2021)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/data/changes.htm, World Economic Outlook Database â€“ Changes to the Database, www.imf.org, 21 September 2022, 29 December 2017,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/data/changes.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20171229080726www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/data/changes.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20171229080726www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/data/changes.htm, live,
{{flag|Croatia}} (since 2023)WEB,www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/select-countries?grp=110&sg=All-countries/Advanced-economies, World Economic Outlook Database â€“ Changes to the Database, www.imf.org, 17 April 2023, 16 April 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230416190103/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/select-countries?grp=110&sg=All-countries/Advanced-economies, live,

Three economies lack data before being listed as advanced economies. However, because of the lack of data, it is difficult to judge whether they were advanced economies or developing economies before being listed as advanced economies.

{{flag|San Marino}} (since 2012)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/pdf/statapp.pdf, World Economic Outlook, October 2012, p.180, 4 August 2016, 20 October 2012,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/pdf/statapp.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20121020230354www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/pdf/statapp.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20121020230354www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/pdf/statapp.pdf, live,
{{flag|Macau}} (since 2016)WEB,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, World Economic Outlook, April 2016, p.148, 25 June 2016, 17 April 2016,www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/statapp.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20160417162308www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/statapp.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20160417162308www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/statapp.pdf, live,
{{flag|Puerto Rico}} (since 2016)

Newly industrialized countries

Ten countries belong to the “newly industrialized country” classification. They are countries whose economies have not yet reached a developed country’s status but have, in a macroeconomic sense, outpaced their developing counterparts:{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

{{flag|Brazil}}
{{flag|China}}
{{flag|India}}
{{flag|Indonesia}}
{{flag|Malaysia}}
{{flag|Mexico}}
{{flag|Philippines}}
{{flag|South Africa}}
{{flag|Thailand}}
{{flag|Turkey}}

BRICS countries

Nine countries belong to the “emerging markets” groups and are together called the BRICS countries:

{{flag|Brazil}} (since 2006)
{{flag|Russia}} (since 2006)
{{flag|India}} (since 2006)
{{flag|China}} (since 2006)
{{flag|South Africa}} (since 2010)
{{flag|Egypt}} (since 2024)
{{flag|Ethiopia}} (since 2024)
{{flag|Iran}} (since 2024)
{{flag|United Arab Emirates}} (since 2024)

Society and culture

Media coverage

Western media tends to present a generalized view of developing countries through biased media coverage; mass media outlets tend to focus disproportionately on poverty and other negative imagery. This common coverage has created a dominant stereotype of developing countries: “the ‘South’ is characterized by socioeconomic and political backwardness, measured against Western values and standards.“WEB, Dependency Theory: A Useful Tool for Analyzing Global Inequalities Today?,www.e-ir.info/2016/11/23/dependency-theory-a-useful-tool-for-analyzing-global-inequalities-today/, 21 February 2020, E-International Relations, 23 November 2016, en-US, 2 October 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201002023728/https://www.e-ir.info/2016/11/23/dependency-theory-a-useful-tool-for-analyzing-global-inequalities-today/, live, Mass media’s role often compares the Global South to the North and is thought to be an aid in the divide.Mass media has also played a role in what information the people in developing countries receive. The news often covers developed countries and creates an imbalance of information flow.JOURNAL, Philo, Greg, An unseen world: How the media portrays the poor, The UNESCO Courier, November 2001, 54, 11, 44â€“46, {{ProQuest, 207594362, |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000124294.locale=en |access-date=16 July 2022 |archive-date=16 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716164506unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000124294.locale=en |url-status=live }} The people in developing countries do not often receive coverage of the other developing countries but instead gets generous amounts of coverage about developed countries.

Notes

References

Works cited

BOOK, {{harvid, WDR, 2010, |title=World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change |date=6 November 2009 |publisher=World Bank Publications |isbn=978-0-8213-7988-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MGOJs900Q-MC |language=en}}

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Developing country

Terms used to classify countries

By income groups

By markets and economic growth

By geography

By other parameters

By self declaration

Measure and concept of development

Associated theories

Criticisms of the term

Related terms

Global South

Third World (outdated)

Common characteristics

Government, politics and administration

Economy

Common challenges

Urban slums

Violence against women

Healthcare and public health

Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)

Energy

Pollution

Water pollution

Indoor air pollution

Climate change{{anchor|Global_warming}}

Particular vulnerability to climate change

Impacts

Population growth

Poor governance

Others

Opportunities

Country lists

Developing countries according to International Monetary Fund

Upper middle income countries by World Bank

Lower middle income countries by World Bank

Countries and regions that are graduated developed economies

Newly industrialized countries

BRICS countries

Society and culture

Media coverage

See also

Notes

References

Works cited

External links