Development Indicators
Development indicators such as GDP per capita, life expectancy and literacy measure how developed a country is.
▶ Interact
Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
📘 Learn
Development indicators such as GDP per capita, life expectancy and literacy measure how developed a country is.
- HDI combines income, health and education
- GDP is the value of goods and services produced
- Rich and poor countries differ widely
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Development Indicators?
Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains Development Indicators. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.
Check that you can explain Development Indicators in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Development Indicators helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
Development Indicators in detail
Development describes how advanced a country is in economy, health, education and quality of life. Economic indicators include GDP and GNI per capita, and social indicators include life expectancy, literacy rate, infant mortality and access to clean water.
The Human Development Index (HDI) combines income, health and education into one number between 0 and 1. A single measure can hide inequalities, so indicators should be used together. Countries are often grouped as low, middle and high income, or HICs, MICs and LICs, or as newly emerging economies (NEEs). Averages may hide differences within countries.
How the interactive helps you understand Development Indicators
Watch the bar chart in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the bar chart responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Development Indicators.
Real-life uses and examples
- Support an answer about Development Indicators with a named case study and specific evidence.
- Interpret a graph or map that shows Development Indicators and say what it suggests.
- Describe a real place where Development Indicators can be seen, using a map or photograph.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing general statements without a named place or example.
- Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain Development Indicators.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Development Indicators
What is Development Indicators?
Development indicators such as GDP per capita, life expectancy and literacy measure how developed a country is.
What are the most important points about Development Indicators?
The main points are: HDI combines income, health and education; GDP is the value of goods and services produced; Rich and poor countries differ widely.
Why is Development Indicators useful?
Understanding Development Indicators helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
How can I practise Development Indicators?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Development Indicators?
Related topics in Geography include Globalisation, Transport and Communication, Deindustrialisation.