Developed vs developing countries – GDP per capita, HDI, economic structure and globalization
GeographyGlobal Economy & DevelopmentAges 16–17
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Global Economy & Development
Compare nine representative countries using real data: GDP per capita, the Human Development Index (HDI) and GDP structure across three economic sectors, at two points in time, 2010 and 2021. Click a bar to see that country's details, switch indicator, switch year or filter by country group to see the gap between developed countries (high GDP per capita, very high HDI, services over 65% of GDP) and developing countries. The map below models flows of goods and investment capital among three economic hubs — North America, the EU and East Asia; press Run to animate the flows.
Lesson: Differences in socio-economic development between country groups; economic globalization
What it shows
Countries are often grouped as developed or developing using indicators such as GDP per capita, the Human Development Index (HDI) and the structure of the economy. Developed countries have high GDP per capita, an HDI of 0.8 or above and a service sector that makes up most of GDP; developing countries have lower incomes and a larger share of agriculture or industry. Economic globalization links the groups through flows of goods and foreign direct investment, concentrated among North America, the EU and East Asia.
How to use
Start with GDP/capita and switch between the Developed and Developing filters, then choose HDI and GDP structure to see whether the same countries lead. Click a bar to read a country's details and its change since 2010, and use the 2010 and 2021 buttons to compare years. Turn on Show trade and investment flow map and use Run to animate the flows of goods and FDI between the three economic hubs.
Parameters you can change
- Comparison indicator GDP per capita (USD), HDI, GDP structure by economic sector
- Year Year 2010, Year 2021
- Filter by country group All, Developed countries, Developing countries
- Show trade and investment flow map
- Flow speed on map 0.2–3 ×
Questions to explore
- In 2021, about how many times higher is the average GDP per capita of the developed countries than that of the developing ones?
- How does the share of services in GDP differ between developed and developing countries?
- Which country in the sample increased its GDP per capita the most between 2010 and 2021?
