11.4 Characteristics of Countries at Different Levels of Development

2026 📋 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of these notes, you should be able to:

  1. Population growth and structure — measure and explain changes in birth rate, death rate, infant mortality, and net migration; understand optimum population; explain the level of urbanisation.
  2. Income distribution — calculate the Gini coefficient and analyse the Lorenz curve.
  3. Economic structure — describe employment composition across primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors; explain the pattern of trade at different levels of development.

📖 Main Content

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Objective 1: Population Growth and Structure

Understanding a country's population helps us understand how developed it is. Developed countries (like the UK or Japan) and developing countries (like Ethiopia or Bangladesh) look very different when we study their populations.

🔹 Measurement and Causes of Changes in Key Population Indicators

Birth Rate

Birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 people in a population per year.

Formula:

Birth Rate = (Number of live births ÷ Total population) × 1,000

Example: If a country has 200,000 births and a population of 10 million, the birth rate = (200,000 ÷ 10,000,000) × 1,000 = 20 per 1,000.

Causes of a HIGH birth rate (common in developing countries):

  • Lack of access to contraception — people have less ability to plan family size.
  • Cultural and religious factors — in some societies, having many children is seen as a sign of wealth or is encouraged by religion.
  • Child labour — in poor rural areas, children work and help earn income, so larger families are economically useful.
  • High infant mortality — parents have more children because they expect some to die young.
  • Low education levels — especially for women; education tends to reduce birth rates.
  • No pension system — children act as a financial safety net for parents in old age.

Causes of a LOW birth rate (common in developed countries):

  • Widespread access to contraception and family planning.
  • High cost of raising children.
  • Women choosing careers before starting families.
  • Strong pension and social security systems — parents don't need children for financial support.

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