Economic development
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| economic development/ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk dɪˈveləpmənt/ | An improvement in living standards and economic opportunities, including health, education and material welfare. |
| welfare/ˈwelfeə/ | People's economic and social well-being, or support provided to protect it. |
| Human Development Index/ˈhjuːmən dɪˈveləpmənt ˈɪndeks/ | A composite measure of human development combining life expectancy, education and income per person. |
| life expectancy/laɪf ekˈspektənsi/ | The average number of years a person is expected to live from a stated age under specified mortality conditions. |
| literacy/ˈlɪtərəsi/ | literacy |
| Gini/ˈdʒiːni/ | Gini |
Growth isn't the same as development
- Two countries can have the same GDP per head, yet in one people live long, educated lives and in the other they don't.
- Development is broader than growth — it's about living standards, health, education and freedom, not just output.
Development chain lab
Follow how policy and resources can change living standards.
Economic development differs from economic growth because it focuses on:
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Development is about welfare (health, education, choices), not just more output.
Economic growth can occur without development if the gains do not reach most people.
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If growth is captured by a few, average welfare may barely improve.
Growth vs development
- Economic growth = a rise in real GDP (more output).
- Economic development 经济发展 = a rise in welfare 福利 and quality of life — incomes, health, education, and choices.
- Growth can happen without development (if the gains don't reach most people).
Economic development: a busy market in a fast-growing developing economy
The Human Development Index combines income with:
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HDI = income (GNI per capita) + health (life expectancy) + education (schooling).
Match each HDI dimension to its indicator.
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The three HDI dimensions and their measures.
The HDI ranges from 0 to ______, with higher meaning more development.
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HDI is scaled 0 to 1.
Measuring development: the HDI
- The Human Development Index 人类发展指数 (HDI) combines three dimensions:
- income (GNI per capita), health (life expectancy 预期寿命), and education (years of schooling).
- It runs from 0 to 1; a higher HDI means more development.
The HDI combines income, health and education into a single index between 0 and 1
Why a composite? Income alone misses a lot. The HDI adds health and education so that a country with decent income but poor schooling and short lives scores lower — a fuller picture.
Other indicators
- Beyond HDI: access to clean water and sanitation, literacy 识字率, inequality (Gini 基尼系数), and environmental quality.
Growth is more income; development is wider wellbeing too
You've got it
- growth = more output; development = better living standards (welfare, health, education)
- the HDI combines income, health (life expectancy) and education into one 0–1 index
- broader indicators: clean water, literacy, inequality, environment