High Middle & Low Income Countries

Define Gross National Income? (GNI)

the total value of goods and services a country’s citizens produce, including the value of income earned by citizens who may be working in an overseas country

what is GNI used for ?

GNI is used to classify countries as high, middle or low income.

High income countries (examples)

Australia

Canada

Japan

United Kingdom

USA

Upper middle income countries (examples)

China

Mexico

South Africa

Turkey

Upper middle income country GNI

$4,046 - $12,535 per capita

Lower middle income country (examples)

Cambodia

India

Indonesia

Pakistan

Lower middle income country GNI

$1,036 - $4,045 per capita

Low income country (examples)

Nepal

Zimbabwe

Uganda

Somalia

Low income country GNI

$1,035 or less per capita

Economic characteristics of high income countries

Low levels of poverty

Wide range of industries

Opportunities for global trade

High average incomes

Social characteristics of high income countries

High levels of gender equality

Low birth rates and population growth

High levels of employment

High levels of education

Developed social security systems

Developed health systems

Access to technology

Developed legal systems

No history of colonisation

Environmental characteristics of high income countries

Access to safe water and sanitation

Food security

Adequate housing

Adequate infrastructure

High levels of carbon dioxide emissions

Differences in health status

Low income countries experience:

\- higher mortality rates

\- lower life expectancy

- higher rates of communicable diseases (eg malaria)

\- more susceptible to fluctuations in health status

Similarities in health status among countries

Low, middle and high income countries have all experienced:

- increases in life expectancy

\- women live longer than men in all countries

- as average income decreases so does health status

Economic characteristics in middle income countries

Some living in poverty

Developing opportunities for global trade

Building infrastructure

Social characteristics in middle income countries

Gender equality is improving

High birth rates

Have a history of colonisation

Lack of access to suitable healthcare

Environmental characteristics in middle income countries

Access to safe water and sanitation

Lack adequate housing (have urban slums)

\
Heavily impacted by climate change (lack the resources to deal with impacts)

\
Inadequate infrastructure (lack access to roads, piped water, sewerage systems, electricity)

Economic characteristics of low income countries

High levels of poverty

Limited opportunities for global trade

Limited range of industries (mostly agriculture)

Low average incomes

Social characteristics of low income countries

Gender inequality

Lack a developed education system

High birth rates

Unable to provide social security payments

Lack access to suitable healthcare

Political unrest and unstable government

Lack access to technology

Have a history of colonisation

Environmental characteristics of low income countries

No access to safe water and sanitation)

Lack adequate housing (have urban slums)

Lack food security

Inadequate infrastructure (no access to adequate roads, piped water, sewerage systems, electricity)

Heavily impacted by climate change (don't have the resources to deal with impacts)

why do we classify countries into low, middle and high?

allows countries that experience similar characteristics to be grouped together for the purpose of guiding policies & interventions that may improve levels of H&W

how are countries classified?

world bank classifies it based on GNI

units for GNI?

per capita

what are the limitations of using an average income to classify?

The world bank system classifies countries using average incomes for each countries and therefore does not acknowledge the variations that are experienced within one country or within two countries in the same group. For example China is classified as upper middle income but average incomes vary considerably across china and some regions woiuld be classified as low income if they are indepedent of the rest of china

define economic characteristics

relates to financial state of a country. This influences the oppertunities & resources available for it’s citizens.

define environmental characteristics:

characteristics of the environment that contributes to health and wellbeing in the country.