Social and Economic indicators

average age a person is expected to live
it provides a good reflection of the quality of healthcare and sanitation available. it also reflects the number of diseases common in that country.
e.g. UK: 81 years, Rwanda: 62

this is the average number of people in the country for every doctor
a high number indicates a less developed country. developing countries have less resources to provide medical facilities. they do not have the money to train doctors and education is poor so there are less people available to train.
e.g. Liberia: 70,000 people per doctor, UK: 360

this is the percentage of people in a country that can read and write.
a high percentage indicates a more developed country. this is an indication of the degree of education in a country, for example, the number of schools and qualified teachers which would allow it to move forward in its development.

this is the average number of calories eaten per person per day
a high figure indicates a more developed country. this is due to problems producing foods in a country. famine can occur as a result of issues such as desertification, and also as a result of poorer farming methods employed. low levels of mechanisation may reduce yields.

GDP measures the total value of goods produced in a country in US dollars per capita
a low figure indicates a less developed country
if GDP is low it suggests very little secondary or tertiary industry.
in developing countries most of the people work in agriculture mainly as subsistence farmers and so only produce enough food to feed themselves and their family. therefore they do not contribute to the economy.
however, in developed countries people are employed within industries that bring wealth into the country. countries such as the UK also make money from trade.

this is the amount of energy used by a country (coal, oil, gas) divided by its population. it is measured in watts.
a high figure indicates a more developed country.
people with a higher standard of living will use cars and domestic appliances which require energy.
countries with higher energy consumption will tend to indicate a high industrial base which will create wealth.
e.g. UK: 5218.2 watts per capita, Ethiopia: 370 watts per capita.

this is the percentage of a country’s population employed in agriculture.
a high percentage indicates a less developed country.
many people in the developing world are subsistence farmers and so no profit is made from produce.
in developed countries, farming is usually commercial. agricultural goods may be exported by large multinational companies and profit is made.