Developed countries are economically stable with high literacy rate, high gross national per capita income and universal ability of facilities.
The population of a country is based on many factors. In this lesson, we will explore several important factors that differ between developed and developing countries.
Highly Developed & Developing Countries
Imagine a big city in the United States and a small village in Ethiopia. What are some differences between these two locations? Some differences might include climate, population size, culture, and diet.
The economies of these two countries are one major characteristic that set them apart. The United States is considered a highly developed country, which is a general category for countries that are highly industrialized and have high per capita income levels. Ethiopia, on the other hand, would be considered a developing country, which is a general category for countries that have limited industrialization and have low per capita income levels.
Although highly developed and developing countries are often compared based on economy, they also vary a great deal in population characteristics. Some of the most commonly analyzed population characteristics include infant mortality rate, total fertility rate, replacement-level fertility, and age structure.
Infant Mortality Rate
Unfortunately, not all children that are born will survive, and the rate of survival can vary a great deal by the type of country. Infant mortality rate is the term used to describe the percentage of infants that die before the age of one year. Although sad, this statistic is very important because it influences the overall population growth rate, replacement-level fertility, and the age structure of the population.
The infant mortality rate varies a great deal between highly developed and developing countries. On average, developing countries have an infant mortality rate that is 18 times higher than the rate of developed countries. When comparing the ten most developed countries with the ten least developed countries, the infant mortality rate is daunting. The most developed countries have an infant mortality rate of less than 1%, while the least developed countries have an average infant mortality rate of around 10%. These differences in infant mortality rate are shocking, and the high rates are due mainly to limited access to medical care, poor sanitation, and increased prevalence of diseases.