Classifying Countries (Cambridge (CIE) AS Environmental Management)
Revision Note
Written by: Alistair Marjot
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Classifying Countries
The World Bank categorises countries based on their development levels, considering economic, social, cultural, and technological aspects
The three main categories are:
Low-income countries (LICs) have a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of US$1 086 or less (e.g. Mozambique, Bangladesh, Haiti, Afghanistan)
Middle-income countries (MICs) have a GNI per capita over US$1 086 but less than US$13 205 (e.g. Mexico, Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia)
High-income countries (HICs) have a GNI per capita exceeding US$13 205 (e.g. Sweden, Australia, Canada, Singapore)
LICs have weaker economies, leading to instances of extreme poverty, lower education levels, and poorer living standards
Some additional examples of LICs include Zambia, Myanmar, Chad, Sierra Leone
HICs have much stronger economies, resulting in higher education levels, superior living standards, and low levels of extreme poverty
Some additional examples of HICs include Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Qatar
Factors influencing a country's classification include climate, resource availability, frequency of natural disasters, and social aspects, such as political stability, cultural diversity and social equality
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