Developing country facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A developing country is a nation that is still working on building up its industries and improving life for its people. These countries often have a lower Human Development Index (HDI) compared to more developed nations. The HDI measures how well people are doing in terms of health, education, and living standards.

There isn't one single way to define a developing country, and different groups like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have their own ways of classifying them. Sometimes, you might hear terms like low and middle-income country (LMIC) or newly emerging economy (NEE) which focus on the economic side.

Developing countries often share some common challenges, often because of their history or where they are located. For example, they might have:

Less access to clean drinking water, good sanitation (like proper toilets), and hygiene.
Problems with energy poverty, meaning many people don't have electricity or modern cooking fuels.
More pollution in the air and water.
Higher rates of certain diseases, especially tropical and infectious ones.
More road traffic accidents.
Generally poorer quality infrastructure (like roads, bridges, and buildings).

Access to healthcare can be limited, and people often have shorter life expectancies. This is due to lower incomes and less public health support. Sadly, problems like infectious diseases, mothers dying during childbirth, and babies dying young are more common.

Developed countries or cities Developing countries Least developed countries Data unavailable
This map shows how the IMF and UN classify countries.

World map showing Human Development Index levels (2022 data).

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Developing countries also tend to have younger populations. This is because birth rates are often higher, and the population isn't aging as fast as in developed countries.

To help with these challenges, development aid is given by richer countries and organizations. This help supports economic, environmental, social, and political growth. The United Nations has set Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, which aim to solve many of these global problems.

What are common characteristics?

Government and politics

Many developing countries gained their full independence and democracy after the mid-1900s, often after being ruled by European powers. While their political systems vary, most have moved towards some form of democratic government. However, these democracies can face challenges in giving all citizens equal political freedom.

Economy

World regions by total wealth in 2018.

After gaining independence, many developing countries needed a lot of help to build new infrastructure (like roads and power plants) and industries. They often relied on money from foreign countries. However, this sometimes led to a system where richer countries benefited more by getting cheap raw materials and labor. This system is sometimes called neocolonialism, meaning that even without direct control, richer countries can still take advantage of less developed ones.

Organizations like the New International Economic Order (NIEO) were created to try and stop this unfair system. They want developing countries to control their own natural resources and build their own industries. Groups of developing nations, like the BRICS countries, are also working together to have a stronger voice in the world.

What challenges do developing countries face?

Developing countries often discuss global issues like globalization, health, and preventing diseases. This is different from developed nations, which often focus on new science and technology.

Most developing countries share these challenges:

High levels of poverty: This is often measured by how much money people earn on average. For example, if the average income is very low, a country might be called a least developed country.
Weak human resources: This means challenges with nutrition, health, education, and adult literacy.
Economic vulnerability: Their economies can be easily affected by things like bad harvests, changes in export prices, or natural disasters. They also face a higher risk of financial crises.

Urban slums

Many people in developing countries live in slums, which are crowded urban areas with poor housing and services. In 2012, about 863 million people in cities in the developing world lived in slums. In some cities, especially in parts of Africa and Asia, slums are home to a very large part of the population.

Slums grow for many reasons, including:

Many people moving from rural areas to cities quickly.
Slow economic growth and high unemployment.
Poverty and a large informal economy (jobs not officially recognized).
Poor city planning, natural disasters, and conflicts.

Healthcare and public health

Percentage of people with undernutrition by country, World Food Program, 2020.

Healthcare is very different in developing countries compared to developed ones. People often have shorter life expectancies due to lower incomes and less public health support. Infectious diseases, mothers dying during childbirth, and babies dying young are much more common. Developing countries also have less access to medical services and struggle to get vaccines, which is important for fighting pandemics like COVID-19 pandemic.

Undernutrition is also more common. Children under five, pregnant women, and the elderly are especially at risk. In 2013, about 165 million children had stunted growth because of malnutrition. Sometimes, both undernutrition and obesity can be found in the same communities.

Other health problems linked to the environment include:

Illnesses like malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS.
Tropical and infectious diseases.
Unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and hygiene.
Indoor air pollution in developing nations from cooking fires.
General air pollution and water pollution.
Motor vehicle collisions and accidental poisoning.
Non-communicable diseases and weak healthcare systems.

Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)

Many developing countries have very limited access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 2.4 billion people still didn't have proper sanitation facilities, and 663 million lacked safe drinking water. Most of these people live in developing countries.

Energy

Solar cookers use sunlight to cook food outdoors.

In 2009, about 1.4 billion people worldwide lived without electricity. Many others relied on wood, charcoal, and animal dung for cooking and heating. This lack of modern energy makes it hard to earn money, escape poverty, and causes health problems from indoor air pollution. It also contributes to deforestation and climate change.

Small-scale renewable energy like solar power and improved cookstoves can help. It's often easier and cheaper to produce renewable energy locally in rural areas than to build large power lines. Renewable energy can also help reduce poverty by providing energy for businesses, cooking, heating, and lighting. Kenya is a world leader in using solar power systems.

Pollution

Water pollution

A factory in China near the Yangtze River causing air pollution.

Plastic pollution on a beach in Ghana.

Water pollution is a big problem in many developing countries. It's a leading cause of death and disease worldwide, with over 14,000 people dying daily from water-related illnesses. For example, in India, about 580 people die every day from water pollution-related illnesses. In China, much of the city water was polluted, and many people didn't have access to safe drinking water.

However, some countries are making progress. China has worked hard to clean up its environment since the 2010s, closing polluting factories and enforcing environmental rules. They are also shifting away from coal, which is a major source of pollution.

Indoor air pollution

Indoor air pollution in developing nations is a serious health risk. Many people in developing countries cook indoors using wood, charcoal, or animal dung, often without good ventilation. This smoke causes serious health problems, especially for women and children. In 2012, 4.3 million deaths were linked to indoor air pollution in developing countries. Finding affordable solutions, like better cooking methods and ventilation, is a complex but important goal.

Climate change

Why are developing countries vulnerable to climate change?

Surface air temperature change over the past 50 years.

Scientists agree that human actions are causing the Earth to warm. This climate change leads to extreme weather, droughts, floods, and rising sea levels, which are dangerous for everyone.

Even though developed countries produce most of the carbon emissions, developing countries are most at risk from climate change. They often have less money, technology, and strong infrastructure to deal with the changes. Countries that are very vulnerable to climate change are called "highly climate vulnerable." This includes many countries in Africa and small island nations.

A 2012 report estimated that climate change causes 400,000 deaths each year, mostly from hunger and diseases in developing countries. There's a concept called "climate justice" that recognizes the unfairness: those who caused climate change the least are suffering the most.

Impacts of climate change

Climate change also hurts economies. In 2010, the poorest countries lost an average of 7% of their economic output due to reduced worker productivity. Rising sea levels cost these countries 1% of their economic output.

Richer countries promised $100 billion annually by 2020 through the Green Climate Fund to help developing countries adapt, but these promises haven't always been met. As the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said, "Climate change adds further injustice to an already unfair world." Tackling climate change is closely linked to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 13 on climate action.

Climate change is also likely to increase migration as people move away from areas affected by droughts, floods, and rising sea levels. For example, a 2018 World Bank report estimated that 143 million people in parts of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America might have to move within their own countries.

Despite these challenges, some developing countries are leaders in climate action. Bangladesh, for instance, created a national program in 2009 to adapt to climate change and spends about $1 billion annually on it.

Population growth

Map of countries and territories by fertility rate as of 2020.

Over the past few decades, global population growth has mostly happened in developing countries, which often have higher birth rates. The United Nations believes that family planning can help slow population growth and reduce poverty in these nations.

Population growth, along with climate change and land problems, can also worsen conflicts. For example, conflicts in the Sahel region of Africa have been made worse by these issues.

Poor governance

Many developing countries are considered flawed democracies or authoritarian regimes. After gaining independence, powerful groups sometimes took control of the government.

Building a strong democratic state is often hard due to widespread corruption and nepotism (favoring family or friends). Political instability is also common. To fight corruption, countries are working on:

Creating fair public administration systems.
Investigating the causes of corruption.
Informing citizens about corruption's negative effects.
Setting rules to prevent abuse of power.
Creating special laws against corruption.

Other challenges

Other common challenges include:

Increased pollution from industries and farms.
Unsustainable use of energy resources.
High reliance on natural resources, leading to their overuse.
Child marriage.
Debt to other countries.
Poorly performing public services.
Food insecurity.
Illiteracy and unemployment.

Many developing nations rely on exporting basic products to richer countries. When richer nations face economic problems, it can quickly affect their developing country trading partners, as seen during the global economic downturn of 2008–2009.

Country lists

Developing countries according to International Monetary Fund

The following are considered developing economies by the International Monetary Fund (as of April 2023):

Countries not listed by IMF

Countries that became developed economies

Some countries and regions that were once considered developing have now become advanced economies. This includes places like the Four Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan) and several European Union countries.

Here are some examples and when they became advanced economies according to the IMF:

Hong Kong (since 1997)
Israel (since 1997)
Singapore (since 1997)
South Korea (since 1997)
Taiwan (since 1997)
Cyprus (since 2001)
Slovenia (since 2007)
Malta (since 2008)
Czech Republic (since 2009)
Slovakia (since 2009)
Estonia (since 2011)
Latvia (since 2014)
Lithuania (since 2015)
Andorra (since 2021)
Croatia (since 2023)

Newly industrialized countries

These ten countries are called "newly industrialized countries" because their economies have grown a lot, but they haven't quite reached the status of a fully developed country yet:

BRICS countries

The BRICS group includes nine major "emerging markets" (countries with fast-growing economies):

Brazil (since 2006)
Russia (since 2006)
India (since 2006)
China (since 2006)
South Africa (since 2010)
Egypt (since 2024)
Ethiopia (since 2024)
Iran (since 2024)
United Arab Emirates (since 2024)