Classifying Countries Based on Wealth
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 5.1.3
Classifying Countries Based on Wealth
Classifying countries based on wealth can be misleading. Because GNI per head is an average, variation between regions and classes is excluded. However, due to its simplicity, this approach is still common.
Higher income countries (HICs)
- The wealthiest countries (e.g. the USA, Switzerland, the UK, Germany, Canada) are called HICs.
- The GNI per capita (head), levels of education and literacy, and the quality of life are high.
- GNI per capita (head) of $12,746 or more.
Lower income countries (LICs)
- The poorest countries in the world (e.g. Somalia, Nepal, Ghana) are called LICs.
- The GNI per capita (head), levels of education & literacy, and quality of life is low.
- GNI per capita (head) of $1,045 or less.
Newly emerging economies (NEEs)
- NEEs (e.g. Brazil, Indonesia, China, India) used to be LICs but have undergone 3-4 decades of development. They are usually strong at manufacturing products, have a growing middle class and the average quality of life has risen quickly.
Test yourself on Classifying Countries Based on Wealth
Which of the following is NOT a wealth-based classification of a country?
In which type of country is the GNI per head and quality of life low?