View source for Developing country

{{Short description|Nation with a relatively low living standard}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

[[File:IMF advanced economies and UN least developed countries.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|<!-- Map is up to date, despite the file name. -->
{{legend|#00b9fa|[[Developed country|Advanced/developed markets by the IMF]]}}
{{legend|#ffb219|Emerging/developing markets by the IMF}}
{{legend|#ff562f|[[Least developed countries|Least developed countries by the UN]]}}
{{legend|#b9b9b9|Data unavailable}}<br />The latest classifications sorted by the [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]]<ref name="IMF1">{{cite web |title=World Economic and Financial Surveys World Economic Outlook Database—WEO Groups and Aggregates Information |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/groups-and-aggregates |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303145301/https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2022/01/weodata/groups.htm |archive-date=3 March 2023 |access-date=2 June 2022 |publisher=International Monetary Fund}}</ref> and the [[United Nations|UN]]<ref>[https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/publication/ldc_list.pdf Least Developed Countries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517090756/http://www.unohrlls.org/en/ldc/related/62/ |date=17 May 2011 }} ({{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20191221185727/http://unohrlls.org/custom-content/uploads/2018/12/list-of-least-developed-countries-rev1.pdf 2018 list]}})</ref>]]

[[File:2023-25 U.N. Human Development Report (multicolored).svg|alt=World map|thumb|World map representing [[Human Development Index]] categories (based on 2023 data, published in 2025){{legend-col
|{{Legend|#008c00ff|Very high}}
|{{Legend|#ffcc00ff|High}}
|{{Legend|#ff6600ff|Medium}}
|{{Legend|#d40000ff|Low}}
|{{Legend|#b9b9b9ff|No data}}
}}]]

A '''developing country''' is a [[country]] with a less-developed [[Secondary sector of the economy|industrial base]] and a lower [[Human Development Index]] (HDI) relative to [[developed countries]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=O'Sullivan|first1=Arthur |author-link=Arthur O'Sullivan (economist)|first2=Steven M.|last2=Sheffrin | name-list-style = vanc |title=Economics: Principles in Action|url=https://archive.org/details/economicsprincip00osul|url-access=limited|publisher=Pearson Prentice Hall|year=2003|location=Upper Saddle River, New Jersey|page=[https://archive.org/details/economicsprincip00osul/page/n487 471]| isbn = 978-0-13-063085-8 }}</ref> However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreement on which countries fit this category.<ref name="UN">{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306024500/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm|archive-date=6 March 2010|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#ftnc | title = Composition of macro geographical (continental) region | publisher = United Nation s}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> The terms '''low-and middle-income country''' ('''LMIC''') and '''newly emerging economy''' ('''NEE''') are often used interchangeably but they refer only to the economy of the countries. The [[World Bank]] classifies the world's economies into four groups, based on [[gross national income]] per capita: high-, upper-middle-, lower-middle-, and low-income countries. [[Least developed countries]], [[landlocked developing countries]], and [[Small Island Developing States|small island developing states]] are all sub-groupings of developing countries. Countries on the other end of the spectrum are usually referred to as [[World Bank high-income economy|high-income countries]] or [[Developed country|developed countries]].

There are controversies over the terms' use, as some feel that it perpetuates an outdated concept of [[In-group and out-group|"us" and "them".]]<ref name="Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think" /> In 2015, the World Bank declared that the "developing/developed world categorization" had become less relevant and that they would phase out the use of that descriptor. Instead, their reports will present data aggregations for regions and income groups.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> The term "[[Global South]]" is used by some as an alternative term to developing countries.

Developing countries tend to have some characteristics in common, often due to their histories or geographies. These are the characteristics captured by the data and definitions of the World Bank and the United Nations. On the other hand, the IMF classification focuses solely on financial integration and stability and not on the overall level of social and economic development of a country. It is also reflected by the IMF terminology that uses markets/economies and not countries. Moreover, the adoption of the Euro has earned several European countries an immediate upgrade by IMF to being a developed economy (a standard partice by the IMF) based on the larger financial integration without considering any other factors of economic or social development.

Among other characteristics, developing or low and medium income countries (as defined by the World Bank) commonly have lower levels of access to safe [[drinking water]], [[sanitation]] and [[hygiene]], [[energy poverty]], higher levels of [[pollution]] (e.g. , [[air pollution]], [[littering]], [[water pollution]], [[open defecation]]); higher proportions of people with tropical and infectious diseases ([[neglected tropical diseases]]); more [[Traffic collision|road traffic accidents]]; and generally poorer quality [[infrastructure]].

In addition, there are often high [[unemployment]] rates, widespread [[poverty]], widespread [[hunger]], [[extreme poverty]], [[child labour]], [[malnutrition]], [[homelessness]], [[substance abuse]], [[prostitution]], [[Human overpopulation|overpopulation]], [[civil disorder]], [[human capital flight]], a large [[informal economy]], high [[crime]] rates ([[extortion]], [[robbery]], [[burglary]], [[murder]], [[homicide]], [[arms trafficking]], [[sex trafficking]], [[Illegal drug trade|drug trafficking]], [[kidnapping]], [[rape]]), low [[education]] levels, [[economic inequality]], [[dropping out|school desertion]], inadequate access to [[family planning]] services, [[teenage pregnancy]], many [[Informal housing|informal settlements]] and [[slums]], [[corruption]] at all government levels, and political instability. Unlike developed countries, developing countries lack the [[rule of law]].

Access to [[Health care|healthcare]] is often low.<ref name=":11" /> People in developing countries usually have lower [[life expectancy|life expectancies]] than people in developed countries, reflecting both lower income levels and poorer public health.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":14" /> The burden of infectious diseases,<ref name=":15" /> [[Maternal death|maternal mortality]],<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17" /> [[child mortality]]<ref name=":18" /> and [[infant mortality]]<ref name="MPG" /><ref name="Molitoris" /> are typically substantially higher in those countries. The [[effects of climate change]] are expected to affect developing countries more than high-income countries, as most of them have a high [[Climate change vulnerability|climate vulnerability]] or low [[climate resilience]].<ref name=":4">{{cite journal |vauthors=Althor G, Watson JE, Fuller RA |date=February 2016 |title=Global mismatch between greenhouse gas emissions and the burden of climate change |journal=Scientific Reports |language=En |volume=6 |issue=1 |article-number=20281 |bibcode=2016NatSR...620281A |doi=10.1038/srep20281 |pmc=4742864 |pmid=26848052}}</ref> Phrases such as "resource poor setting" or "low-resource setting" are often used when referring to healthcare in developing countries.<ref name=":19">{{Cite journal |last1=Geiling |first1=James |last2=Burkle |first2=Frederick M. |last3=Amundson |first3=Dennis |last4=Dominguez-Cherit |first4=Guillermo |last5=Gomersall |first5=Charles D. |last6=Lim |first6=Matthew L. |last7=Luyckx |first7=Valerie |last8=Sarani |first8=Babak |last9=Uyeki |first9=Timothy M. |last10=West |first10=T. Eoin |last11=Christian |first11=Michael D. |last12=Devereaux |first12=Asha V. |last13=Dichter |first13=Jeffrey R. |last14=Kissoon |first14=Niranjan | display-authors = 4 | date=2014-10-01 |title=Resource-Poor Settings: Infrastructure and Capacity Building |journal=Chest |language=English |volume=146 |issue=4 |pages=e156S–e167S |doi=10.1378/chest.14-0744 |issn=0012-3692 |pmc=6679686 |pmid=25144337}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite journal |last1=Grubic |first1=Nicholas | last2=Hill | first2 = Braeden | last3=Allan | first3 = Katherine S. | last4=Dainty | first4 = Katie N. |last5=Johri | first5 = Amer M. |last6= Brooks |first6=Steven C. |display-authors = 4 | date=2023-11-17 |title=Community Interventions for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Resource-Limited Settings: A Scoping Review Across Low, Middle, and High-Income Countries |journal=Prehospital Emergency Care |volume=27 |issue=8 |pages=1088–1100 |doi=10.1080/10903127.2023.2231559 |issn=1090-3127 |pmid=37406163}}</ref>

Developing countries often have lower [[median age]]s than developed countries. [[Population aging]] is a global phenomenon, but population age has risen more slowly in developing countries.<ref>{{Cite book |doi=10.18356/30d0966c-en |title=World population ageing 2013 |series=Statistical Papers - United Nations (Ser. A), Population and Vital Statistics Report |date=2014 |isbn=978-92-1-056651-3 }}{{pn|date=May 2025}}</ref>

[[Development aid]] or development cooperation is financial [[aid]] given by foreign governments and other agencies to support developing countries' economic, environmental, social, and political [[International development|development]]. If the [[Sustainable Development Goals]] which were set up by [[United Nations]] for the year 2030 are achieved, they would overcome many problems.

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== Terms used to classify countries ==

There are several terms used to classify countries into rough levels of development.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fialho |first1=Djalita |last2=Van Bergeijk |first2=Peter A. G. |title=The Proliferation of Developing Country Classifications |journal=[[The Journal of Development Studies]] |date=2017 |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=99–115 |doi=10.1080/00220388.2016.1178383 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Classification of any given country differs across sources, and sometimes, these classifications or the specific terminology used is considered disparaging.

=== By income groups ===
[[File:High income economies as classified by the World Bank.png|thumb|right|A map of World Bank high-income economies in 2023|alt=|upright=1.6]]
The World Bank classifies the world's economies into four groups, based on [[gross national income]] per capita calculated using the [[Atlas method]], re-set each year on 1 July:<ref name=":9">{{cite web|title=New country classifications by income level: 2019–2020|url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/new-country-classifications-income-level-2019-2020|access-date=12 February 2021|publisher=World Bank Blogs |work=Data Blog |date=1 July 2019 |language=en|archive-date=7 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107201418/https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/new-country-classifications-income-level-2019-2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

* [[World Bank high-income economy|high income countries]] (similar to [[Developed country|developed countries]])
* upper-middle income countries
* lower-middle income countries
* low-income countries

The three groups that are not "high income" are together referred to as "low and middle income countries" (LMICs). For example, for the 2022 fiscal year, a low income country is defined as one with a GNI per capita less than 1,045 in current US$; a lower middle-income country is one with GNI per capita between 1,046 and 4,095 in current US$; an upper middle-income country is one with GNI per capita between 4,096 and 12,695 in current US$, and a high income country is one with GNI per capita of more than 12,696 in current US$.<ref name=CountriesByGNIperCapita>{{cite web |url=https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups | title=World Bank Country and Lending Groups |website=World Bank Data Help Desk | access-date=10 January 2022 | archive-date=28 October 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028223324/https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups | url-status=live }}</ref> [[World Bank high-income economy#Historical thresholds|Historical thresholds]] are documented.

=== By markets and economic growth ===
The use of the term "market" instead of "country" usually indicates a specific focus on the characteristics of the countries' financial support system as opposed to the overall economy.

* [[Developed country|Developed countries]] and [[developed market]]s
* Developing countries include in decreasing order of economic growth or size of the capital market:
** [[Newly industrialized country|Newly industrialized countries]]<ref name="Globalization">{{cite book|title=Globalization and the Transformation of Foreign Economic Policy | first = Paweł | last = Bożyk | name-list-style = vanc |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7546-4638-9|chapter=Newly Industrialized Countries}}</ref><ref name="Limits">{{cite book|title=The Limits of Convergence| first = Mauro F. | last = Guillén | name-list-style = vanc |publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-691-11633-4|chapter=Multinationals, Ideology, and Organized Labor|author-link=Mauro F. Guillén}}</ref><ref name="AIA">{{cite book|title=Geography, An Integrated Approach|last=Waugh|first=David | name-list-style = vanc |publisher=Nelson Thornes Ltd.|year=2000|isbn=978-0-17-444706-1|edition= 3rd|pages=563, 576–579, 633, and 640|chapter=Manufacturing industries (chapter 19), World development (chapter 22)}}</ref><ref name="Principles">{{cite book|title=Principles of Economics|last=Mankiw|first=N. Gregory | name-list-style = vanc |year=2007|publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-324-22472-6|edition= 4th}}{{pn|date=May 2025}}</ref> 
** [[Emerging markets]]
** [[Frontier markets]]
** [[Least developed country|Least developed countries]] (also called less economically developed country)
Under other criteria, some countries are at an intermediate stage of development, or, as the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF) put it, following the [[fall of the Soviet Union]], "countries in transition": all those of [[Central and Eastern Europe]] (including Central European countries that still belonged to the "Eastern Europe Group" in the UN institutions); the former [[Soviet Union]] (USSR) countries in Central Asia ([[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Tajikistan]] and [[Turkmenistan]]); and [[Mongolia]]. By 2009, the IMF's [[World Economic Outlook]] classified countries as advanced, emerging, or developing, depending on "(1) per capita income level, (2) export diversification—so oil exporters that have high per capita GDP would not make the advanced classification because around 70% of its exports are oil, and (3) degree of integration into the global financial system".<ref>{{cite web|title=Q. How does the WEO categorize advanced versus emerging and developing economies?|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/faq.htm#q4b|access-date=20 July 2009|work=[[International Monetary Fund]]|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417061830/https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/faq.htm#q4b|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== By geography ===
Developing countries can also be categorized by geography:
* [[Small Island Developing States]] (a group of developing countries that are small [[island countries]] which tend to share similar [[sustainable development]] challenges: small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to [[natural disaster]]s, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on [[international trade]], and fragile environments).
* [[Landlocked developing countries|Landlocked Developing Countries]] ([[Landlocked country|landlocked countries]] often experience economic and other disadvantages)

=== By other parameters ===
* [[Heavily indebted poor countries]], a definition by a program of the IMF and World Bank
* [[Transition economy]], moving from a centrally planned to [[market-driven economy]]
* Multi-dimensional clustering system: with the understanding that different countries have different development priorities and levels of access to resources and institutional capacities<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Koch|first=Svea|name-list-style=vanc|date=1 June 2015|title=From Poverty Reduction to Mutual Interests? The Debate on Differentiation in EU Development Policy|journal=Development Policy Review|volume=33|issue=4|pages=479–502|doi=10.1111/dpr.12119|hdl=10419/199382 |doi-access=free|hdl-access=free}}</ref> and to offer a more nuanced understanding of developing countries and their characteristics, scholars have categorized them into five distinct groups based on factors such as levels of poverty and inequality, productivity and innovation, political constraints and dependence on external flows.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Vázquez|first1=Sergio Tezanos|last2=Sumner|first2=Andy | name-list-style = vanc | date = December 2013 | title=Revisiting the Meaning of Development: A Multidimensional Taxonomy of Developing Countries|journal=The Journal of Development Studies|volume=49|issue=12|pages=1728–1745|doi=10.1080/00220388.2013.822071 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last = Taeihagh | first = Araz | name-list-style = vanc | title = Crowdsourcing, Sharing Economies and Development | journal = Journal of Developing Societies | volume = 33 | issue = 2 | year = 2017 | pages = 191–222 |doi=10.1177/0169796x17710072 | arxiv = 1707.06603 }}</ref>

=== By self declaration ===
In general, the WTO accepts any country's claim of itself being "developing." Certain countries that have become "developed" in the last 20 years by almost all economic metrics, still insist to be classified as "developing country," as it entitles them to a preferential treatment at the [[World Trade Organization|WTO]], countries such as [[Brunei]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Kuwait]], [[Macao]], [[Qatar]], [[Singapore]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]] have been cited and criticized for this self-declared status.<ref>{{cite web|date=26 July 2019|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|title=Memorandum on Reforming Developing-Country Status in the World Trade Organization.|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-reforming-developing-country-status-world-trade-organization|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=16 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216200055/https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-reforming-developing-country-status-world-trade-organization/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Measure and concept of development ==
[[File:Least Developed Countries.png|thumb|upright=1.6|
{{legend|#007f00|Least developed economies according to [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|ECOSOC]]}}
{{legend|#00ff00|Least developed economies out of scope of the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|ECOSOC]]}}
{{legend|#ff0000|Graduated to developing economy}}<br />
{{when|date=June 2016}}{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}
]]

[[File:Map of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita in 2024.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|GDP (PPP) [[per capita]] in 2024{{Legend-col
|{{Legend|#00008a|>$60,000}}
|{{Legend|#003c00|$50,000 – $60,000}}
|{{Legend|#008f00|$40,000 – $50,000}}
|{{Legend|#00f900|$30,000 – $40,000}}
|{{Legend|#b3ff00|$20,000 – $30,000}}
|{{Legend|#ffff00|$10,000 – $20,000}}
|{{Legend|#ffd215|$5,000 – $10,000}}
|{{Legend|#ff852f|$2,500 – $5,000}}
|{{Legend|#ff0000|$1,000 – $2,500}}
|{{Legend|#a30000|<$1,000}}
|{{Legend|#b9b9b9|No data}}
}}]]
Development can be measured by economic or human factors. Developing countries are, in general, countries that have not achieved a significant degree of [[industrialization]] relative to their populations, and have, in most cases, a medium to low [[standard of living]]. There is an association between low income and high population growth.<ref name="Population and poverty">{{cite news|title=Population and poverty|url=https://www.unfpa.org/resources/population-and-poverty|access-date=21 September 2018|newspaper=United Nations Population Fund|language=en|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521093951/https://www.unfpa.org/resources/population-and-poverty|url-status=live}}</ref> The development of a country is measured with statistical indices such as income [[per capita]] (per person), [[gross domestic product]] per capita, [[life expectancy]], the rate of literacy, freedom index and others. The UN has developed the [[Human Development Index]] (HDI), a compound indicator of some of the above statistics, to gauge the level of human development for countries where data is available. The UN had set [[Millennium Development Goals]] from a blueprint developed by all of the world's countries and leading development institutions, in order to evaluate growth.<ref>{{cite web|title=United Nations Millennium Development Goals|url=https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/|access-date=28 March 2018|website=www.un.org|archive-date=4 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504153515/http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/|url-status=live}}</ref> These goals ended in 2015, to be superseded by the [[Sustainable Development Goals]].

The concept of the developing nation is found, under one term or another, in numerous theoretical systems having diverse orientations – for example, theories of [[decolonization]], [[liberation theology]], [[Marxism]], [[anti-imperialism]], [[Modernization theory|modernization]], [[social change]] and [[political economy]].

Another important indicator is the sectoral changes that have occurred since the stage of development of the country. On an average, countries with a 50% contribution from the [[secondary sector]] ([[manufacturing]]) have grown substantially. Similarly, countries with a [[tertiary sector]] stronghold also see a greater rate of [[economic development]].

== Associated theories ==
The term "developing countries" has many research theories associated with it (in chronological order):

* [[Modernization theory]] – to explain the process of modernization within societies
* [[Dependency theory]] – the notion that resources flow from a "periphery" of poor and underdeveloped states to a "core" of [[Developed country|wealthy states]], enriching the latter at the expense of the former
* [[Development theory]] – a collection of [[Theory|theories]] about how desirable change in society is best achieved.
* [[Postdevelopment theory]] – holds that the whole concept and practice of [[International development|development]] is a reflection of Western-Northern hegemony over the rest of the world

== Criticisms of the term ==
{{Further|Development aid}}
There is criticism for using the term "developing country". The term could imply inferiority of this kind of country compared with a [[developed country]].<ref name=":7">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/01/04/372684438/if-you-shouldnt-call-it-the-third-world-what-should-you-call-it|title=If You Shouldn't Call It The Third World, What Should You Call It?|last=Silver|first=Marc|date=4 January 2015|website=NPR|access-date=5 March 2020|archive-date=1 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401165708/https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/01/04/372684438/if-you-shouldnt-call-it-the-third-world-what-should-you-call-it|url-status=live}}</ref> It could assume a desire to develop along the traditional Western model of [[economic development]] which a few countries, such as [[Cuba]] and [[Bhutan]], choose not to follow.{{clarify|date=July 2023}}<ref name="Karma Ura">{{cite book|url=http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/savifadok/volltexte/2009/305/pdf/mono_1en_bt_dev_stry.pdf|title=The Bhutanese development story|last=Ura|first=Karma|year=2009|publisher=Heidelberg University Library|doi=10.11588/xarep.00000305|access-date=17 September 2012|name-list-style=vanc|archive-date=3 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203013407/http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/savifadok/volltexte/2009/305/pdf/mono_1en_bt_dev_stry.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Alternative measurements such as [[gross national happiness]] have been suggested as important indicators.

One of the early criticisms that questioned the use of the terms "developing" and "underdeveloped" countries was voiced in 1973 by prominent historian and academic [[Walter Rodney]] who compared the economic, social, and political parameters between the United States and countries in Africa and Asia.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://abahlali.org/files/3295358-walter-rodney.pdf|title=''How Europe Underdeveloped Africa''|last=Rodney|first=Walter|date=1973|publisher=Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications, London and Tanzanian Publishing House, Dar-Es-Salaam|language=en|page=25|access-date=12 May 2019|archive-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503095007/http://abahlali.org/files/3295358-walter-rodney.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>{{clarify|reason=What was his criticism? Why did he not like those terms?|date=April 2020}}

There is "no established convention" for defining "developing country".<ref name="unstated.un.org">{{cite web |title=Millennium Development Indicators: World and regional groupings |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/worldmillennium.htm |publisher=[[United Nations Statistics Division]] |date=2003 |at=Note b |access-date=13 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210031555/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/worldmillennium.htm |archive-date=10 February 2005 }}</ref> According to [[economist]] [[Jeffrey Sachs]], the current divide between the [[developed country|developed]] and developing world is largely a phenomenon of the 20th century.<ref name="The End of Poverty">{{cite book | last = Sachs | first = Jeffrey | year = 2005 | title = The End of Poverty | publisher = The Penguin Press | location = New York, New York | isbn = 1-59420-045-9| title-link = The End of Poverty }}{{page needed|date=December 2019}}</ref> The late global health expert [[Hans Rosling]] has argued against the terms, calling the concept "outdated" since the terms are used under the prerequisite that the world is divided in rich and poor countries, while the fact is that the vast majority of countries are middle-income.<ref name="Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think">{{cite book|last1=Rosling|first1=Hans|url=https://www.gapminder.org/factfulness-book/|title=Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think|last2=Rosling|first2=Ola|last3=Rosling Rönnlund|first3=Anna|publisher=Sceptre|year=2018|isbn=978-1-250-10781-7|page=353|chapter=Chapter 1: The Gap Instinct|author-link=Hans Rosling|access-date=5 March 2020|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N94sDwAAQBAJ&q=Factfulness+(the+book)|archive-date=10 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410082631/https://www.gapminder.org/factfulness-book/|url-status=live}}</ref> Given the lack of a clear definition, sustainability expert [[Mathis Wackernagel]] and founder of [[Global Footprint Network]], emphasizes that the binary labeling of countries is "neither descriptive nor explanatory".<ref name="Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget">{{cite book|url=https://www.newsociety.com/Books/E/Ecological-Footprint|title=Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget|last1=Wackernagel|first1=Mathis|last2=Beyers|first2=Bert|publisher=New Society Publishers|year=2019|isbn=978-0-86571-911-8|location=Gabriola Island, BC, Canada|page=132|author-link=Mathis Wackernagel|access-date=26 February 2021|archive-date=30 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230123431/https://www.newsociety.com/Books/E/Ecological-Footprint|url-status=live}}</ref> Wackernagel identifies these binary terms of "developing" vs. "developed" countries, or "North" vs. "South", as "a thoughtless and destructive endorsement of GDP fetish."<ref name="Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget" /> Wackernagel and Rosling both argue that in reality, there are not two types of countries, but over 200 countries, all faced with the same laws of nature, yet each with unique features.<ref name="Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget" /><ref name="Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think" />

The term "developing" refers to a current situation and not a changing dynamic or expected direction of development. Additionally, the term "developing world" is increasingly seen as outdated, suggesting a hierarchy and not accurately reflecting the diverse realities of the encompassed countries. This term includes 135 low- or middle-income countries, covering 84% of the global population, and is criticized for its imprecision. Historical and empirical evidence, like the varied infant mortality rates across these nations, underscores the flaws in a uniform classification. Alternatives such as regional or income-based categories (low-income to high-income) are advocated for, as they align better with the specific contexts of countries, supporting more effective policy formulation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Time to stop referring to the "developing world" |url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/time-stop-referring-developing-world |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=World Bank Blogs |language=en}}</ref>

Since the late 1990s, countries identified by the UN as developing countries tended to demonstrate higher growth rates than those in the developed countries category.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Korotayev A, Zinkina J|date=2014|title=On the structure of the present-day convergence|url=https://www.academia.edu/30720894|journal=Campus-Wide Information Systems|volume=31|issue=2/3|pages=139–152|doi=10.1108/CWIS-11-2013-0064|access-date=10 January 2020|archive-date=8 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408054455/https://www.academia.edu/30720894|url-status=live}}</ref>

To moderate the [[euphemistic]] aspect of the word "developing", [[international organization]]s have started to use the term [[Least developed country|less economically developed country]] for the poorest nations – which can, in no sense, be regarded as developing. This highlights that the standard of living across the entire developing world varies greatly.

In 2015, the [[World Bank]] declared that the "developing / developed world categorization" had become less relevant, due to worldwide improvements in indices such as child mortality rates, fertility rates and extreme poverty rates.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/should-we-continue-use-term-developing-world|title=Should we continue to use the term "developing world"?|date=16 November 2015|website=World Bank blogs|access-date=5 March 2020|archive-date=11 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211131900/https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/should-we-continue-use-term-developing-world|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2016 edition of its [[World Development Indicators]] (WDI), the World Bank made a decision to no longer distinguish between "developed" and "developing" countries in the presentation of its data, considering the two-category distinction outdated.<ref name=":6"/> Accordingly, World Bank is phasing out use of that descriptor. Instead, the reports by Worldbank (such as the WDI and the [[Global Monitoring Report (World Bank)|Global Monitoring Report]]) now include data aggregations for the whole world, for regions, and for income groups – but not for the "developing world".<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/2016-edition-world-development-indicators-out-three-features-you-won-t-want-miss|title=The 2016 edition of World Development Indicators is out: three features you won't want to miss|publisher=World Bank Blogs |work=Data Blog |first1=Neil |last1=Fantom |first2=Tariq |last2=Khokhar |first3=Edie |last3=Purdie |date=15 April 2016 |language=en|access-date=5 March 2020|archive-date=6 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306194624/https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/2016-edition-world-development-indicators-out-three-features-you-won-t-want-miss|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Related terms ==
The term low and middle-income country (LMIC) is often used interchangeably with "developing country" but refers only to the economy of the countries. [[Least developed countries]], [[landlocked developing countries]] and [[Small Island Developing States|small island developing states]] are all sub-groupings of developing countries. Countries on the other end of the spectrum are usually referred to as [[World Bank high-income economy|high-income countries]] or [[Developed country|developed countries]].

In the context of healthcare, phrases such as "resource poor setting" or "low-resource setting" are often used to describe healthcare within developing countries, although these terms may also apply within parts of richer countries. Characteristics of resource-poor settings are poor healthcare infrastructure, financial limitations, a scarcity of trained professionals, poor healthcare technology, and a discontinuous [[supply chain]]. Other constraints may include geographical and environmental challenges, and cultural influences that affect [[Health literacy|health]] [[Health literacy|literacy]].<ref name=":19" /><ref name=":20" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zyl |first1=Chanel van |last2=Badenhorst |first2=Marelise |last3=Hanekom |first3=Susan |last4=Heine |first4=Martin |date=2021-06-03 |title=Unravelling 'low-resource settings': a systematic scoping review with qualitative content analysis |url=https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/6/e005190 |journal=BMJ Global Health |language=en |volume=6 |issue=6 |article-number=e005190 |doi=10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005190 |issn=2059-7908 |pmc=8183220 |pmid=34083239}}</ref>

=== Global South ===
{{Main|Global South}}

The term "[[Global South]]" began to be used more widely since about 2004.<ref name="concept">{{cite web |last1=Pagel |first1=Heikie |last2=Ranke |first2=Karen |last3=Hempel |first3=Fabian |last4=Köhler |first4=Jonas |date=11 July 2014 |title=The Use of the Concept 'Global South' in Social Science & Humanities |url=https://www.academia.edu/7917466 |access-date=6 October 2016 |publisher=[[Humboldt University of Berlin]] |archive-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213073610/https://www.academia.edu/7917466 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mitlin |first1=Diana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYdeNdKrp8sC&pg=PA13 |title=Urban Poverty in the Global South: Scale and Nature |last2=Satterthwaite |first2=David |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-62466-4 |page=13 |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> It can also include poorer "southern" regions of wealthy "northern" countries.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Braveboy-Wagner |first=Jacqueline Anne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s3s7a39GHIEC&pg=PA11 |title=The Foreign Policies of the Global South: Rethinking Conceptual Frameworks |date=2003 |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |isbn=978-1-58826-175-5 |page=11}}</ref> The Global South refers to these countries' "interconnected histories of [[colonialism]], [[neo-imperialism]], and differential economic and social change through which large inequalities in living standards, life expectancy, and access to resources are maintained".<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Dados |first1=Nour |last2=Connell |first2=Raewyn |name-list-style=vanc |date=1 January 2012 |title=the global south |journal=Contexts |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=12–13 |doi=10.1177/1536504212436479 |jstor=41960738 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{excerpt|Global North and Global South|paragraphs=1-2}}

=== Third World ===
{{excerpt|Third World|paragraphs=1|file=no}}

== Common characteristics ==

=== Government, politics and administration ===
Many developing countries have only attained full [[self-determination]] and [[democracy]] after the second half of the 20th century. Many were governed by an imperial European power until [[decolonization]]. Political systems in developing countries are diverse, but most states had established some form of [[Democracy|democratic governments]] by the early 21st century, with varying degrees of success and [[political liberty]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Palat|first1=Ravi Arvind|date=April 2010|title=World Turned Upside Down? Rise of the global South and the contemporary global financial turbulence|journal=Third World Quarterly|volume=31|issue=3|pages=365–384|doi=10.1080/01436597.2010.488465 }}</ref> The inhabitants of developing countries were introduced to democratic systems later and more abruptly than their Northern counterparts and were sometimes targeted by governmental and non-governmental efforts to encourage participation. 'Effective [[citizenship]]' is defined by [[sociologist]] [[Patrick Heller]] as: "closing [the] gap between formal legal rights in the civil and political arena, and the actual capability to meaningfully practice those rights".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Heller|first1=Patrick|date=October 2012|title=Democracy, Participatory Politics and Development: Some Comparative Lessons from Brazil, India and South Africa|journal=Polity|volume=44|issue=4|pages=643–665|doi=10.1057/pol.2012.19 }}</ref>

Beyond citizenship, the study of the politics of cross-border mobility in developing countries has also shed valuable light in [[Human migration|migration]] debates, seen as a corrective to the traditional focus on developed countries.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Haas|first1=Hein de|title=The age of migration: international population movements in the modern world|last2=Castles|first2=Stephen|last3=Miller|first3=Mark J|date=2020|isbn=978-1-352-00798-5|pages=96–123|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |oclc=1143614574}}</ref> Some political scientists identify a 'typology of nationalizing, developmental, and neoliberal migration management regimes' across developing countries.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Adamson|first1=Fiona B.|last2=Tsourapas|first2=Gerasimos|date=24 October 2019|title=The Migration State in the Global South: Nationalizing, Developmental, and Neoliberal Models of Migration Management|journal=International Migration Review|volume=54|issue=3|pages=853–882|doi=10.1177/0197918319879057|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Economy ===
[[File:Worlds_regions_by_total_wealth(in_trillions_USD),_2018.jpg|thumb|World regions by total [[wealth]] (in trillions USD), 2018]]
Following independence and decolonization, many developing countries have found themselves in periods of significant instability with a dire need for infrastructure, industry, and economic stimulation. This has broadly led to heavy reliance on foreign investment to stabilize the economy. However, the nature of this foreign investment is often highly predatory, leading to systemic exploitation and inequality.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Angeles |first1=Luis |date=29 November 2006 |title=Income inequality and colonialism |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001429210600122X |journal=European Economic Review |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=1155–1176 |doi=10.1016/j.euroecorev.2006.09.001 |access-date=24 October 2025}}</ref> In particular, the exportation of raw materials has often benefited developed countries over developing, and policies such as [[protectionism]] have had a hand in limiting the agency of resource-rich developing nations.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bairoch |first=Paul |date=1993 |title=Economics and world history |url=https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo3683965.html |publisher=University of Chicago Press |pages=88–98 |isbn=0-226-03462-3 |archive-url=//archive.org/details/economicsworldhi00bair/page/n7/mode/2up |archive-date=2 May 2012 |access-date=24 October 2025}}</ref> Additionally, many brands and companies based in the [[Western world]], seeking cheaper labor, have taken advantage of the low wages and desperate job markets often found in developing countries, establishing [[sweatshops]] and creating highly exploitative employment models. The [[Global North and Global South|Global North]] has benefited significantly from this systemic exploitation whilst leaving developing countries undeveloped, something which continues uninterrupted to the present day.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Kar |first1=Dev |last2=Schjelderup |first2=Guttorm |date=5 December 2016 |title=Financial Flows and Tax Havens: Combining to Limit the Lives of Billions of People |url=https://gfintegrity.org/report/financial-flows-and-tax-havens-combining-to-limit-the-lives-of-billions-of-people/ |publisher=Global Financial Integrity |docket= |access-date=24 October 2025}}</ref>

This arrangement is often referred to as [[neocolonialism]], a system in which less-developed countries are taken advantage of by developed countries.&nbsp;It does not necessarily mean that former colonies are still controlled by their former colonizer; it refers to colonial-like exploitation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Neocolonialism|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/neocolonialism|access-date=1 April 2019|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725235643/https://www.britannica.com/topic/neocolonialism|url-status=live}}</ref> Developing countries are often providing resources and labor toward the further development of rich countries, rather than dedicating these resources to their own development.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hickel|first1=Jason|date=14 January 2017|title=Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jan/14/aid-in-reverse-how-poor-countries-develop-rich-countries|access-date=17 March 2019|archive-date=10 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010231327/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jan/14/aid-in-reverse-how-poor-countries-develop-rich-countries|url-status=live}}</ref> Notable efforts towards ending this systemic injustice on a global scale include the adoption of the "Declaration on the Establishment of a [[New International Economic Order]]" and accompanying program of action by the United Nations General Assembly in 1974, with the goal of advocating on behalf of developing nations for sovereignty over natural resources and industrialization.<ref name=decl>{{cite journal |title=Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order. |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/218450?ln=en |website=United Nations Digital Library |year = 1974|access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref>

More broadly, [[coalitions]] such as the United Nations frequently lobby for parity in global economics, dedicating resources towards issues such as extreme poverty, food insecurity, healthcare, education, and human rights.<ref>{{Cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Global Issues |url=https://www.un.org/en/global-issues |access-date=24 October 2025 |website=United Nations |language=en}}</ref> These issues disproportionately affect the Global South, especially those in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, with current estimates indicating that nearly two-thirds of those in extreme poverty live in Sub-Saharan African countries.<ref>{{Cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Ending Poverty |url=https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ending-poverty |access-date=24 October 2025 |website=United Nations |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=The Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024 |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/poverty-prosperity-and-planet |access-date=24 October 2025}}</ref> Some sources speculate that China's growing dominance in the global market may indicate a shift in power for [[BRICS]] member nations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Roy |first1=Pallavi |title=Economic growth, the UN and the Global South: an unfulfilled promise |journal=Third World Quarterly |date=2 July 2016 |volume=37 |issue=7 |pages=1284–1297 |doi=10.1080/01436597.2016.1154440 }}</ref>

== Common challenges ==

{{Development economics sidebar}}

The [[global issues]] most often discussed by developing countries include [[globalisation]], global health governance, health, and prevention needs. This is contrasted by issues developed nations tend to address, such as innovations in science and technology.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ager|first1=Alastair|last2=Yu|first2=Gary|last3=Hermosilla|first3=Sabrina|date=September 2012|title=Mapping the key issues shaping the landscape of global public health|journal=Global Public Health|volume=7|issue=sup1|pages=S16–S28|doi=10.1080/17441692.2012.679741|pmid=22765282 }}</ref>

Most developing countries have these criteria in common:<ref name="UN2018">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/least-developed-country-category/ldc-criteria.html |title=Criteria For Identification Of LDCs |publisher=[[United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs]], Development Policy and Analysis Division |access-date=2 March 2018 |date=4 March 2010 |archive-date=20 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620211438/https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/least-developed-country-category/ldc-criteria.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Criteria">UN-OHRLLS {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20190725125957/http://unohrlls.org/about-ldcs/criteria-for-ldcs/ Criteria for Identification and Graduation of LDCs]}}.</ref>
* High levels of [[poverty]] – measured based on [[Gross national income|GNI]] per capita averaged over three years. For example, if the GNI per capita is less than US$1,025 (as of 2018) the country is regarded as a [[least developed country]].<ref name="Criteria" />
*[[Human resources|Human resource]] weakness (based on indicators of [[nutrition]], health, education and adult [[literacy]]). 
*[[Economic Vulnerability Index|Economic vulnerability]] (based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by [[natural disasters]]). Among other challenges, developing countries have a higher risk of suffering a balance of payments crisis.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Camba-Crespo |first1=A. |last2=García-Solanes |first2=J. |last3=Torrejón-Flores |first3=F. |title=Current-account breaks and stability spells in a global perspective |journal=Applied Economic Analysis |date=7 July 2021 |volume=30 |issue=88 |pages=1–17 |doi=10.1108/AEA-02-2021-0029 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Urban slums===
{{Main|Slum}}

According to [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|UN-Habitat]], around 33% of the urban population in the developing world in 2012, or about 863 million people, lived in [[slum]]s.<ref name="UNHABITATswcr1213">{{cite web|title=State of the World's Cities Report 2012/2013: Prosperity of Cities|publisher=UNHABITAT|url=http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/745habitat.pdf|access-date=4 October 2013|archive-date=4 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004233458/http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/745habitat.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, the proportion of urban population living in slums was highest in Sub-Saharan Africa (62%), followed by South Asia (35%), Southeast Asia (31%) and East Asia (28%).<ref name="UNHABITATswcr1213" />{{rp|127}}

The UN-Habitat reports that 43% of urban population in developing countries and 78% of those in the least developed countries live in slums.<ref name=grhs2003>[http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/grhs.2003.key.pdf The challenge of slums – Global report on Human Settlements] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055009/http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/grhs.2003.key.pdf |date=21 September 2013 }}, United Nations Habitat (2003)</ref>

Slums form and grow in different parts of the world for many reasons. Causes include rapid [[Urbanization|rural-to-urban migration]], [[economic stagnation]] and depression, high [[unemployment]], poverty, [[Informal sector|informal economy]], forced or manipulated [[ghetto]]ization, poor planning, politics, natural disasters and [[social conflict]]s.<ref name=whyslums>{{cite web |url=http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/4625_51419_GC%2021%20What%20are%20slums.pdf | title =What are slums and why do they exist? | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206143558/http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/4625_51419_GC%2021%20What%20are%20slums.pdf | archive-date = 6 February 2011 | publisher = UN-Habitat | location = Kenya | date = April 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 = Patton | first1 = Carl V. | name-list-style = vanc | title = Spontaneous Shelter: International Perspectives and Prospects | date=1988 |publisher=Temple University Press |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-0-87722-507-2 }}{{pn|date=May 2025}}</ref><ref name=grhs2011>{{cite web |url=http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/GRHS.2003.2.pdf | title = Assessing Slums in the Development Context | publisher = United Nations Habitat Group | year = 2011 | access-date = 16 September 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105025237/http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/GRHS.2003.2.pdf | archive-date = 5 January 2014 }}</ref> For example, as populations expand in poorer countries, rural people move to cities in extensive urban migration that results in the creation of slums.<ref name="Westra">{{cite journal | last = Westra | first = Richard | name-list-style = vanc | year = 2011 | title = Renewing Socialist Development in the Third World | journal = [[Journal of Contemporary Asia]] | volume = 41 | issue = 4 | pages = 519–543 | doi = 10.1080/00472336.2011.610612 }}</ref>

In some cities, especially in countries in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, slums are not just marginalized neighborhoods holding a small population; slums are widespread, and are home to a large part of urban population. These are sometimes called "slum cities".<ref>{{cite book|title=Slum Cities and Cities with Slums" States of the World's Cities 2008/2009|publisher=UN-Habitat}}</ref>

===Violence against women===
{{Main|Violence against women}}

[[File:A formation of human chain at India Gate by the women from different walks of life at the launch of a National Campaign on prevention of violence against women, in New Delhi on October 02, 2009.jpg|thumb|A formation of human chain at India Gate by the women from different walks of life at the launch of a National Campaign on prevention of violence against women, in New Delhi on 2 October 2009]]
Several forms of [[violence against women]] are more prevalent in developing countries than in other parts of the world. [[Acid throwing]] is associated with Southeast Asia, including Cambodia. [[Honor killing]] is associated with the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. [[Marriage by abduction]] is found in Ethiopia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Abuse related to payment of [[bride price]] (such as violence, trafficking and forced marriage) is linked to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania.<ref>{{cite news | title = Papua New Guinea: police cite bride price major factor in marital violence | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218182845/http://www.violenceisnotourculture.org/News-and-Views/papua-new-guinea-police-cite-bride-price-major-factor-marital-violence | archive-date = 18 February 2015 |url=http://www.violenceisnotourculture.org/News-and-Views/papua-new-guinea-police-cite-bride-price-major-factor-marital-violence | work = Island Business |via=Violence is not our Culture |date=21 November 2011 |access-date=6 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=An exploratory study of bride price and domestic violence in Bundibugyo District, Uganda |url=http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf |publisher=Centre for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA) and [[South African Medical Research Council]] |date=April 2012 |access-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717105205/http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf |archive-date=17 July 2013 }}</ref>

[[Female genital mutilation]] (FGM) is another form of violence against women which is still occurring in many developing countries. It is found mostly in Africa, and to a lesser extent in the Middle East and some other parts of Asia. Developing countries with the highest rate of women who have been cut are Somalia (with 98% of women affected), Guinea (96%), Djibouti (93%), Egypt (91%), Eritrea (89%), Mali (89%), Sierra Leone (88%), Sudan (88%), Gambia (76%), Burkina Faso (76%), and Ethiopia (74%).<ref name="unicef.org">{{cite book | last = UNICEF | author-link = UNICEF | title = Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change |url=http://www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf | publisher = [[UNICEF]] | date = 22 July 2013 | access-date = 18 November 2013 | archive-date = 5 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405083031/http://www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf }}</ref> Due to [[globalization]] and immigration, FGM is spreading beyond the borders of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and to countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, the U.S., and UK.<ref>{{cite book | last = Nussbaum | first = Martha | author-link = Martha Nussbaum | name-list-style = vanc | chapter = Judging other cultures: the case of genital mutilation | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=43U8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 | title = Sex & social justice | pages = [https://archive.org/details/sexsocialjustice00nuss/page/120 120–121] | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = New York | year = 1999 | isbn = 978-0-19-511032-6 | url-access = registration |url=https://archive.org/details/sexsocialjustice00nuss/page/120 }}</ref>

The [[Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence|Istanbul Convention]] prohibits female genital mutilation (Article 38).<ref>{{cite book | title = Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence |url=https://rm.coe.int/168046031c | date = 12 April 2011 | access-date = 8 October 2017 | archive-date = 26 May 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526172721/https://rm.coe.int/168046031c | url-status = live }}</ref> As of 2016, [[FGM]] has been legally banned in many African countries.<ref>''Citations'':
* {{cite news | last = Lyons | first = Kate | name-list-style = vanc | title = The Gambia bans female genital mutilation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-gambia-bans-female-genital-mutilation | work = [[The Guardian]] | date = 24 November 2015 | access-date = 9 May 2016 | archive-date = 4 January 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104210127/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-gambia-bans-female-genital-mutilation | url-status = live }}
* {{cite news | last = Richards | first = Kimberly | name-list-style = vanc | title = History has been made: female genital mutilation banned in Nigeria |url=http://aplus.com/a/nigeria-bans-genital-mutilation | work = [[A Plus (aplus.com)|A Plus]] | date = 3 June 2015 | access-date = 9 May 2016 | archive-date = 8 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508152355/http://aplus.com/a/nigeria-bans-genital-mutilation | url-status = live }}
* {{citation | title = Female genital mutilation (FGM) frequently asked questions | url=http://www.unfpa.org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-frequently-asked-questions | publisher = [[United Nations Population Fund]] | date = December 2015 | access-date = 9 May 2016 | archive-date = 4 August 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804194439/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-gambia-bans-female-genital-mutilation | url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:Women who experienced violence by an intimate partner, OWID.svg|alt=An image showing statistics by percentage of share of women, older than 14 years old who experienced violence by an intimate partner.|thumb|239x239px|Percentage of women older than 14 who have experienced violence by an intimate partner]]
According to [[UN Women]] facts and figures on ending [[violence against women]],<ref name=":10" /> it is estimated that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and [[Intimate partner sexual violence|sexual violence by intimate partners]] or [[sexual violence]] by a non-partner (not including [[sexual harassment]]) at some point in their lives. Evidence shows women who have had experienced physical or sexual [[intimate partner violence]] report higher rates of depression, having an [[abortion]] and acquiring [[HIV]], compared to women who have not had experienced any physical or sexual violence.<ref name=":10" />

Data from the [[Middle East]] and [[North Africa]] shows that men who witnessed their fathers against their mothers, and men who experienced some form of violence as children, more likely have reported perpetrating intimate partner violence in their adult relationships.<ref name=":10">{{cite web|title=Facts and figures: Ending violence against women|url=https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures|access-date=26 September 2020|website=UN Women|language=en|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525050922/http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Healthcare and public health ===
The status of healthcare that the general public can access is substantially different between developing countries and developed countries.<ref name=":11">{{cite journal|last1=Alhaji|first1=Mohammed M.|last2=Alam|first2=Sartaj|date=21 March 2019|title=Health Policy and System Research in Global South: Bridging the Gap through Citizen Participation|url=http://ejournalsystem.net/index.php/jpmi/article/view/2474|journal=Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute|volume=33|issue=1|access-date=23 September 2020|archive-date=2 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001218/http://ejournalsystem.net/index.php/jpmi/article/view/2474}}</ref> People in developing countries usually have a lower [[life expectancy]] than people in developed countries, reflecting both lower income levels and poorer public health.<ref name=":12">{{cite journal |last1=Jetter |first1=Michael |last2=Laudage |first2=Sabine |last3=Stadelmann |first3=David |title=The Intimate Link Between Income Levels and Life Expectancy: Global Evidence from 213 Years |journal=Social Science Quarterly |date=June 2019 |volume=100 |issue=4 |pages=1387–1403 |doi=10.1111/ssqu.12638 |hdl=10419/145149 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":13">{{cite journal |last1=Rogers |first1=R. G. |last2=Wofford |first2=S. |title=Life expectancy in less developed countries: socioeconomic development or public health? |journal=Journal of Biosocial Science |date=April 1989 |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=245–252 |doi=10.1017/s0021932000017934 |pmid=2722920 }}</ref><ref name=":14">{{cite journal |last1=Freeman |first1=Toby |last2=Gesesew |first2=Hailay Abrha |last3=Bambra |first3=Clare |last4=Giugliani |first4=Elsa Regina Justo |last5=Popay |first5=Jennie |last6=Sanders |first6=David |last7=Macinko |first7=James |last8=Musolino |first8=Connie |last9=Baum |first9=Fran |title=Why do some countries do better or worse in life expectancy relative to income? An analysis of Brazil, Ethiopia, and the United States of America |journal=International Journal for Equity in Health |date=10 November 2020 |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=202 |doi=10.1186/s12939-020-01315-z |pmid=33168040 |pmc=7654592 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The burden of infectious diseases,<ref name=":15">{{cite journal |last1=Fauci |first1=A. S. |title=Infectious Diseases: Considerations for the 21st Century |journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases |date=1 March 2001 |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=675–685 |doi=10.1086/319235 |pmid=11229834 }}</ref> [[Maternal death|maternal mortality]],<ref name=":16">{{cite journal |last1=Declercq |first1=Eugene |last2=Zephyrin |first2=Laurie |title=Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Primer |url=https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-brief-report/2020/dec/maternal-mortality-united-states-primer |website=Commonwealth Fund |date=16 December 2020 |doi=10.26099/ta1q-mw24 |access-date=14 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=23 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323202309/https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-brief-report/2020/dec/maternal-mortality-united-states-primer |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":17">{{cite journal |last1=Girum |first1=Tadele |last2=Wasie |first2=Abebaw |title=Correlates of maternal mortality in developing countries: an ecological study in 82 countries |journal=Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology |date=7 November 2017 |volume=3 |issue=1 |page=19 |doi=10.1186/s40748-017-0059-8 |pmid=29142757 |pmc=5674830 |doi-access=free }}</ref> [[child mortality]]<ref name=":18">{{cite web |last1=Mohsin |first1=Nazzina |last2=Keenan |first2=Laura |last3=Guo |first3=Jing |title=Latest child mortality estimates reveal world remains off track to meeting Sustainable Development Goals |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/12/20/latest-child-mortality-estimates-reveal-world-remains-off-track-to-meeting-sustainable-development-goals |website=World Bank |date=20 December 2021 |access-date=14 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=14 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414172358/https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/12/20/latest-child-mortality-estimates-reveal-world-remains-off-track-to-meeting-sustainable-development-goals |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[infant mortality]]<ref name="MPG">{{cite web |title=In poor countries birth spacing affects infant mortality |url=https://www.mpg.de/13691716/birth-spacing-affects-infant-mortality |website=Max-Planck-Gesellschaft |date=5 July 2019 |access-date=14 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629163139/https://www.mpg.de/13691716/birth-spacing-affects-infant-mortality |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Molitoris">{{cite journal |last1=Molitoris |first1=Joseph |last2=Barclay |first2=Kieron |last3=Kolk |first3=Martin |title=When and Where Birth Spacing Matters for Child Survival: An International Comparison Using the DHS |journal=Demography |date=3 July 2019 |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=1349–1370 |doi=10.1007/s13524-019-00798-y |pmid=31270780 |pmc=6667399 }}</ref> are typically substantially higher in those countries. Developing countries also have less access to medical health services generally,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=David H. |last2=Garg |first2=Anu |last3=Bloom |first3=Gerry |last4=Walker |first4=Damian G. |last5=Brieger |first5=William R. |last6=Rahman |first6=M. Hafizur |title=Poverty and access to health care in developing countries |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |date=2008 |volume=1136 |issue=1 |pages=161–171 |doi=10.1196/annals.1425.011 |pmid=17954679 |bibcode=2008NYASA1136..161P |doi-access=free }}</ref> and are less likely to have the resources to purchase, produce and administer [[vaccine]]s, even though [[vaccine equity]] worldwide is important to combatting [[pandemic]]s, such as the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="Hotez">{{cite journal |last1=Hotez |first1=Peter J. |last2=Bottazzi |first2=Maria Elena |title=Whole Inactivated Virus and Protein-Based COVID-19 Vaccines |journal=Annual Review of Medicine |date=27 January 2022 |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=55–64 |doi=10.1146/annurev-med-042420-113212 |pmid=34637324 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[File:Hunger Map 2020 World Food Programme.svg|thumb|310px|Percentage of people with undernutrition by country, [[World Food Programme|World Food Program]], 2020<br />
{{Legend|#29b8c7|Under 2.5%}}
{{Legend|#16b484|2.5% – 5.0%}}
{{Legend|#fec960|5.0% – 14.9%}}
{{Legend|#f47846|15.0% – 24.9%}}
{{Legend|#f2203a|25.0% – 34.9%}}
{{Legend|#7f0928|Over 35.0%}}
{{Legend|#b5aba4|No data}}]]
[[Malnutrition|Undernutrition]] is more common in developing countries.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w4CGAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA20|title=World Hunger Routledge Introductions to Development| first = Liz | last = Young | name-list-style = vanc |date=2002|isbn=978-1-134-77494-4|page=20|publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9780203136874 }}</ref> Certain groups have higher rates of undernutrition, including women – in particular while pregnant or [[breastfeeding]] – children under five years of age, and the elderly. [[Undernutrition in children|Malnutrition in children]] and [[stunted growth]] of children is the cause for more than 200 million children under five years of age in developing countries not reaching their developmental potential.<ref>Grantham-McGregor, Sally et al., the International Child Development Steering Group. "Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries." Lancet 369.9555 (2007): 60–70. PMC. Web. 28 November 2014.</ref> About 165&nbsp;million children were estimated to have stunted growth from malnutrition in 2013.<ref name=Bh2013>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bhutta ZA, Das JK, Rizvi A, Gaffey MF, Walker N, Horton S, Webb P, Lartey A, Black RE | title = Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: what can be done and at what cost? | journal = Lancet | volume = 382 | issue = 9890 | pages = 452–477 | date = August 2013 | pmid = 23746776 | doi = 10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60996-4 }}</ref> In some developing countries, overnutrition in the form of [[obesity]] is beginning to present within the same communities as undernutrition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Progress For Children: A Report Card On Nutrition|url=http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/files/Progress_for_Children_-_No._4.pdf|publisher=UNICEF|access-date=23 April 2018|archive-date=12 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112154958/https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/files/Progress_for_Children_-_No._4.pdf}}</ref>

The following list shows the further significant environmentally-related causes or conditions, as well as certain diseases with a strong environmental component:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/heli/risks/ehindevcoun/en|title=Environment and health in developing countries|date=8 September 2016|website=Priority environment and health risks|publisher=[[World Health Organization]]|access-date=4 October 2020|archive-date=14 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114002040/https://www.who.int/heli/risks/ehindevcoun/en/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Illness/[[disease]] ([[malaria]], [[tuberculosis]], [[AIDS]], etc.): Illness imposes high and regressive cost burdens on families in developing countries.<ref>Russel S. The economic burden of illness for households in developing countries: a review of studies focusing on malaria, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2004</ref>
* Tropical and infectious diseases ([[neglected tropical diseases]])
* Unsafe [[drinking water]], poor [[sanitation]] and hygiene
* [[Indoor air pollution in developing nations]]
* Pollution (e.g. [[air pollution]], [[water pollution]])
* Motor vehicle collisions
* Unintentional poisoning
* Non communicable diseases and weak [[Health care|healthcare]] systems

===Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)===

{{Further|WASH|Water issues in developing countries}}

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene ([[WASH]]) services is at very low levels in many developing countries. In 2015 the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) estimated that "1 in 3 people, or 2.4 billion, are still without sanitation facilities" while 663 million people still lack access to safe and clean drinking water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp-2015-key-facts/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703230219/http://who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp-2015-key-facts/en/|archive-date=3 July 2015|title=Key facts from JMP 2015 report|website=World Health Organization|language=en-GB|access-date=17 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/jmp-report/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702063242/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/jmp-report/en/|archive-date=2 July 2015|title=WHO {{!}} Lack of sanitation for 2.4 billion people is undermining health improvements|website=www.who.int|access-date=17 November 2017}}</ref> The estimate in 2017 by [[Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation|JMP]] states that 4.5 billion people currently do not have safely managed sanitation.<ref name="JMP2017" /> The majority of these people live in developing countries.

About 892 million people or 12 percent of the global population, practiced [[open defecation]] instead of using toilets in 2016.<ref name="JMP2017">WHO and UNICEF (2017) [https://washdata.org/reports Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725020452/https://washdata.org/reports |date=25 July 2019 }}. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017</ref> Seventy-six percent (678 million) of the 892 million people practicing open defecation in the world live in just seven countries.<ref name="JMP2017" /> Countries with a high number of people openly defecating are India (348 million), followed by Nigeria (38.1 million), Indonesia (26.4 million), Ethiopia (23.1 million), Pakistan (19.7 million), Niger (14.6 million) and Sudan (9.7 million).<ref name="WBSTATS">{{cite web|title=People practicing open defecation (% of population) – Indonesia, Nigeria, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, India, Pakistan|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS?locations=ID-NG-NE-ET-SD-IN-PK|website=data.worldbank.org|publisher=[[The World Bank]]|access-date=15 October 2019|archive-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015122909/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS%3Flocations%3DID-NG-NE-ET-SD-IN-PK|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Sustainable Development Goal 6]] is one of 17 [[Sustainable Development Goals]] established by the UN in 2015. It calls for clean water and sanitation for all people. This is particularly relevant for people in developing countries.

===Energy===
[[File:Solar-Panel-Cooker-in-front-of-hut.jpg|thumb| [[Solar cooker]]s use sunlight as energy source for outdoor cooking.]]
{{Main|Energy poverty|Renewable energy in developing countries}}

In 2009, about 1.4 billion of people in the world lived without electricity. 2.7 billion relied on wood, charcoal, and dung ([[dry animal dung fuel]]) for home energy requirements. This lack of access to modern energy technology limits income generation, blunts efforts to escape poverty, affects people's health due to indoor air pollution, and contributes to global [[deforestation]] and [[climate change]]. Small-scale renewable energy technologies and [[distributed energy]] options, such as onsite solar power and improved cookstoves, offer rural households modern energy services.<ref name=verlaw>{{cite journal | vauthors = Sovacool BK | title = Energy. Deploying off-grid technology to eradicate energy poverty | journal = Science | volume = 338 | issue = 6103 | pages = 47–8 | date = October 2012 | pmid = 23042871 | doi = 10.1126/science.1222307 }}</ref>

[[Renewable energy in developing countries|Renewable energy]] can be particularly suitable for developing countries. In rural and remote areas, transmission and distribution of energy generated from [[fossil fuels]] can be difficult and expensive. Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative.<ref name=aus>[http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/renewable_energy.pdf Power for the People] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330120425/http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/renewable_energy.pdf |date=30 March 2012 }} p. 3.</ref>

Renewable energy can directly contribute to [[poverty alleviation]] by providing the energy needed for creating businesses and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also make indirect contributions to alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, and lighting.<ref name=mdg>[http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/ren21-1.pdf Energy for Development: The Potential Role of Renewable Energy in Meeting the Millennium Development Goals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527233918/http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/ren21-1.pdf |date=27 May 2008 }} pp. 7–9.</ref>

Kenya is the world leader in the number of [[solar power]] systems installed per capita.<ref name="en.ccchina.gov.cn">{{cite web |url=http://en.ccchina.gov.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=38323&TId=97 |title=China Climate Change Info-Net |access-date=30 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105071350/http://en.ccchina.gov.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=38323&TId=97 |archive-date=5 November 2013 }}</ref>

=== Pollution ===

==== Water pollution ====
[[File:Factory in China at Yangtze River.JPG|thumb|Factory in China at [[Yangtze|Yangtze River]] causing [[air pollution]]]]
[[File:Plastic Pollution in Ghana.jpg|thumb|[[Plastic pollution]] at a beach near [[Accra]], Ghana]]
[[Water pollution]] is a major problem in many developing countries. It requires ongoing evaluation and revision of [[water resource policy]] at all levels (international down to individual aquifers and wells). It has been suggested that water pollution is the leading worldwide cause of death and diseases,<ref name="death">{{cite news|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/columnist/article/trenddesk/3748 | last = Pink | first = Daniel H. | name-list-style = vanc |publisher=Yahoo |title=Investing in Tomorrow's Liquid Gold |date=19 April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060423172532/https://finance.yahoo.com/columnist/article/trenddesk/3748 |archive-date=23 April 2006 }}</ref><ref name="death2">{{cite news |url=http://environment.about.com/od/environmentalevents/a/waterdayqa.htm |last=West |first=Larry |name-list-style=vanc |publisher=About.com |title=World Water Day: A Billion People Worldwide Lack Safe Drinking Water |date=26 March 2006 |access-date=30 April 2018 |archive-date=27 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227153137/http://environment.about.com/od/environmentalevents/a/waterdayqa.htm }}</ref> and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily.<ref name="death2" />

India and China are two countries with high levels of water pollution: An estimated 580 people in India die of water pollution related illness (including [[waterborne diseases]]) every day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inclentrust.org/uploadedbyfck/file/Diarrhoea-Pneumonia/Lecture%203_1%20Burden%20of%20diarrhea%20in%20children%20in%20India%20-12th%20dec.pdf |title=An overview of diarrhea, symptoms, diagnosis and the costs of morbidity |year=2010 |work=CHNRI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512231350/http://www.inclentrust.org/uploadedbyfck/file/Diarrhoea-Pneumonia/Lecture%203_1%20Burden%20of%20diarrhea%20in%20children%20in%20India%20-12th%20dec.pdf |archive-date=12 May 2013 }}</ref> About 90 percent of the [[Water resources of China|water in the cities of China]] is polluted.<ref>"[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/07/content_449451.htm China says water pollution so severe that cities could lack safe supplies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630102454/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/07/content_449451.htm |date=30 June 2017 }}". Chinadaily.com.cn. 7 June 2005.</ref> As of 2007, half a billion Chinese had no access to safe drinking water.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kahn |first1=Joseph |last2=Yardley |first2=Jim |name-list-style=vanc |date=26 August 2007 |title=As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=30 April 2018 |archive-date=22 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722082111/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, after a series of reforms, China's environment began to demonstrate enormous improvements around the 2010s. Under the [[Xi Jinping Administration|leadership]] of [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP general secretary]] [[Xi Jinping]], a sizable fraction of high-pollution industries have been gradually phased out and many illegally polluting factories were sanctioned or closed. A considerable amount of effort went to enforce environmental regulations at regional levels and holding persons of malpractice accountable, including officials and firm managers. The slogan "[[Clear waters and green mountains|clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as gold and silver mountains]]" proposed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2005<ref>{{cite web |title=习近平：绿水青山就是金山银山_新华网 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/szzsyzt/lsqs2017/index.htm |access-date=11 February 2022 |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308215121/http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/szzsyzt/lsqs2017/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> signifies China's determination in amending environmental burdens created during industrialization while shifting to more sustainable modes of development and adopting high-end industries. Water bodies around the country are much cleaner than a decade ago and steadily approaching natural levels in pollutants.

In 2021, China introduced the "coal to gas" policy<ref>{{cite web |title="煤改气"是碳达峰的重要一环，需求有望超预期！ |url=http://www.fcgs.gov.cn/zrgs/dtxx/202105/t20210506_199603.html |access-date=11 February 2022 |archive-date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212032110/http://www.fcgs.gov.cn/zrgs/dtxx/202105/t20210506_199603.html |url-status=live }}</ref> as one of many policies directed towards achieving peak carbon emissions in 2060. Coal combustion in homes, power stations and production industries constitutes 60% of total energy consumption in China and is the main source of water and air pollution. It is speculated that pollution sources will be progressively eliminated as China reaches the upper tiers of developing countries.

Further details of water pollution in several countries, including many developing countries:

{{world topic|Water pollution in|title=Water pollution by country|noredlinks=yes|show=yes}}

====Indoor air pollution====
[[Indoor air pollution in developing nations]] is a major health hazard.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bruce N, Perez-Padilla R, Albalak R | title = Indoor air pollution in developing countries: a major environmental and public health challenge | journal = Bulletin of the World Health Organization | volume = 78 | issue = 9 | pages = 1078–92 | date = 2000 | pmid = 11019457 | pmc = 2560841 }}</ref> A major source of indoor air pollution in developing countries is the burning of [[biomass]]. Three billion people in developing countries across the globe rely on biomass in the form of wood, [[charcoal]], [[Manure|dung]], and [[crop residue]], as their domestic cooking fuel.<ref name="index130">{{cite journal|vauthors=Duflo E, Greenstone M, Hanna R|year=2008|title=Indoor air pollution, health and economic well-being|url=http://sapiens.revues.org/index130.html|journal=S.A.P.I.EN.S|volume=1|issue=1|access-date=30 April 2018|archive-date=10 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110102416/http://sapiens.revues.org/index130.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Because much of the cooking is carried out indoors in environments that lack proper ventilation, millions of people, primarily poor women and children face serious health risks.

Globally, 4.3 million deaths were attributed to exposure to IAP in developing countries in 2012, almost all in low and middle income countries. The South East Asian and Western Pacific regions bear most of the burden with 1.69 and 1.62 million deaths, respectively. Almost 600,000 deaths occur in Africa.<ref name="WHO1">{{cite web|title=Burden of disease from Indoor Air Pollution for 2012|url=https://www.who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/databases/FINAL_HAP_AAP_BoD_24March2014.pdf?ua=1|publisher=WHO|access-date=28 March 2014|date=24 March 2014|archive-date=5 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405141320/https://www.who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/databases/FINAL_HAP_AAP_BoD_24March2014.pdf?ua=1|url-status=live}}</ref> An earlier estimate from 2000 put the death toll between 1.5 million and 2 million deaths.<ref name="Ezzati">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ezzati M, Kammen DM | title = The health impacts of exposure to indoor air pollution from solid fuels in developing countries: knowledge, gaps, and data needs | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 110 | issue = 11 | pages = 1057–68 | date = November 2002 | pmid = 12417475 | pmc = 1241060 | doi = 10.1289/ehp.021101057 | bibcode = 2002EnvHP.110.1057E }}</ref>

Finding an affordable solution to address the many effects of indoor air pollution is complex. Strategies include improving combustion, reducing smoke exposure, improving safety and reducing labor, reducing fuel costs, and addressing sustainability.<ref name="index130"/>

===Climate change{{anchor|Global_warming}}===
{{Further|Effects of climate change|Climate change in Africa|Climate change in South Asia}}

====Particular vulnerability to climate change====
[[File:Change in Average Temperature With Fahrenheit.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|Surface air temperature change over the past 50 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (v4) |url=https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/maps/index_v4.html |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=NASA}}</ref>]]
The [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] (IPCC) has confirmed that warming of the climate system due to human intervention is 'unequivocal'.<ref name=":8">{{cite book |doi=10.1017/cbo9781107415324.023 |chapter=Near-term Climate Change: Projections and Predictability |title=Climate Change 2013 – the Physical Science Basis |date=2014 |pages=953–1028 |isbn=978-1-107-05799-9 }}</ref> The [[effects of climate change]] will be felt around the globe and will result in events such as [[Extreme weather|extreme weather events]], droughts, floods, [[biodiversity loss]], disease and [[sea level rise]], which are dangerous for societies and the environment.<ref name=":0" />

Although 79% of carbon emissions are produced by developed countries,<ref>Center for Global Development, 18 August 2015 [https://www.cgdev.org/media/who-caused-climate-change-historically "Developed Countries Are Responsible for 79 Percent of Historical Carbon Emissions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222050116/https://www.cgdev.org/media/who-caused-climate-change-historically |date=22 December 2020 }}</ref> and developing countries have not been the major cause of climate change,<ref name=":8" /> they are the most at risk from the effects of these changes and may face challenges in [[Climate change adaptation|adapting to climate change]] due to the intersecting issues of high climate vulnerability, low economic status,<ref>UK Government Official Documents, February 2021, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/957629/Dasgupta_Review_-_Headline_Messages.pdf "The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review Headline Messages"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520070152/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/957629/Dasgupta_Review_-_Headline_Messages.pdf |date=20 May 2022 }} p. 2</ref> restricted access to technology, failing infrastructure and limited access to financial resources. Where a country is particularly [[Climate change vulnerability|vulnerable to climate change]] they are called "highly climate vulnerable"{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}. This applies to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, [[fragile state]]s or [[failed state]]s like Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, and Somalia, as well as to [[Small Island Developing States]]{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}. In the cases where developing countries produce only small quantities of greenhouse gas emissions per capita but are very vulnerable to the negative effects of global warming, the term "forced riders" as opposed to the "free riders" has been used as a descriptor.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3">{{cite web|title=Australia, the US and Europe are climate 'free-riders': it's time to step up|url=https://theconversation.com/australia-the-us-and-europe-are-climate-free-riders-its-time-to-step-up-53953|access-date=4 May 2018|work=The Conversation (Australia edition)|date=5 February 2016 |archive-date=4 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504155748/https://theconversation.com/australia-the-us-and-europe-are-climate-free-riders-its-time-to-step-up-53953|url-status=live}}</ref> Such countries include Comoros, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.<ref name=":3" />

Climate vulnerability has been quantified in the [[Climate Vulnerability Monitor]] reports of 2010 and 2012. Climate vulnerability in developing countries occurs in four key areas: health, extreme weather, [[habitat loss]], and economic stress.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> A report by the Climate Vulnerability Monitor in 2012 estimated that climate change causes 400,000 deaths on average each year, mainly due to hunger and communicable diseases in developing countries.<ref name="CVM report 2012">{{Cite book|editor=Matthew McKinnon|title=Climate vulnerability monitor: a guide to the cold calculus of a hot planet|date=2012|publisher=DARA|others=DARA, Climate Vulnerable Forum|isbn=978-84-616-0567-5|edition=2nd|location=Madrid|oclc=828337356}}{{pn|date=May 2025}}</ref>{{Rp|17}} These effects are most severe for the world's poorest countries. Internationally there is recognition of the mismatch between those that have caused climate change and those which will suffer the most from climate change, termed "[[climate justice]]". It has been a topic for discussion at some of the [[United Nations Climate Change conference|United Nations Climate Change Conferences]] (COP).

"When we think about livelihoods at risk from climate change impacts, we know that people living in developing countries, and especially the least-developed countries and small island states, often have the least financial resources to adapt", says Nancy Saich, the [[European Investment Bank]]'s chief climate change expert.<ref>{{cite web|title=A plan for the long haul to contribute finance to the European Green Deal|url=https://www.eib.org/en/stories/climate-bank-roadmap|access-date=10 June 2021|website=European Investment Bank|language=en|archive-date=19 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619233202/https://www.eib.org/en/stories/climate-bank-roadmap|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Effects====
A changing climate also results in economic burdens. The economies in [[Least Developed Countries]] have lost an average of 7% of their [[gross domestic product]] for the year 2010, mainly due to reduced [[Workforce productivity|labor productivity]].<ref name="CVM report 2012" />{{Rp|14}} Rising sea levels cost 1% of GDP to the least developed countries in 2010 – 4% in the Pacific – with 65 billion dollars annually lost from the [[world economy]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=17016|title=Climate vulnerability monitor 2010: the state of the climate crisis – Documents & Publications – Professional Resources|publisher=PreventionWeb.net|access-date=26 June 2013|archive-date=11 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311074817/http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=17016}}</ref> Another example is the effect on [[Fishery|fisheries]]: approximately 40 countries are acutely vulnerable to the effects of [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas emissions]] on fisheries. Developing countries with large fisheries sectors are particularly affected.<ref name="CVM report 2012" />{{Rp|279}} During the [[2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference|Cancún COP16 in 2010]], [[List of development aid country donors|donor countries]] promised an annual $100 billion by 2020 through the [[Green Climate Fund]] for developing countries to adapt to climate change. However, concrete pledges by developed countries have not been forthcoming.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/climate-finance-terrible-sense-limbo-says-iied-expert-saleemul-huq|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012042541/http://www.dandc.eu/articles/220605/index.en.shtml|title=Climate finance is in "a terrible sense of limbo", says IIED expert Saleemul Huq|archive-date=12 October 2012|website=D+C |date=20 June 2012 }}</ref><ref name="International_Adaptation_Finance">{{cite book|url=http://www.eed.de/fix/files/doc/2008_BMueller_int_adapatation_finance.pdf|title=International Adaptation Finance: The Need for an Innovative and Strategic Approach 4 (Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Working Paper)|last1=Müller|first1=Benito|date=2008|publisher=Oxford Institute for Energy Studies|isbn=978-1-901795-76-9|location=Oxford|name-list-style=vanc|access-date=11 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229175020/http://www.eed.de/fix/files/doc/2008_BMueller_int_adapatation_finance.pdf|archive-date=29 February 2012}}</ref> [[Emmanuel Macron]] ([[President of France]]) said at the [[2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference]] in Bonn (COP 23): "Climate change adds further injustice to an already unfair world".<ref name="Carrington-2017.11.15">Damian Carrington, [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/15/climate-change-will-determine-humanitys-destiny-says-angela-merkel "Climate change will determine humanity's destiny, says Angela Merkel"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319095124/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/15/climate-change-will-determine-humanitys-destiny-says-angela-merkel |date=19 March 2018 }}, ''[[The Guardian]]'', 15 November 2017 (page visited on 15 November 2017).</ref> [[Economic development]] and climate are inextricably linked, particularly around poverty, [[gender equality]], and energy.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last1=Ansuategi, A|last2=Greño, P|last3=Houlden, V|display-authors=etal|date=May 2015|title=The impact of climate change on the achievement of the post-2015 sustainable development goals|url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Impact-of-climate-on-SDGs-technical-report-CDKN.pdf|access-date=20 May 2015|publisher=CDKN & HR Wallingford|archive-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926020447/http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Impact-of-climate-on-SDGs-technical-report-CDKN.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Tackling climate change will only be possible if the [[Sustainable Development Goals]] (SDGs) are met, in particular [[Sustainable Development Goal 13]] on [[Individual and political action on climate change|climate action]].<ref name=":1" />

Climate stress is likely to add to existing [[Human migration|migration]] patterns in developing countries and beyond but is not expected to generate entirely new flows of people.<ref name="wdr migration">{{citation|title=Managing social risks: Empower communities to protect themselves|author=The World Bank|chapter=Part One: Chapter 2: Reducing Human Vulnerability: Helping People Help Themselves|chapter-url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2010/Resources/5287678-1226014527953/Chapter-2.pdf|access-date=27 March 2018|archive-date=7 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507173000/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2010/Resources/5287678-1226014527953/Chapter-2.pdf|url-status=live}}, p. 109, {{harvnb|WDR|2010}}.</ref>{{Rp|110|date=November 2012}} A report by the [[World Bank]] in 2018 estimated that around 143 million people in three regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America) could be forced to move within their own countries to escape the slow-onset effects of climate change. They will migrate from less viable areas with lower water availability and [[Agricultural productivity|crop productivity]] and from areas affected by rising sea level and [[storm surge]]s.<ref>Rigaud, Kanta Kumari; de Sherbinin, Alex; Jones, Bryan; Bergmann, Jonas; Clement, Viviane; Ober, Kayly; Schewe, Jacob; Adamo, Susana; McCusker, Brent; Heuser, Silke; Midgley, Amelia. 2018. [https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29461 Groundswell : Preparing for Internal Climate Migration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322001911/https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29461 |date=22 March 2018 }}. World Bank, Washington, DC.</ref>

In spite of the cumulative stressors and challenges faced by developing countries in adapting to the effects of climate change, there are those that are world leaders in the field such as [[Bangladesh]]. Bangladesh created a national programme in 2009 focused on [[Climate change in Bangladesh|how the country would adapt to climate change]] (the first country to do so).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gilbert |first1=Natasha |title=Bangladesh launches climate change action plan |journal=Nature |date=11 September 2008 |doi=10.1038/news.2008.1103 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Haq|first=Naimul|date=9 July 2019|title=Bangladesh global leader in fighting climate change|work=Bangladesh Post|url=https://bangladeshpost.net/|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127172829/https://bangladeshpost.net/|url-status=live}}</ref> It established a fund to support these plans, spending on average $1 billion annually in this regard.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Star Report|date=10 July 2019|title=Hamid for active role in climate change adaptation|work=The Daily Star|url=https://thedailystar.net/|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-date=30 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130091058/https://www.thedailystar.net/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many corporations have a higher chance of breaking environmental regulations when financial policies are uncertain. In the article "Economic growth and environmental sustainability in developing economies" written by Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Elie Bouri, Muhammad Azam, Rauf I. Azam, and Jiapeng Dai, they make the claim that businesses tend to cut corners during periods of financial uncertainty. "During uncertain economic conditions, businesses are likely to implement cost-cutting measures that compromise environmental standards. As a consequence, pollution increases as eco-friendly practices are replaced by less expensive alternatives" (p. 18). "FPU has additional cascading effects… policy paralysis; governments may be reluctant to enforce existing environmental regulations or implement new ones" (p. 18). We see that in these economic shock periods and recessions, businesses resort to cost cutting measures at the expense of the environment. In doing so, pollution will increase and result in harm to the environment overall. The term for this is Financial Policy Uncertainty (FPU) which is a big reason why many businesses might not always adopt the green way of conducting business. It might not be in their best financial interest and incur more costs to them. Eco-Friendly practices are not always the cheapest option and many businesses may opt for cheaper alternatives which would save them money but cause harm to the environment. Shocks to the economy slows down environmental progress.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hunjra |first1=Ahmed Imran |last2=Bouri |first2=Elie |last3=Azam |first3=Muhammad |last4=Azam |first4=Rauf I |last5=Dai |first5=Jiapeng |title=Economic growth and environmental sustainability in developing economies |journal=Research in International Business and Finance |date=June 2024 |volume=70 |article-number=102341 |doi=10.1016/j.ribaf.2024.102341 }}</ref>

===Population growth===
{{See also|List of sovereign states and dependencies by total fertility rate}}
[[File:Total Fertility Rate Map by Country.svg|thumb|Map of countries and territories by [[Total fertility rate|fertility rate]] in 2024]]
Over the last few decades, global population growth has largely been driven by developing countries, which often have higher [[birth rate]]s (higher [[fecundity]] rate) than developed countries. According to the United Nations, [[family planning]] can help to slow population growth and decrease poverty in these countries.<ref name="Population and poverty"/>

The violent [[herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria]], the [[March 2019 attacks against Fulani herders]] in Mali, the [[Sudanese nomadic conflicts]] and other conflicts in the countries of the Sahel region have been exacerbated by climate change, [[land degradation]], and [[population growth]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=How Climate Change Is Spurring Land Conflict in Nigeria |url=https://time.com/5324712/climate-change-nigeria/ |magazine=Time |date=28 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The battle on the frontline of climate change in Mali |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/the-reporters-46921487 |work=BBC News |date=22 January 2019 |access-date=2 August 2019 |archive-date=9 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009175946/https://www.bbc.com/news/the-reporters-46921487 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Deadliest Conflict You've Never Heard of |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/nigeria/2019-01-23/deadliest-conflict-youve-never-heard |work=[[Foreign Policy]] |date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218125507/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/nigeria/2019-01-23/deadliest-conflict-youve-never-heard |archive-date=18 February 2019 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Droughts and food shortages have been also linked to the [[Northern Mali conflict]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/sahel-flames-Burkina-Faso-Mali-Niger-militancy-conflict|title=The Sahel in flames|date=31 May 2019|website=The New Humanitarian|language=en|access-date=23 June 2019|archive-date=13 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113161848/https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/sahel-flames-Burkina-Faso-Mali-Niger-militancy-conflict|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Climate change, food shortages, and conflict in Mali |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/04/climate-change-food-shortages-conflict-mali-150426105617725.html |work=Al-Jazeera |date=27 April 2015 |access-date=2 August 2019 |archive-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505190659/https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2015/4/27/climate-change-food-shortages-and-conflict-in-mali |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Poor governance ===
Many developing countries are considered flawed democracies or authoritarian regimes by [[democracy indices]] such as the [[V-Dem Democracy indices]] and [[Democracy Index|Democracy Index (The Economist)]]. Following decolonization and independence, elites have often had [[Oligarchy|oligarchic]] control of the government.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The establishment of a healthy democratic state has often been challenged by widespread [[corruption]] and [[nepotism]] and a low confidence and participation in democratic process. [[Political instability]] and [[political corruption]] are common problems.<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Jeremy|date=1 July 2007|title=Political factors that affect development|url=https://earthbound.report/2007/07/01/political-factors-that-affect-development/|access-date=20 June 2020|archive-date=21 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621060902/https://earthbound.report/2007/07/01/political-factors-that-affect-development/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Edwards, S. "Trade Orientation, Distortions and Growth In Developing Countries." (n.d.): n. pag. 1–37</ref> To fully reach the goal of a low level of corruption, developing countries are usually using special steps for different establishments inside their territories, such as:

* Development or creation of a fair public administration system that is not partially based on corruption and is entirely based on the values and laws of the country
* Better investigation towards the sources of the corruption and probable causes of that particular action
* Publicly informing the residents about the source of corruption and negative influence on the country's economy
* Regulation of the official positions of an individual to not be the source of abuse for corruption.
* Creation of special laws dedicated to the corruption itself for specific establishments<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.am/files/docs/74.pdf |title=Republic of Armenia Anti-Corruption strategy and Implementation Action Plan |date=2003 |publisher=Republic of Armenia |access-date=16 February 2022 |archive-date=31 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531195758/http://www.gov.am/files/docs/74.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Others ===
Other common challenges include: Increased and intensified industrial and agricultural production and emission of toxic chemicals directly into the soil, air, and water, unsustainable use of energy resources; high dependency on natural resources for livelihood, leading to unsustainable exploitation or depletion of those resources; [[child marriage]], [[indebtedness]] (see [[Debt of developing countries]]) and underperforming [[civil service]] (see [[Civil service reform in developing countries]]), [[food insecurity]], [[Literacy|illiteracy]] and [[unemployment]]. The economies of many developing nations are tried to primary products and a majority of their exports go to advanced nations. When advanced nations encounter economic downturns, they can quickly transmit to their developing country trading partners as seen in global economic downturn of 2008–2009.

== Opportunities ==

* Human Capital
* Trade Policy: Countries with more restrictive policies have not grown as fast as countries with open and less distorted trade policies.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite journal | last = Harrison | first = Ann | name-list-style = vanc | title = Openness and Growth: A Time-series, Cross-country Analysis for Developing Countries | journal = Journal of Development Economics | volume = 48 | issue = 2 | date = 1996 | pages = 419–47 | doi = 10.1016/0304-3878(95)00042-9 |doi-access = free }}</ref>
* Investment: Investment has a positive effect on growth.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
* Education<ref>{{cite journal | last = Verspoor | first = Adriaan | name-list-style = vanc | title = Pathways to Change: Improving the Quality of Education in Developing Countries | journal = World Bank Discussion Papers | volume = 53 }}</ref>
* [[Aid for Trade]]: Included in [[Sustainable Development Goal 8]] under Target 8.a.1 Increase aid for trade is an initiative to help developing countries practice trade and benefit. Aid for trade is to assist developing countries in trade related programmes, prioritize trade and trade capacity, improve trade performance and reduce [[poverty]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Aid for Trade – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|url=http://www.oecd.org/aidfortrade/|access-date=24 September 2020|website=www.oecd.org|language=en|archive-date=10 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910112200/https://www.oecd.org/aidfortrade/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Global partnership: A provision of [[Sustainable Development Goal 17]] which advocates for international investment and support to achieve innovative technological development, access to market, and fair trade for developing countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals|url=https://www.globalgoals.org/17-partnerships-for-the-goals|access-date=25 September 2020|website=The Global Goals|language=en|archive-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927092335/https://www.globalgoals.org/17-partnerships-for-the-goals|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Country lists ==
=== Emerging and developing economies according to the International Monetary Fund ===
The following are considered emerging and developing economies according to the [[International Monetary Fund]]'s World Economic Outlook Database, {{as of|April 2023|alt=April 2023}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/groups-and-aggregates |title=World Economic Outlook, Database—WEO Groups and Aggregates Information, April 2023 |access-date=17 April 2023 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416224423/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/groups-and-aggregates |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flag|Afghanistan}}
*{{flag|Albania}}
*{{flag|Algeria}}
*{{flag|Angola}}
*{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}
*{{flag|Argentina}}
*{{flag|Armenia}}
*{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
*{{flag|Bahamas}}
*{{flag|Bahrain}}
*{{flag|Bangladesh}}
*{{flag|Barbados}}
*{{flag|Belarus}}
*{{flag|Belize}}
*{{flag|Benin}}
*{{flag|Bhutan}}
*{{flag|Bolivia}}
*{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
*{{flag|Botswana}}
*{{flag|Brazil}}
*{{flag|Brunei}}
*{{flag|Bulgaria}}
*{{flag|Burkina Faso}}
*{{flag|Burundi}}
*{{flag|Cambodia}}
*{{flag|Cameroon}}
*{{flag|Cape Verde}}
*{{flag|Central African Republic}}
*{{flag|Chad}}
*{{flag|China}}
*{{flag|Chile}}
*{{flag|Colombia}}
*{{flag|Comoros}}
*{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
*{{flag|Republic of the Congo}}
*{{flag|Costa Rica}}
*{{flag|Djibouti}}
*{{flag|Dominica}}
*{{flag|Dominican Republic}}
*{{flag|East Timor}}
*{{flag|Ecuador}}
*{{flag|Egypt}}
*{{flag|El Salvador}}
*{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}
*{{flag|Eritrea}}
*{{flag|Eswatini|name=Eswatini (Swaziland)}}
*{{flag|Ethiopia}}
*{{flag|Fiji}}
*{{flag|Gabon}}
*{{flag|The Gambia}}
*{{flag|Georgia (country)|name=Georgia}}
*{{flag|Ghana}}
*{{flag|Grenada}}
*{{flag|Guatemala}}
*{{flag|Guinea}}
*{{flag|Guinea-Bissau}}
*{{flag|Guyana}}
*{{flag|Haiti}}
*{{flag|Honduras}}
*{{flag|Hungary}}
*{{flag|India}}
*{{flag|Indonesia}}
*{{flag|Iran}}
*{{flag|Iraq}}
*{{flag|Ivory Coast}}
*{{flag|Jamaica}}
*{{flag|Jordan}}
*{{flag|Kazakhstan}}
*{{flag|Kenya}}
*{{flag|Kiribati}}
*{{flag|Kosovo}}
*{{flag|Kuwait}}
*{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
*{{flag|Laos}}
*{{flag|Lebanon}}
*{{flag|Lesotho}}
*{{flag|Liberia}}
*{{flag|Libya}}
*{{flag|Madagascar}}
*{{flag|Malawi}}
*{{flag|Malaysia}}
*{{flag|Maldives}}
*{{flag|Mali}}
*{{flag|Marshall Islands}}
*{{flag|Mauritania}}
*{{flag|Mauritius}}
*{{flag|Mexico}}
*{{flag|Federated States of Micronesia}}
*{{flag|Moldova}}
*{{flag|Mongolia}}
*{{flag|Montenegro}}
*{{flag|Morocco}}
*{{flag|Mozambique}}
*{{flag|Myanmar}}
*{{flag|Namibia}}
*{{flag|Nauru}}
*{{flag|Nepal}}
*{{flag|Nicaragua}}
*{{flag|Niger}}
*{{flag|Nigeria}}
*{{flag|North Macedonia}}
*{{flag|Oman}}
*{{flag|Pakistan}}
*{{flag|Palau}}
*{{flag|Palestine}}
*{{flag|Panama}}
*{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
*{{flag|Paraguay}}
*{{flag|Peru}}
*{{flag|Philippines}}
*{{flag|Poland}}
*{{flag|Qatar}}
*{{flag|Romania}}
*{{flag|Russia}}
*{{flag|Rwanda}}
*{{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
*{{flag|Saint Lucia}}
*{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
*{{flag|Samoa}}
*{{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}
*{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
*{{flag|Senegal}}
*{{flag|Serbia}}
*{{flag|Seychelles}}
*{{flag|Sierra Leone}}
*{{flag|Solomon Islands}}
*{{flag|Somalia}}
*{{flag|South Africa}}
*{{flag|South Sudan}}
*{{flag|Sri Lanka}}
*{{flag|Sudan}}
*{{flag|Suriname}}
*{{flag|Syria}}
*{{flag|Tajikistan}}
*{{flag|Tanzania}}
*{{flag|Thailand}}
*{{flag|Togo}}
*{{flag|Tonga}}
*{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}
*{{flag|Tunisia}}
*{{flag|Turkey}}
*{{flag|Turkmenistan}}
*{{flag|Tuvalu}}
*{{flag|Uganda}}
*{{flag|Ukraine}}
*{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
*{{flag|Uruguay}}
*{{flag|Uzbekistan}}
*{{flag|Vanuatu}}
*{{flag|Venezuela}}
*{{flag|Vietnam}}
*{{flag|Yemen}}
*{{flag|Zambia}}
*{{flag|Zimbabwe}}
{{div col end}}

'''Countries not listed by IMF'''
*{{flag|Abkhazia}}
*{{flag|Cuba}}
*{{flag|North Korea}}
*{{flag|Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic}}
*{{flag|South Ossetia}}

=== Upper middle income countries by World Bank ===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* Albania<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/country/XT |title=World Bank Open Data |access-date=25 May 2023 |archive-date=25 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525041102/https://data.worldbank.org/country/XT |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Algeria
* American Samoa
* Argentina
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belize
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Botswana
* Brazil
* Brunei
* China
* Colombia
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* Equatorial Guinea
* Fiji
* Gabon
* Georgia
* Grenada
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Indonesia
* Jamaica
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kosovo
* Libya
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Marshall Islands
* Mauritius
* Mexico
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* Mongolia
* Namibia
* North Macedonia
* Palau
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Philippines
* Serbia
* South Africa
* St. Lucia
* St. Vincent and	the Grenadines
* Suriname
* Thailand
* Tonga
* Türkiye
* Turkmenistan
* Tuvalu
* Vietnam
{{div col end}}

=== Lower middle income countries by World Bank ===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* Angola<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/country/XN |title=World Bank Open Data |access-date=25 May 2023 |archive-date=25 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525041113/https://data.worldbank.org/country/XN |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Bangladesh
* Benin
* Bhutan
* Bolivia
* Cabo Verde
* Cambodia
* Cameroon
* Comoros
* Congo, Rep.
* Côte d'Ivoire
* Djibouti
* Egypt, Arab Rep.
* El Salvador
* Eswatini
* Ghana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* India
* Iraq
* Iran, Islamic Rep.
* Kenya
* Kiribati
* Kyrgyz Republic
* Lao PDR
* Lebanon
* Lesotho
* Mauritania
* Micronesia, Fed.	Sts.
* Morocco
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Nicaragua
* Nigeria
* Pakistan
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Solomon Islands
* Sri Lanka
* Tajikistan
* Tanzania
* Timor-Leste
* Tunisia
* Ukraine
* Uzbekistan
* Vanuatu
* West Bank and Gaza
* Zimbabwe
{{div col end}}

===Countries and regions that are graduated developed economies ===
The following list, including the [[Four Asian Tigers]] and new [[Eurozone]] European Union countries (except for Czech Republic), were historically considered developing countries and regions until the 1990s, and are now listed as [[advanced economy|advanced economies]] (developed countries and regions) by the [[IMF]]. Time in brackets is the time to be listed as advanced economies.
*{{flag|Greece}} (since 1989) <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.elibrary.imf.org/doc/IMF081/14573-9781451944433/14573-9781451944433/Other_formats/Source_PDF/14573-9781455235476.pdf |access-date=2025-08-09 |website=www.elibrary.imf.org}}</ref>
*{{flag|Portugal}} (since 1989) <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.elibrary.imf.org/doc/IMF081/14573-9781451944433/14573-9781451944433/Other_formats/Source_PDF/14573-9781455235476.pdf |access-date=2025-08-09 |website=www.elibrary.imf.org}}</ref>
*{{flag|East Germany}} (became part of [[Germany]] in 1990)<ref name="IMF 1997"/>
*{{flag|Hong Kong}} (since 1997)<ref name="IMF 1997">{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/weo0598/pdf/0598sta.pdf |title=IMF Advanced Economies List. World Economic Outlook, May 1998, p. 134 |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=18 August 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818233010/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/weo0598/pdf/0598sta.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Israel}} (since 1997)<ref name="IMF 1997"/>
*{{flag|Singapore}} (since 1997)<ref name="IMF 1997"/>
*{{flag|South Korea}} (since 1997)<ref name="IMF 1997"/>
*{{flag|Taiwan}} (since 1997)<ref name="IMF 1997"/><ref>The recognition of Taiwan is disputed; most UN-member states officially recognise the sovereignty of the [[People's Republic of China]] over Taiwan, however, some others maintain non-diplomatic relations with the [[Republic of China]]. See [[Foreign relations of Taiwan]].</ref>
*{{flag|Cyprus}} (since 2001)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2001/01/pdf/append.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2001, p.157 |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=13 September 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010913073731/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2001/01/pdf/append.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Slovenia}} (since 2007)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/statappx.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2007, p.204 |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=5 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105062023/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/statappx.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Malta}} (since 2008)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2008, p.236 |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=16 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516113641/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Czech Republic}} (since 2009,<ref name="IMF 2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2009, p.184 |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=14 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114113955/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> since 2006 by [[World Bank]])<ref name="worldbank06">{{cite web| last = Velinger| first = Jan| title = World Bank Marks Czech Republic's Graduation to 'Developed' Status| publisher = Radio Prague|url=http://www.radio.cz/en/article/76314| date = 28 February 2006| access-date = 22 January 2007| archive-date = 12 January 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112081601/http://www.radio.cz/en/article/76314| url-status = live}}</ref>
*{{flag|Slovakia}} (since 2009)<ref name="IMF 2009"/>
*{{flag|Estonia}} (since 2011)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2011, p.172 |access-date=15 January 2014 |archive-date=6 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506073614/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Latvia}} (since 2014)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/pdf/text.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2014, p.160 |access-date=21 May 2014 |archive-date=8 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408225045/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/01/pdf/text.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Lithuania}} (since 2015)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/pdf/text.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2015, p.48 |access-date=11 April 2015 |archive-date=13 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413200149/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/pdf/text.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Andorra}} (since 2021)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/data/changes.htm|title=World Economic Outlook Database – Changes to the Database|website=www.imf.org|access-date=21 September 2022|archive-date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229080726/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/data/changes.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{flag|Croatia}} (since 2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/select-countries?grp=110&sg=All-countries/Advanced-economies|title=World Economic Outlook Database – Changes to the Database|website=www.imf.org|access-date=17 April 2023|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416190103/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/select-countries?grp=110&sg=All-countries/Advanced-economies|url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{flag|Bulgaria}} (since 2026){{citation needed|date=November 2025}}
*{{flag|Hungary}} (since 2026){{citation needed|date=November 2025}}
*{{flag|Poland}} (since 2026){{citation needed|date=November 2025}}
*{{flag|Romania}} (since 2026){{citation needed|date=November 2025}}

Three economies lack data before being listed as advanced economies. However, because of the lack of data, it is difficult to judge whether they were advanced economies or developing economies before being listed as advanced economies.
*{{flag|San Marino}} (since 2012)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/pdf/statapp.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, October 2012, p.180 |access-date=4 August 2016 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020230354/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/02/pdf/statapp.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Macau}} (since 2016)<ref name="IMF 2016">{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |title=World Economic Outlook, April 2016, p.148 |access-date=25 June 2016 |archive-date=17 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417162308/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/statapp.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
*{{flag|Puerto Rico}} (since 2016)<ref name="IMF 2016"/>

===Newly industrialized countries===
Ten countries belong to the "[[newly industrialized country]]" classification. They are countries whose economies have not yet reached a developed country's status but have, in a macroeconomic sense, outpaced their developing counterparts:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*{{flag|Brazil}}
*{{flag|China}}
*{{flag|India}}
*{{flag|Indonesia}}
*{{flag|Malaysia}}
*{{flag|Mexico}}
*{{flag|Philippines}}
*{{flag|South Africa}}
*{{flag|Thailand}}
*{{flag|Turkey}}
{{div col end}}

===BRICS countries===
Ten countries belong to the "[[emerging markets]]" groups and together form the [[BRICS]] organisation:
*{{flag|Brazil}} (since 2006)
*{{flag|Russia}} (since 2006)
*{{flag|India}} (since 2006)
*{{flag|China}} (since 2006)
*{{flag|South Africa}} (since 2010)
*{{flag|Egypt}} (since 2024)
*{{flag|Ethiopia}} (since 2024)
*{{flag|Iran}} (since 2024)
*{{flag|United Arab Emirates}} (since 2024)
*{{flag|Indonesia}} (since 2025)

== Society and culture ==

=== Media coverage ===
Western media tends to present a generalized view of developing countries through biased [[Media bias|media coverage]]; [[mass media]] outlets tend to focus disproportionately on [[poverty]] and other negative imagery. This common coverage has created a dominant stereotype of developing countries: "the '[[Global South|South]]' is characterized by [[Socioeconomics|socioeconomic]] and political backwardness, measured against Western values and standards."<ref>{{cite web|title=Dependency Theory: A Useful Tool for Analyzing Global Inequalities Today?|url=https://www.e-ir.info/2016/11/23/dependency-theory-a-useful-tool-for-analyzing-global-inequalities-today/|access-date=21 February 2020|website=E-International Relations|date=23 November 2016|language=en-US|archive-date=2 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002023728/https://www.e-ir.info/2016/11/23/dependency-theory-a-useful-tool-for-analyzing-global-inequalities-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> Mass media's role often compares the [[North–South divide in the World|Global South to the North]] and is thought to be an aid in the divide.

Mass media has also played a role in what information the people in developing countries receive. The news often covers developed countries and creates an imbalance of information flow.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Philo |first1=Greg |title=An unseen world: How the media portrays the poor |journal=The UNESCO Courier |date=November 2001 |volume=54 |issue=11 |pages=44–46 |id={{ProQuest|207594362}} |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000124294.locale=en |access-date=16 July 2022 |archive-date=16 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716164506/https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000124294.locale=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The people in developing countries do not often receive coverage of the other developing countries but instead gets generous amounts of coverage about developed countries.

== See also ==
*[[Colonialism]]
*[[Economic miracle]]
*[[International development]]
*[[Land reform]]
*[[List of countries by wealth per adult]]
*[[Women migrant workers from developing countries]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |ref={{harvid|WDR|2010}} |title=World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change |date=6 November 2009 |publisher=World Bank Publications |isbn=978-0-8213-7988-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MGOJs900Q-MC |language=en}}

== External links ==
{{Library resources box}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}

{{Global economic classifications}}
{{South-South}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Economic globalization]]
[[Category:Geographical neologisms]]
[[Category:Economic country classifications]]
[[Category:International development|Country]]
[[Category:Economic geography]]
[[Category:Economic development|Country]]
[[Category:Euphemisms]]
[[Category:Human geography]]
[[Category:Political pejoratives]]
[[Category:Sustainable development]]
[[Category:Imperialism studies]]