Developing countries: Trends, differentiation

Abstract

Socio-economic backwardness is usually defined by common characteristics or classification. The differences between the DMEs and DCs in the case of resources (prevalence of DCs) and in the case of outputs and performance (prevalence of DMEs) is evident. The difference in the economic level and the level of living between the DCs and DMEs had deepened during the last three decades, however, it has to be pointed out again, that this difference is increasing still more slowly what can be a presage of an approaching turn (in the sense of the possible beginning of a slow decrease of this gap). While the per capita GDP indicator is regarded as one of the most important indicators of the economic level, the HDI can be regarded as the most important indicator of the given country population level of living and as such, it is hitherto rather underestimated. Similarly, the CPM indicator (as the measure of poverty), which is a composed indicator, has a higher testifying ability than a simple income level per capita in USD defined as the poverty level. It is obvious, that economic development is impossible without social development, and vice versa. Generally, the gap between the more developed developing countries, measured through the world income distribution, is then still widening. As a positive phenomenon, there can be, however, regarded the fact that deepening of this gap occurs at a lower rate. Through a more detailed analysis by the individual indicators, the most valuable from which are the indicators composed from several partial indicators (for example HDI, CPM), a certain tendencies towards the gradual improvement of the socio-economic situation in developing countries as a whole - but with the relevant differences in the individual regions of the world - can be discerned. In general, close ties have been proven between the economic growth and the growth of the population level of living, their mutual influencing and the main elements from which they are composed.