MDC,
LDC, & HDI
More
Developed
Countries,
Less
Developed
Countries,
and Human
Development
Index
MDC VERSUS LDC
More Developed Country
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High Per Capita GDP
High Life Expectancy
High Literacy Rates
High Expected Years of
Education
High % of Urban Population
Developed Infrastructure
Low Birth Rate
Low Death Rate
Stable Population Growth
Low Infant Mortality Rate
High HDI Ranking
Less Developed Country
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Low Per Capita GDP
Low Life Expectancy
Low Literacy Rates
Low Expected Years of
Education
High % of Rural Population
Little Developed
Infrastructure
High Birth Rate
High Death Rate
Unstable Population Growth
High Infant Mortality Rate
Low HDI Ranking
I F YO U S L E EP I N A B E D, P UT YO U R FO OD I N A
R E F RI GERATOR, C LOTH ES I N A C LOSET, D R I VE O R WA LK TO
S C H OOL O N A PAVE D ROA D, G E T TO S E E A D O C TOR O R A
D E N TI ST, YO U L I VE I N A M DC ( C ORE)
I F YO U S L E E P O N T H E F L O O R , W O N D E R W H E R E YO U R N E X T M E A L
I S C O M I N G F R O M , H AV E O N YO U R O N LY S E T O F C LO T H I N G , WA L K 6
M I L E S T O T H E O N LY S C H O O L I N YO U R C I T Y, A N D H AV E N E V E R
S E E N A D O C T O R O R E V E N H E A R D O F A D E N T I S T, YO U L I V E I N A
L D C ( P E RI P H E RY.)
MDC (CORE)
LDC (PERIPHERY)
The Brandt Line is a visual depiction of the North-South divide, proposed by German
Chancellor Willy Brandt in the 1980s. It approximately encircles the world at a latitude
of 30° N, passing between North and Middle America, north of Africa and India, but
dipping south so as to include Australia and New Zealand in the “Rich North.”
The map above showing the north-south divide as been updated recently to include
countries like South Africa, Singapore and Taiwan. It was based upon the Brandt line and
shows the more economically developed countries in blue and the less economically
developed countries in red.
Positives of Map:
Simplifies data so that it's easy to understand.
GDP is used which is an easy to access data source.
Negatives of Map:
Doesn't include some countries which are more economically developed.
Generalized patterns with some countries above the Brandt line less developed less than
some below.
GDP
G – Gross = Total
D – Domestic = Inside a country’s borders
P – Product = Value of goods and services
GDP – Gross Domestic Product equals the
total value of all goods and services produced
inside a country’s borders. Used as an
economic indicator. The higher the GDP the
wealthier the country.
USA GDP
 $ 14.1 trillion
Malawi GDP
 $ 4.7 Billion
PER CAPITA GDP
Per Capita GDP is the GDP of a
country divided by the total
population. Gives a more accurate
representation of the typical citizens
way of life.
Per Capita GDP of USA
 $ 46, 860
Per Capita GDP of Malawi
 $ 821
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Life Expectancy – The number of years a
person is expected to live in a given country.
The higher the life expectancy the more
developed the country.
Life Expectancy in the USA is 78 years.
Life Expectancy in Uganda is 53 years.
LITERACY RATE AND EXPECTED YEARS
OF EDUCATION
 Literacy Rate – The % of adults that can read and
write. High Literacy Rates are found in more
developed countries.
 Literacy Rate in the USA 99 %.
 Literacy Rate in Mali 23.2 %.
 Expected years of Education – Average number of
years the typical citizen will spend in school. Higher
number of years will be found in your MDCs .
 Expected years in Australia 20.7 years
 Expected years in Turkey 10.1 years
Infrastructure – a
system of roads, ports,
and other facilities
found in MDCs and
necessary to have a
modern economy.
INFRA
STRUC
TURE
BIRTH RATE & DEATH RATE
B i r t h R a te – n u m b e r o f b i r t h s a y e a r f o r
e v e r y t h o us a n d p e o p l e i n a c o un t r y .
D e a t h R a te – n u m b e r o f d e a t h s a y e a r
f o r e v e r y t h o us a n d p e o p l e i n a c o un t r y.
 Birth Rate is the
dominant factor in
determining the rate of
population growth.
 High Birth Rates are
found in LDCs.
 Death Rate is a rough
indicator of the mortality
situation in a country, it
accurately indicates the
current mortality impact
on population growth.
 High Death Rates are
found in LDCs.
 USA Birth Rate 13.83
 Afghanistan Birth Rate
38.37
 Angola Death Rate 23.4
 Canada Death Rate 7.98
INFANT MORTALITY RATE
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) - the number
of deaths of infants under one year old in
a given year per 1,000 live births in the
same year. Higher IMRs are found in
LDCs.
IMR in Afghanistan 149.2
IMR in Japan 2.78
WHAT DO THESE THINGS HAVE
IN COMMON??
THEY ARE ALL RANKINGS!
HDI – Human Development
Index is a RANKING of the
level of development of
countries.
 The HDI uses all of the statistics we have talked
about to rank countries level of development.
 Key statistics used to determine HDI
 Per Capita GDP
 Expected Years of Education
 Life Expectancy
HIGHEST HDI RANKINGS
LOWEST HDI RANKING
MDC VS. LDC
P UT T H E FO LLOWING S TATISTIC S I N T H E C O RREC T C AT EG ORY
High Life Expectancy
Low IMR
High Urban Population
High Death Rate
High GDP
Low Death Rate
High HDI Rank
High Rural Population
Low GDP
Developed Infrastructure
High Literacy Rate
Low Years of Education
Low Life Expectancy
Free Market Economy
Low Literacy Rate
Low Birth Rate
Unstable Population Growth
Low HDI Rank
High Birth Rate
No Infrastructure
Stable Population Growth
Low Per Capita GDP
Subsistence Based Economy
High Per Capita GDP
High IMR