Single development indicators
Each measures ONE aspect.
Single indicators measure ONE aspect of development. Common ones:
Economic. GDP per capita (total output ÷ population). GNI per capita (income from abroad too). Use $ at PPP for fair comparison.
Social. Life expectancy (years). Infant mortality rate (per 1,000). Literacy rate (% adults). Years of schooling.
Demographic. Birth rate, death rate, population growth.
Limits. Each captures one slice only. GDP can be high while life expectancy is low (oil states). Need MULTIPLE indicators for a fuller picture.
Cambridge tip. Mark schemes reward NAMED indicators and their unit.
- Economic: GDP, GNI per capita.
- Social: life expectancy, literacy.
- Each captures one slice only.
See the full worked example for measuring development and quality of life →