The world economy is made up of many national economies. If it is considered as a complex system, then it is advisable to single out subsystems in it. Such subsystems are groups of national economies (groups of countries). Usually there are three large groups of countries: developed, developing, with economies in transition.

Different criteria are used to include a country in a particular group. This is primarily the nature of the economy (market or transitional) and the level of its socio-economic development (determined primarily by the production of GDP / GNP per capita, the sectoral structure of GDP, the level and quality of life).

Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the ratio between national currencies in terms of their purchasing power, i.e. taking into account in each country the prices for a certain set of goods and services. And since prices in all countries of the world are different, the purchasing power parity practically does not coincide with the exchange rate of national currencies (official or market). Therefore, PPP is used for analytical purposes, and not for economic calculations.

When establishing the exchange rate of the national currency, the ratio of supply and demand for this currency is taken, which is formed as a result of foreign trade operations, i.e. based on traded goods and services. However, in most countries of the world they represent a smaller part of their GDP. Purchasing power parity takes as wide a range of goods and services as possible to include both tradable and non-tradable goods and services. Thus, within the framework of the UN International Comparison Program, aimed at determining the volume of GDP of different countries at the purchasing power parity of their national currencies, they take 600-800 basic consumer goods and services, 200-300 basic investment goods and 10-20 typical construction projects. Then determine how much this set costs in the national currency of the country under study and in US dollars. Based on the establishment of PPP, the purchasing power of a particular national currency is determined.

Sectoral structure of GDP as an indicator of the level of socio-economic development of the country

For countries with a high level of development, a situation is typical when the tertiary sector (services) dominates in the structure of their GDP, the secondary sector (industry and construction) is represented primarily by manufacturing, and the share of the primary sector (agriculture and forestry, hunting and fishing) small. Although the share of the tertiary and secondary sectors in the structure of the GDP of some developing countries is large, this is usually due to the large development of tourism or trade, or the extractive industry.

The level and quality of life in the country are determined by a host of indicators, primarily life expectancy, morbidity various diseases, the state of personal security, the natural environment, unemployment and, of course, the level of consumption of various goods and services. An attempt to summarize some of the most important of these indicators is an indicator called the Human Development Index, which combines indices of life expectancy, educational enrollment and standard of living.

The life expectancy index is based on the premise that modern conditions the minimum life expectancy, even in the most disadvantaged countries, does not fall below 25 years, and in the most prosperous countries, the maximum life expectancy does not exceed an average of 85 years. The formula for this index is as follows

Life expectancy index		upcoming duration life in the country
		Maximum life expectancy in the world		Minimum life expectancy in the world

The education enrollment index is calculated using the following formula

Education Enrollment Index		2 x	Proportion of literate people over the age of 15		The share of education enrollment of the population in school and student age

The living standard index can be simplified as the ratio of national GDP per capita, adjusted according to PPP, to the world average value of this indicator.

In general, the human development index is equal to the arithmetic mean of the sum of its three constituent indices.

The global average human development index is about the same; in the most developed countries it approaches 1.0, while in the least developed it was close to 0.2.

The developed (industrialized, industrialized) group includes states with a market economy and a high level of socio-economic development, whose GDP per capita in PPP is now at least $12,000 in PPP. The International Monetary Fund includes among the developed countries and territories (that is, those parts of some countries that have a special status, such as Hong Kong or Greenland) all the countries of Western Europe, the USA and Canada. Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and since 1997 - also South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Israel. The UN adds the Republic of South Africa to them. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development also includes Turkey and Mexico, which are members of this organization, although they are rather developing countries, but they entered it on a territorial basis (Turkey owns part of Europe, and Mexico is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement - NAPHTHA). Thus, the number of developed countries includes about 30 countries and territories.

It is possible that in the future the group of developed countries will include
Russia. However, to do this, it will have to go a long way to transform its economy into a market economy and increase the production of GDP per capita, at least to the pre-reform level.

Developed countries are the main group of countries in the world economy. At the beginning of the twentieth century. they accounted for 55% of world GDP (in terms of PPP) and the majority of world trade and international capital movements. In the group of developed countries itself, the “seven” with the largest GDP (USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Canada) is singled out. These countries account for more than 44% of world GDP, including the United States - 21, Japan - 7, Germany - 5%. Most developed countries are members of integration associations, of which the most powerful are the European Union - the EU (20% of world GDP) and the North American Free Trade Agreement - NAFTA (24%),

The group of developing countries (less developed, underdeveloped) includes states with a market economy and a low level of economic development. Of the 182 countries that are members of the International Monetary Fund, 121 are classified as developing. Despite the significant number of these countries, as well as the fact that many of them are characterized by a large population and vast territory, they account for about 28% of world GDP.

This is a whole universe, not without reason a group of developing countries is often called the third world, and it is not homogeneous. The upper echelon of developing countries are countries with relatively modern structure economies (for example, some Asian countries, especially Southeast, and Latin American countries), a large GDP per capita (in particular, most of the Gulf countries), a high human development index. Of these, a subgroup of newly industrialized countries is distinguished. It includes countries that have demonstrated very high rates of economic growth over the past two or three decades and, on this basis, have been able to significantly reduce their lag behind developed countries (and some have already entered the group of developed countries). The current new industrial countries include in Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and others, in Latin America - Chile and other South and Central American countries:

In a special subgroup allocate countries - exporters of oil. The core of this group is made up of 12 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), although a number of oil exporting countries from the third world are not members of OPEC: Mexico, Brunei, etc. Despite the fact that the differentiation in GDP per capita in this subgroup is large ( from less than $1,000 in Nigeria to more than $24,000 in Kuwait, if we count at purchasing power parity), nevertheless, large oil reserves have already done a great service to these countries and will significantly contribute to their development in the future.

Centuries-old backwardness, lack of rich mineral resources, and often access to the sea, unfavorable internal political and social situation, military operations, and often simply arid climate have caused an increase in the number of countries classified as a subgroup of the least developed in recent decades. Now there are 47 of them, including 32 located in Tropical Africa, 10 - in Asia, 4 - in Oceania, 1 - in Latin America (Haiti). the main problem of these countries lies not so much in backwardness and poverty as in the absence of tangible economic resources to overcome them.

This group includes states that, since the 1980s and 1990s, have been transitioning from an administrative-command (socialist) economy to a market economy (which is why they are often called post-socialist). These are 12 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, 15 countries - the former Soviet republics, as well as Mongolia, China and Vietnam (although formally the last two countries continue to build socialism). Sometimes this entire group of countries is classified as developing (for example, in IMF statistics), based on the low level of GDP per capita (only in the Czech Republic and Slovenia it exceeds $10,000), and sometimes only the last three countries are included in them.

Countries with economies in transition produce about 17-18% of world GDP, including the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (without the Baltics) - less than 2%, the former Soviet republics - more than 4% (including Russia - about 3%), China - about 12%. If in this youngest group of countries one tries to distinguish subgroups, then a different classification is possible.

One group can be divided into the former Soviet republics, which are now united in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This makes it possible to make a similar approach to reforming the economy, a close level of development of most of these countries, uniting in one integration grouping, although the subgroup is quite heterogeneous. Thus, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan are carrying out less radical reform subgroups compared to other countries, while Tajikistan, in terms of the level of socio-economic development and in Soviet times lagged far behind other union republics.

Another subgroup can include the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including the Baltic countries. These countries are characterized by a predominantly radical approach to reforms, a desire to join the EU, and a relatively high level of development of most of them. However, the strong lag behind the leaders of this subgroup, the less radical reforms lead some economists to the conclusion that it is advisable to include Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and some republics of the former Yugoslavia in the first subgroup.

China and Vietnam can be singled out as a separate subgroup, carrying out reforms in a similar way and having a low level of socio-economic development in the first years of reform, which is now rapidly increasing.

From the former large group of countries with administrative-command economies by the end of the 90s. only two countries remained: Cuba and North Korea.

2. MODERN TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD ECONOMY

The emerging global world economy, although not homogeneous, includes the national economies of industrialized countries, developing countries and countries in the transitional economic system.

XX-XXI centuries – this stage in the development of the world economy is associated with the transition to a new way of social production - a post-industrial, information and scientific society, seeking to combine the achievements of modern scientific and technological revolution with an increasingly socially oriented market mechanism. The modern world economy is developing under the influence of not only such a factor as the reproduction of capital, but also under the influence of humanistic planetary interests.

The current stage of development of the world economy is significant primarily for the global nature of world economic relations and the internationalization of the economy.

Currently, the world economy is marked by the preservation of stable economic growth rates, the increasing role of external factor in economic development, globalization of financial markets and increased interdependence of national economies, deindustrialization and growth specific gravity services, the development of regional integration processes, the main focus is still on the expansion of private initiative, the liberalization of internal and external economic processes. Methods of interstate cooperation to overcome crisis situations are gradually being normalized. There is an increase in attention to the social sphere, in particular, to education and health care.

In 2002, the number of countries with an upward trend in GDP per capita increased to 120 (out of 143 countries included in the annual survey conducted by the UN Department of Economics and Socio- ty).

The tendency of outstripping expansion of international trade (an increase of 6% in 2001) remains; for 1998 - 2002 the average increase in exports in constant prices in Canada was 11%, Italy - 9%, USA - 7%, Great Britain - 6%. Export expansion is intensifying from the "new industrial countries", as well as India, China, Brazil and Argentina. The world export quota is constantly growing (20% in 2002), which averages 27% for developed countries, 12% for developing countries and 5.5% for countries with economies in transition (excluding Russia). In some developing countries, the export quota is much higher than the average.

However, this indicator does not indicate the degree of "openness" of a particular country, the level of its development and involvement in the world economy, but only the raw material orientation of exports.

The current stage of the internationalization of the world economy is characterized by the expanding liberalization of foreign economic relations and international settlements, as well as the use of common standards for many countries for technology, environmental pollution, the activities of financial institutions, financial statements, national statistics, education, culture, etc. Through international organizations (IMF, WTO), common criteria for macroeconomic policy are being introduced, requirements for tax policy, employment policy, etc. are being unified.

There are two trends in the process of globalization. On the one hand, the United States is strengthening its position in the world economy, and on the other hand, economic polycentrism is being formed. In the USA, it is carried out ahead of time new stage structural adjustment, large funds are invested in education, science, computer science, technologies of the future, as a result of which the dependence of the rest of the world on America increases. The United States is a leader in major areas of basic science. Moreover, these positions are further strengthened by attracting the scientific elite from other countries, using the research potential of foreign branches of American corporations and programs of international scientific and technical cooperation. The US imposes its standards in everything from borrowing rules in the financial markets to the film business and education.

One of the main features of the development of the world economy is that it is an independent unified system with its own laws and rules, the elements of which are not in antagonism, but in interconnection and interdependence not only with each other, but also with elements of other systems (political, legal, biological, ecological, etc.). However, the unity of the world economy is predetermined by a number of objective factors: the operation of economic laws common to all countries, regardless of their level of economic development or political structure (for example, the law of supply and demand); achievements of the scientific and technological revolution, which encourage the progressive development of the productive forces of all countries. The basis of the world economy is the international division of labor, which enhances the internationalization of economic life and integration processes.

It is known that the internationalization of economic life involves closer convergence and interpenetration of individual national economies, and economic integration is a qualitatively new stage of internationalization. It involves the implementation of a coordinated interstate economic policy, the interweaving and merging of production, investment, financial and commercial, scientific and technical activities individual countries. All this contributes to the formation of a global infrastructure - a global network of economic ties, including global transport and communications systems.

The modern world economy is characterized by the need for a joint solution global problems modernity by the joint efforts of all countries and as a result of this - the growing need for global regulation of international life.

Along with the integrity and unity inherent in the entire peaceful economy, there are also internal contradictions in it. Basically, these are contradictions between groups of countries.

The first group of contradictions between 3 centers of world economic development, 3 regions of the world - "triads": NAFTA (led by the US) - EU - Asia Pacific (led by Japan). The essence of the main contradictions between these countries is the serious competition between them in the world markets. The purpose of the parties, as a rule, is the desire to push a competitor out of a certain niche in the world market or, conversely, the desire to retain this niche.

The second group of contradictions is the contradictions between the groups of countries "North" - "South", where "North" - industrialized countries; "South" developing countries. The essence of these contradictions lies in the fact that many developing countries (first of all, newly industrialized countries) have actually reached the level of developed countries in many economic indicators and are striving to take their respective place in the world economy.

The third group of contradictions - contradictions between groups of countries "East" - "West", where "West" - industrialized countries; "East" - the countries of the former socialist camp, or the countries of the so-called "transitional economy". The essence of the contradictions between the blocs of these countries is that if before the collapse of the world socialist system the countries of the former socialist camp led an autarkic lifestyle, then at present their goal is to actively enter the world market, they strive to take a worthy place on it with their products. . However, industrialized countries are not interested in the emergence of new competing countries in the arena of the world economy and in every possible way prevent this.

And, finally, these are the contradictions between the newly industrialized and developed countries.

In this case, the situation has much in common with the previous one, since the newly industrialized countries are also in a serious struggle with the industrialized countries for a place in the world market for goods and services. And also there are contradictions between the newly industrialized countries and developing countries. All of the above contradictions do not violate the overall integrity of the world economy, because it is known that contradictions are the source of movement. Thus, resolving each of these and newly formed contradictions, the world economy will take on the features of the modern global economy, which manifests itself in:

– in the formation of huge ("global") corporations that know no boundaries; the transformation of TNCs - (transnational corporations) and TNB (transnational banks) into the main structure-forming elements of the world economy;

- in sharpening competition to the scale of global competition, at the same time growing it into global cooperation;

– in achieving a qualitatively new level of internationalization of the world economy, which takes place in two directions:

a) globalization of markets, i.e. the formation of a single global market;

b) formation of regional integration economic blocs.

By the beginning of the XXI century. The development of the world economy has led to the emergence of the concept of globalization, which is used in relation to all spheres of human activity: the processes taking place in one sphere of public life inevitably acquire a global character, while influencing processes and phenomena in other spheres, therefore, now they are talking about the globalization of legal space, the globalization of political relations, the globalization of the economy, the globalization of crime, etc.

The internationalization of economic life is a long-term process of gradually overcoming the national-state isolation of the economy, the formation of the world economy and its development on the new principles of international cooperation. It finds its expression in the gradual reorientation of national production and exchange in the domestic market to internationally recognized standards and norms, to world prices; in the development of the international division of labor in the direction of expanding intra-industry international specialization and cooperation; in the formation in this regard of the system of international production (originally represented by international monopolies); in making the export of capital and foreign investment one of the most significant factors in economic growth; in the emergence and development of interstate economic integration.
As a form of internationalization of economic life and, at the same time, as its stage (since it unfolds within certain time limits), integration means a coordinated unification of national economies, involving: a) the conclusion of an interstate agreement; b) development of mutually beneficial cooperation between sovereign states that have internationally recognized sovereign rights; c) the formation of international production on the basis of improving the system of division of labor and cooperation, commodity-money relations, and the joint use of national property; d) creation of joint economic management bodies.

According to its essential features, international economic integration cannot be anything other than: firstly, a voluntary (contractual) interstate formation, in which the economic resources of sovereign countries are combined to jointly solve individual economic, humanitarian, and defense tasks; secondly, an organization that ensures the solution of jointly determined tasks based on the development of commodity-money relations and the practice of interstate programming; thirdly, such an association, in which a number of management functions are gradually transferred to general bodies, which implies a certain limitation of state sovereignty.

The process of internationalization of economic life also captures the sphere of relations between economic entities operating in different countries, enterprises, firms based on private, state, mixed ownership, including foreign. Such business entities are also combined. But the characterization of their associations as a form of international economic integration is incorrect, since they represent not cooperating peoples, but individual physical and legal entities. These associations are forms of joint ventures that are developing in the national and global economies.

Joint venture precedes international economic integration, develops on its basis and contributes to its development. However, the relationship between international integration and entrepreneurship is not a basis for combining different concepts.

International economic integration has forms that are adequate to it as a special economic process.

Its specific forms, which change as integration deepens, are: organization of cooperation through the creation of joint bodies to coordinate economic development; state-organized free trade zones (which should be distinguished from joint venture zones); common markets for goods and services (including transport, information, etc.); common capital and labor markets; interstate banks and other interstate structures in the real sector of the economy.

The deepening of international economic integration (change in its forms, management system, etc.) is due to the development of the world economy in the course of the internationalization of economic life. In this regard, economic science needs clear positions both in the interpretation of the concept of "world economy" ("world economy"), and in determining the stages of development of the internationalization of economic life.

The internationalization of economic life appears as a result, first of all, of international cooperation in production, the development of an international division of labor, i.e. development of the social character of production on an international scale. Internationalization can be carried out within several countries, regions, or between most countries of the world.

The process of globalization in the international economy is a natural result of the internationalization of production and capital. Globalization largely appears as a quantitative process of increasing scale, expanding the scope of world economic relations.

At the macroeconomic level, globalization means the general desire of countries and regional integration groupings to engage in economic activity outside their borders. Conditions for such activity: trade liberalization, removal of trade and investment barriers, creation of free enterprise zones, etc.

At the microeconomic level, globalization refers to the expansion of an enterprise's activities beyond the boundaries of the domestic market. In contrast to the transnational or multinational orientation of entrepreneurial activity, globalization means a unified approach to the development of the world market.

The internationalization and globalization of world economic processes characterize the growing interconnection and interdependence of individual national economic systems. Since the middle of the XX century. the internationalization of exchange outgrows the internationalization of capital and production, receives a noticeable impetus in development under the influence of the scientific and technological revolution (NTR). There is a sharp increase in international specialization and cooperative production. The scope of domestic markets is becoming more and more limited for large-scale specialized production. It objectively transcends national borders.

The internationalization and globalization of production create a situation where it is no longer profitable for any country to have only “its own production”. Separate national economies are becoming more and more integrated into the world economy, striving to find their niche in it. The movement of the labor force, the training of personnel, and the exchange of specialists are becoming more and more international.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Avdokushin E.F. International economic relations: textbook -M. : Marketing, 2003.


Aksenov V. Integration confrontation // Nezavisimaya gazeta, No. 54, 2001.


Gazizullin N.F. On the development of the concept of Eurasian integration // Problems of modern economics. 2000. No. 3. THE CONCEPT OF "STANDARDS OF LIVING OF THE POPULATION", ITS COMPONENTS Forms of the international division of labor and modern trends in their development The world economy as a systemic definition, its essence, patterns and development trends

There are over two hundred countries in the world today. All of them differ from each other in size, number of inhabitants, level of socio-economic development, and so on. Why are country classifications needed? The answer is extremely simple: for convenience. To cut out a map of the world according to some signs is convenient for geographers, economists, and ordinary people.

In this article you will find various classifications countries - by population, area, form of government, GDP. Find out what is more in the world - monarchies or republics, and what the term "third world" means.

Country classifications: criteria and approaches

How many countries in the world? Geographers do not have an unequivocal answer to this question. Some say - 210, others - 230, others confidently declare: at least 250! And each of these countries is unique, original. However, individual states can be grouped according to certain criteria. This is necessary for the implementation of scientific analysis and forecasting the development of regional economies.

There are two main approaches to the typology of states - regional and socio-economic. Accordingly, allocated various systems country classifications. The regional approach implies a grouping of states and territories along geographical lines. The socio-economic approach takes into account, first of all, economic and social criteria: the volume of GDP, the level of development of democracy, the degree of openness of national economies, etc.

In this article, we will look at various classifications of countries according to a number of criteria. Among them:

• Geographical position.
• The area of ​​the land.
• Population size.
• Form of government.
• The level of economic development.
• The volume of GDP.

What are the countries? Typology by geographical principle

So, there are many different classifications of countries - by area, population, form of government, specifics of the state structure. But we will start with a geographical typology of states.

Based on the characteristics of the geographical location, countries are distinguished:

• Inland, that is, without access to the seas or oceans (Mongolia, Austria, Moldova, Nepal).
• Maritime (Mexico, Croatia, Bulgaria, Türkiye).
• Island (Japan, Cuba, Fiji, Indonesia).
• Peninsular (Italy, Spain, Norway, Somalia).
• Mountain (Nepal, Switzerland, Georgia, Andorra).

Separately, it is worth mentioning the group of so-called enclave countries. Translated from Latin, the word "enclave" means "closed, limited." These are countries that are surrounded on all sides by the territory of other states. Classic examples enclaves in the modern world are the Vatican, San Marino and Lesotho.

The historical and geographical classification of countries divides the whole world into 15 regions. Let's list them:

1. North America.
2. Central America and the Caribbean.
3. Latin America.
4. Western Europe.
5. Northern Europe.
6. Southern Europe.
7. Eastern Europe.
8. Central Asia.
9. Southwest Asia.
10. South Asia.
11. Southeast Asia.
12. East Asia.
13. Australia and Oceania.
14. North Africa.
15. South Africa.
16. West Africa.
17. East Africa.

Giant countries and dwarf countries

Modern states vary greatly in size. This thesis is confirmed by one eloquent fact: only 10 countries of the world occupy half of the entire land area of ​​the earth! The largest state on the planet is Russia, and the smallest is the Vatican. For comparison: the Vatican would occupy only half of the territory of Moscow's Gorky Park.

The generally accepted classification of countries by area divides all states into:

• Giant countries (over 3 million sq. km) - Russia, Canada, USA, China.
• Large (from 1 to 3 million sq. km) - Argentina, Algeria, Indonesia, Chad.
• Significant (from 0.5 to 1 million sq. km) - Egypt, Turkey, France, Ukraine.
• Medium (from 0.1 to 0.5 million sq. km) - Belarus, Italy, Poland, Uruguay.
• Small (from 10 to 100 thousand sq. km) - Austria, the Netherlands, Israel, Estonia.
• Small (from 1 to 10 thousand sq. km) - Cyprus, Brunei, Luxembourg, Mauritius.
• Dwarf countries (up to 1000 sq. km.) - Andorra, Monaco, Dominica, Singapore.

It is important to note that the large size of the territory is listed both in the list of advantages and in the list of disadvantages of the state. On the one hand, a significant area is the abundance and diversity of natural and mineral resources. On the other hand, the vast territory of the central government is much more difficult to protect, develop and control.

Densely populated and sparsely populated countries

And here again there are striking contrasts! The population density in different states of the planet is very different. So, for example, in Malta it is 700 (!) times higher than in Mongolia. The processes of resettlement of the terrestrial population, first of all, were influenced and influenced by natural factors: climate, terrain, remoteness from the sea and large rivers.

The classification of countries by population divides all states into:

• Large (over 100 million people) - China, India, USA, Russia.
• Significant (from 50 to 100 million people) - Germany, Iran, Great Britain, South Africa.
• Medium (from 10 to 50 million people) - Ukraine, Argentina, Canada, Romania.
• Small (from 1 to 10 million people) - Switzerland, Kyrgyzstan, Denmark, Costa Rica.
• Small (less than 1 million people) - Montenegro, Malta, Palau, Vatican.

The absolute leaders in the number of inhabitants in the world are China and India. These two countries account for almost 37% of the world's population.

Countries with kings and countries with presidents

The form of government of the state means the specifics of the organization of the supreme power and the procedure for the formation of its key bodies. In simpler terms, the form of government answers the question of who (and to what extent) has power in the country. As a rule, it significantly affects the mentality and cultural traditions of the population, but does not absolutely determine the level of socio-economic development of the state.

The classification of countries according to the form of government provides for the division of all states into republics and monarchies. In the first case, all power belongs to the president and (or) parliament, in the second - to the monarch (or jointly to the monarch and parliament). Today there are many more republics in the world than monarchies. Approximate ratio: seven to one.

There are three types of republics:

• Presidential (USA, Mexico, Argentina).
• Parliamentary (Austria, Italy, Germany).
• Mixed (Ukraine, France, Russia).

Monarchies, in turn, are:

• Absolute (UAE, Oman, Qatar).
• Limited or constitutional (UK, Spain, Morocco).
• Theocratic (Saudi Arabia, Vatican).

There is another specific form of government - the directory. It provides for the existence of a certain collegial governing body. That is, the executive power belongs to a group of persons. Today, Switzerland can be considered an example of such a country. In it, the highest authority is the Federal Council, consisting of seven equal members.

countries rich and poor

Now let's look at the main economic classifications of the countries of the world. All of them were developed by the largest and most influential international organizations such as the UN, the IMF or the World Bank. Moreover, the approaches to the typology of states in these organizations differ markedly. Thus, the UN classification of countries is based on social and demographic aspects. But the IMF puts the level of economic development in the foreground.

Let us first consider the classification of countries by GDP (proposed by the World Bank). Recall that the gross domestic product (GDP) is the total market value of all goods and services produced in a year in the territory of a particular state. So, according to this criterion, countries are distinguished:

• With a high GDP (over $10,725 per capita) - Luxembourg, Norway, USA, Japan, etc.
• With an average GDP (875 - 10725 dollars per capita) - Georgia, Ukraine. Philippines, Cameroon etc.
• With a low GDP (up to $875 per capita) - there are only four such states as of 2016 - these are the Congo, Liberia, Burundi and the Central African Republic.

This classification makes it possible to group states according to the degree of economic power and, first of all, to single out the level of well-being of their citizens. However, GDP per capita is not a capacious enough criterion. After all, it does not fully take into account either the nature of income distribution or the quality of life of the population. Therefore, the classification of countries according to the level of economic development is more accurate and more complex.

Countries developed and developing

The most popular is the classification proposed by the UN. According to it, there are three groups of states in the world:

• Economically developed countries (Advanced economies).
• Countries with economies in transition (Emerging market).
• Developing countries (Developing countries).

Economically developed countries occupy a leading position in the modern world market. They own over 50% of the world's GDP and industrial production. Almost all of these states are politically stable and have a solid level of income per capita. As a rule, the industry of these countries works on imported raw materials and produces high-quality, export-oriented products. The economically developed states include the so-called G7 group (USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Canada), as well as the countries of Western and Northern Europe (Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands and others). Often they also include Australia and New Zealand, sometimes - South Africa.

Countries with economies in transition are the former states of the socialist camp. Today they are rebuilding their national economies on the rails of a market economy model. And some of them are already at the final stage of these processes. This group includes all the former republics of the USSR, the countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkan Peninsula (Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, etc.), as well as some states of East Asia (in particular, Mongolia and Vietnam).

Developing countries are the largest of these three groups. And the most heterogeneous. All developing countries are very different from each other in terms of area, pace of development, economic potential, and level of corruption. But they also have one thing in common - almost all of them are former colonies. The key states of this group are India, China, Mexico and Brazil. In addition, this includes about a hundred underdeveloped countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Oil producing countries and landlord countries

In addition to the above, in economic geography it is customary to distinguish the following groups of states:

• Newly industrialized countries (NIS).
• Countries of resettlement capitalism.
• oil producing states.
• Landlord countries.

The NIS group consists of more than a dozen predominantly Asian states, in which over the past three to four decades there has been a qualitative leap in all socio-economic indicators. Most prominent representatives this group - the so-called "Asian tigers" (South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong). In the second half of the twentieth century, these countries, relying on their own cheap labor, relied on the production of mass household appliances, computer games, shoes and clothes. And it has borne fruit. Today, the "Asian tigers" are distinguished by a high quality of life and the widespread introduction of the latest technologies into production. Tourism, services and the financial sector are actively developing here.

The countries of resettlement capitalism are Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel. They have one thing in common - at a certain stage of history they all formed as resettlement colonies of immigrants from other states (in the first three cases - from Great Britain). Accordingly, all these countries have still retained the main economic, political features and cultural traditions of their "stepmother" - the British Empire. Israel occupies a separate place in this group, since it was formed as a result of the mass migration of Jews from all over the world after the Second World War.

Oil-producing countries are included in a separate group. These are about ten states, in whose export the share of oil and oil products exceeds 50%. These most often include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela. In all these countries, in the midst of lifeless sands, you can see luxurious palaces, ideal roads, modern skyscrapers and luxury hotels. All this, of course, was built with the proceeds from the sale of “black gold” on the global market.

Finally, the so-called lessor countries are a number of island or coastal states located at the intersection of important transport routes. Therefore, they are happy to host the ships of the fleets of the leading powers of the planet. The countries of this group include: Panama, Cyprus, Malta, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas. Many of them, taking advantage of their favorable geographical position, are actively developing the tourism business in their territories.

Ranking of countries on the human development index

Back in 1990, UN experts developed the so-called Human Development Index (HDI for short). This is a generalized indicator that characterizes the level of socio-economic development of different countries. It includes the following criteria:

• life expectancy;
• poverty assessment;
• the level of literacy of the population;
• quality of education, etc.

The HDI index values ​​range from zero to one. Accordingly, this classification of countries provides for the division into four levels: very high, high, medium and low. Below is a map of the world according to the HDI index (the darker the color, the higher the index).

As of 2016, the countries with the highest HDI are Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany. The outsiders of the rating include the Central African Republic, Chad and Niger. The value of this index for Russia is 0.804 (49th place), for Belarus - 0.796 (52nd place), for Ukraine - 0.743 (84th place).

List of third world countries. Essence of the term

What do we imagine when we hear the expression "third world country"? Banditry, poverty, dirty streets and the lack of normal medicine - as a rule, our imagination draws something like this associative array. In fact, the original essence of the term "third world" is quite different.

This term was first used in 1952 by the French scientist Alfred Sauvy. Initially, it belonged to those countries that, during the so-called Cold War, did not join either the Western world (under the auspices of the United States) or the socialist camp of states (under the auspices of the USSR). The complete list of Third World countries includes over a hundred states. All of them are marked on the map below in green.

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, when the need to divide the world into “communists” and “capitalists” disappeared, for some reason the underdeveloped countries of the planet began to be called the “third world”. First of all, at the suggestion of journalists. And this is rather strange, because Finland, Sweden, Ireland and several other economically quite prosperous states were originally ranked among them.

It is curious that in 1974 the famous Chinese politician Mao Zedong also proposed his own system of dividing the planet into three worlds. Thus, he included the Soviet Union and the USA in the "first world", their allies in the "second world", and all other neutral states in the "third world".

Each state has a number of features that researchers change using certain indicators. Their comparison and analysis allow us to draw conclusions about the development and state of the economy, demography, and geography. needed to determine the impact of each of them on the entire world order. The exchange of experience will make it possible to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the economic and social organization of states and improve performance.

Countries and territories

The economic definition of a country differs from the legal or even ordinary understanding of people.

The classification of countries can take into account both territorial units recognized by countries and those not. Such territories can pursue an independent economic policy and take into account their development. Therefore, they are taken into account when compiling the classification of countries according to the economic level of development. This applies to some island dependent territories of Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands. The country classification treats such areas as separate economic units.

Universal international organizations collect and analyze information about their member countries. They include almost all world states.

Principle of classification

Since the classifications of the countries of the world are carried out mainly by international organizations (UN, IMF, WB, etc.), the most common data collection systems are designed for the interests of these committees. Colored on the map below:

Green - economically developed countries;

Yellow - moderately developed states;

Red - third world countries.

For example, the World Bank collects information on the level of countries' economies. At the same time, the UN draws attention to their demographic and socio-economic situation.

Scientists, on the other hand, distinguish several main types of data collection and processing, which include the classification of the countries of the world.

According to the type of socio-economic system, there was a classification dividing the world into capitalist, socialist and developing states.

According to the level of development, countries are classified as developed and developing.

The geographical classification of countries takes into account the size and location of countries on the world map. Their number and structure of the population, natural resources are also taken into account.

Geographic classification

Determining and assessing the position of a country on the world map is quite great importance. From this you can build on other classifications. The location of the country on the world map is also relative. After all, the boundaries of a certain territorial unit can change. But all changes and existing conditions can influence the conclusions about the state of affairs of a particular country or area.

There are countries with a very large territory (Russia, USA, Canada, India), and there are microstates (Vatican, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco). Geographically, they are also divided into those with and without access to the sea. There are continental and island countries.

The combination of these factors often determines the socio-economic situation, which displays the classification of the countries of the world.

Population classification

To build a system of world order, it is also important to take into account the classification of countries by population. It implies a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the demographic situation.

According to this point of view, all states are divided into countries with a large, medium and small population. Moreover, in order to draw adequate conclusions about this indicator, the number of people per territorial unit is calculated. This makes it possible to estimate the population density.

The population is considered in terms of its growth. Compare birth and death rates. If the population growth is positive, this indicates an excess of births over deaths, and vice versa. Today, growth is observed in India, the USA, Great Britain and a number of African countries. The decrease in the population - in the countries of Eastern Europe, Russia, the Arab states.

The classification of countries by population is based on the demographic structure. The proportion of the able-bodied, educated population, as well as nationality, is important for analysis.

Economic Development Classification

The most common classification, used by many organizations and world research institutes, is based on the economic development of countries.

The development of this typology was carried out on the basis of many years of research. It is constantly being developed and improved.

All world states, according to this approach, can be divided into highly, medium and underdeveloped economically areas. This is the most widely used method. The classification of countries by level of development does not take into account post-socialist and

On the basis of the presented typology, international organizations draw conclusions about the appropriateness of financial assistance to the most

Each of these groups has its own subtypes.

Economically developed countries

The group of developed countries includes the USA, Canada, Western Europe, South Africa, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand.

These countries have a high economic level of development and significant influence on the political situation in the world. Their role in general trade relations is predominant.

Classification of countries according to the level distinguishes this group of countries as the owners of high scientific and technical potential.

Most big influence the world economy is dominated by highly capitalist countries, six of which are members of the G7. These are Canada, USA, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, France, Italy. They have a narrower specialization in highly developed small countries (Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, etc.).

The socio-economic classification of countries in the group under consideration singles out a separate subgroup. These are South Africa, New Zealand, Israel, Australia. All of them once were They have agrarian and raw material specialization in world trade.

Medium developed economically countries

Classifying countries according to the development of economic relations, they distinguish a group historically and socio-economically different from the previous typology.

There are not many such states, but they can be divided into certain types. The first group includes countries that develop independently and have reached an average level in the sphere of management. Ireland is a prime example of such a state.

The classification of countries according to the level of economic development singles out the next subgroup of the states that have lost their former influence on the world economy. They are somewhat behind in their development from the highly capitalist states. According to the socio-economic classification, this subgroup includes such countries as Greece, Spain, Portugal.

Developing countries

This group is the largest and most diverse. It includes countries that have a number of difficulties in the sphere of economic relations, both internal and external. They lack skills and qualified personnel. The external debt of such countries is very large. They have a strong economic dependence.

The classification of countries by development also includes states in whose territory wars or interethnic conflicts are fought. They predominantly occupy low positions in world trade.

Developing countries supply other states mainly with raw materials or agricultural products. There is a high level of unemployment and a lack of resources.

About 150 countries belong to this group. Therefore, there are subtypes here that deserve separate consideration.

Types of developing countries

The classification of countries by economic development in the group of developing countries distinguishes several subgroups.

The first of these are the key countries (Brazil, India, Mexico). They have the greatest potential among similar states. Their economy is highly diversified. Such countries have significant labor, raw materials and economic resources.

The young liberated states include about 60 countries. There are many oil exporters among them. Their economy is still developing, and in the future its condition will depend only on the socio-economic decisions taken by the authorities. These states include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Libya, Brunei, and Qatar.

The third subgroup are countries with relatively mature capitalism. These are states where the dominance of the market economy has been established only in the last few decades.

Classification of countries relative to mature capitalism

In the subgroup of countries with relatively mature capitalism, a number of subtypes are distinguished. The first includes states of the resettlement type with the early development of dependent capital (Argentina, Uruguay). Their population is quite high, which is made possible by a series of new reforms.

The classification of countries in the subgroup under consideration singles out the states of large enclave development of capitalism. Foreign injections into the economy are massive due to the export of raw materials from large mineral deposits.

The next subspecies characterizes the countries of externally oriented opportunistic development of capitalism. Their economy is geared towards exports and import substitution.

There are also countries of concession development and countries-"landlords" of the resort type.

Level of GDP and GNI

There is a common classification according to the level of GDP per capita. It distinguishes the central and peripheral regions. The central states include 24 states, the total level of GDP in world production of which is 55% and 71% in total exports.

The group of central states has a GDP per capita of about $27,500. The countries of the near periphery have a similar figure of $8,600. Developing countries are relegated to the far periphery. Their GDP is only $3,500, and sometimes even less.

The economic classification of countries used by the World Bank uses GNI per capita. This makes it possible to single out 56 countries in the group of countries with the considered high indicator. Moreover, the states of the G7, although they are included in it, are not in the first places.

The average level of GNI was recorded in Russia, Belarus, China and in 102 other countries. Low GNI is observed in the states of the far periphery. This included 33 states, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

UN classification

The United Nations has singled out only 60 developed countries that have high rates in the field of market relations, scientific and technological progress, and production efficiency. The organization also takes into account the level of rights and social standards of the population. The per capita GDP in these countries is over $25,000. According to this indicator, Russia is also among the developed countries. However, the qualitative indicators of economic and social processes do not allow us to consider the Russian Federation, according to the UN, a developed country.

All post-socialist countries are classified by the organization as states with economies in transition. The rest of the countries that are not included in the previous two groups are classified by the UN as developing countries that have problems in the socio-economic sphere to a greater or lesser extent.

The listed factors and characteristics make it possible to group states into certain subspecies. Country classification is a powerful tool comparative analysis, on the basis of which you can plan and improve their position in the future.

According to the typology level and nature of socio-economic and political development , there are three groups of countries in the world:

1) economically highly developed states;

2) less developed countries (according to the UN terminology, “developing countries”);

3) countries with a "transitional economy" (post-socialist) and socialist countries.

signs Economically advanced states :

Mature level of development of economic (market) relations;

Their special role in world politics and economics;

They have a powerful scientific and technical potential.

These countries differ from each other in the scale and level of economic development, population, etc. Therefore, several subtypes can be distinguished within this group.

Major capitalist countries: USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy. (In fact, this is the "big seven", excluding Canada, which in the typology is assigned to another subtype: to the countries of "resettlement" capitalism).

These are the most developed countries with the highest economic, scientific and technical potential. They differ from each other in the features of their development and economic power, but all of them are united by a very high level of development and the role that they play in the world economy. In fact, they have already entered the post-industrial stage of development, as well as representatives of the next subgroup.

Economically highly developed small countries of Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.

These states have reached a high level of development, but, unlike the main capitalist countries, they have a much narrower specialization in the international division of labor. At the same time, they send up to half (or more) of their products to the foreign market. In the economy of these countries, the share of the non-productive sphere (banking, the provision of various kinds of services, the tourism business, etc.) is very large.

Countries of "settlement" capitalism": Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel. These are former British colonies. Capitalist relations arose and developed in them thanks to the economic activities of immigrants from Europe. But unlike the United States, which was also at one time a resettlement colony, the development of this group of countries had some peculiarities. Despite the high level of development, these countries retained their specialization in agriculture and raw materials, which had developed in foreign trade even when they were colonies. But this specialization is by no means identical to that in the environment of developing countries, as it is combined with a highly developed domestic economy. Canada is also located here, which is included in the "big seven", but in terms of the type and features of the development of its economy, it is closer to this group of countries. Israel is a small state that was formed after the Second World War on the territory of Palestine (which was under the mandate of the League of Nations under British control after the First World War). The economy of this country developed due to the skills and means of immigrants who sought to return to their historical homeland.

Countries with an average level of development of capitalism: Ireland, Spain, Greece, Portugal.

In the past, these states played an important role in world history. Thus, in the era of feudalism, Spain and Portugal had huge colonial possessions. Despite the well-known successes in the development of industry and the service sector, in terms of the level of development, these countries generally lag behind the first three subgroups of states in this typology. But all of them are now part of the European Union and their main trading partners are highly developed states.

Countries with "transition economies" This group includes post-socialist countries: CIS (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan); Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia; Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia); Countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia); Mongolia, and socialist: Cuba, China, Vietnam, North Korea.

After the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, most of the countries in this group underwent very significant changes in politics and economics - they are trying to join the world system of market relations. The transformation processes in these states go beyond the standard reforms, as they are deep and systemic. Very significant shifts are also being observed in the economy and politics of the four socialist countries.

Characteristically, some of the post-socialist countries with low per capita incomes have declared their desire to acquire the status of a "developing" country (for example, such a statement was made by the republics of the former Yugoslavia, Vietnam, the Central Asian republics of the CIS). This gives them the right to receive soft loans and various types of assistance in international banks and funds.

Economically less developed countries(according to the UN classification - "developing countries").

This is the largest and most diverse group of countries. For the most part, these are former colonial and dependent countries, which, having gained political independence, fell into economic dependence on the countries that were previously their mother countries.

Many things unite the countries of this group, including development problems, internal and external difficulties associated with a low level of economic and social development, lack of financial resources, lack of experience in running a capitalist commodity economy, a lack of qualified personnel, strong economic dependence, and a huge external debt. etc. The situation is aggravated civil wars and interethnic conflicts. In the international division of labor, they occupy far from best positions, being mainly suppliers of raw materials and agricultural products to economically developed countries.

In addition, in all countries of this type and level of development, due to the rapid growth of the population, the social situation of large masses of residents is deteriorating, an excess of labor resources is manifesting, demographic, food and other global problems are especially acute.

But, despite the common features, the countries of this group are very different from each other (and there are more than 120 of them).

There are at least four groups of countries:

A) Key countries - these are the countries - leaders of the developing world, with great natural, human and economic potential. These include: Brazil, Mexico, India.

B) "new industrial countries" (NIS) - Singapore, about. Taiwan and the Republic of Korea, as well as R/V "second wave" - ​​Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia. Their economy is characterized by high rates of industrialization, export orientation of industrial production (especially science-intensive industries), and active participation in the international division of labor. The economic indicators of this group of states are basically in line with those of industrialized countries, but still there are features inherent in all developing countries.

IN) Oil exporting countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Libya, Brunei, Algeria). These countries receive the main income from oil exports.

G) least developed countries (about 40 countries). Their main characteristics are: very low per capita incomes; low share of the manufacturing industry in the structure of the economy; a very high proportion of illiterate adults. Their backwardness is expressed in the actual inability to provide necessary minimum urgent needs of a rapidly growing population. This group of the least developed countries of the world includes: Afghanistan, Haiti, Guinea, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Mali, Mozambique, Somalia, Chad, Burundi, Ethiopia, etc. They are very far behind the developed world in all major socio-economic indicators and are also far from industrialized as many decades ago.

Level of economic development

The level of economic development - indicators of the development of the country's social production, including data:
- about the total social product;
- about the national income per capita;
- on the use of natural resources;
- about the organization and efficiency of production.

In English: Level of economic development

Finam Financial Dictionary.

See what the "Level of economic development" is in other dictionaries:

Encyclopedia of Sociology

level of economic development- - EN status of development The extent to which a society promotes human well being in all dimensions of existence by forming people s capabilities, expanding choices and increasing ... ... Technical Translator's Handbook

The state of the national economy (social production) of a country (group of countries, economic region) at a certain historical moment. W. e. R. - a generalizing concept and is characterized by several groups of indicators: 1) production ... ...

LEVEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT- English. level of economic development; German Entwicklungsniveau, okonomisches. Indicator: the development of societies, the production of the country, including data on the total society, product, nat. per capita income; use of natural resources; ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Sociology

ARAB AFRICA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK- (Arab Bank Economic Development in Africa, BADEA) an interstate investment institution established in 1973 for credit cooperation between the League of Arab States (LAS) and the member countries of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Members... Foreign economic explanatory dictionary

The standard of living is what you would like to live above. Yanina Ipokhorskaya We are all below the poverty line, only on different sides of it. Mikhail Genin The belt-tightening policy is most loudly endorsed by those who wear suspenders. Bernhard Vogel Level… … Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

The degree of satisfaction of the physical, spiritual and social needs of people, the provision of the population with consumer goods. It is expressed by a system of quantitative and qualitative indicators that reflect its various aspects: the total volume ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Exist., m., use. often Morphology: (no) what? level, why? level, (see) what? level than? level about what? about the level; pl. What? levels, (no) what? levels, why? levels, (see) what? levels than? levels, about what? about levels 1. By level… … Dictionary of Dmitriev

Standard of living- STANDARD OF LIVING A set of benefits that satisfy the physical, spiritual and social needs of people. The standard of living is determined by per capita income (see Income per head), however, due to the uneven distribution of personal income ... ... Dictionary-reference book on economics

STANDARD OF LIVING- a set of living conditions for the population of the country, corresponding to the achieved level of its economic development ... Big Economic Dictionary

Books

• The level of socio-economic development of the countries of the world. Poster, . Scale 1:25,000,000. The background on the map shows the volume of domestic product per capita by state. Circles of different sizes, divided into sectors, show the structure of the gross ...
• Conceptual Foundations and Institutional Aspects of the Development of External Public Audit in the Modern Economy, M. P. Vladimirova. The monograph is a generalizing study of the theoretical and methodological foundations of external public audit in modern economic conditions development of the world economy, presented ...