The underdeveloped countries They are those countries that present a low GDP per capita and that, in addition, have low development in key areas such as education, health and politics. In these types of countries, most citizens do not have their basic needs covered and political and social instability tends to reign. For example: Niger, Central African Republic and Chad.
Underdevelopment is a concept used to take into account the differences that exist between the different countries of the world according to their economy, but also related to the ability of the inhabitants of a country to access certain services.
Underdeveloped countries are distinguished from developed countries, which are those that offer a high standard of living to their inhabitants. This differentiation is usually made on the basis of the Human Development Index, carried out by the UN, which takes into account three main factors: GDP per capita, life expectancy and the degree of literacy of the population. The underdeveloped countries are those that show low numbers in these indices.
Sometimes the terms “developing countries” and “less developed countries” are also used to refer to these countries, which tend to have high rates of poverty, inflation, corruption, illiteracy, political instability, among others.
Characteristics of underdeveloped countries
Some of the characteristics of underdeveloped countries are:
- Economy. They are countries in which economic activity is usually restricted to the production of primary goods related to agriculture and livestock. They specialize in the production of raw materials (in many cases used for self-sufficiency). Many of these countries receive aid or loans from countries or world bodies.
- GDP. They are countries that have a very low GDP per capita and a global GDP. In addition, they have high rates of unemployment and inflation.
- Poverty. They are countries in which a large percentage of the population lives below the poverty line and there are great social inequalities.
- Politics. They are countries that have unstable political systems. Many went through major civil wars or dictatorships and there are high rates of corruption within politics.
- Health. They are countries that present strong levels of deterioration in social indicators such as nutrition, life expectancy and infant mortality. Access to quality health care is often restricted to a small portion of the population and there are high rates of child malnutrition and some diseases such as HIV and malaria.
- Education. They are countries that have a low educational level (compared to developed countries) and a part of their population is illiterate. Access to education is usually limited to a small portion of the population.
- Transport. They are countries that have a precarious or underdeveloped transportation system and poor road and highway systems.
Examples from underdeveloped countries
According to the Human Development Index (2020) the least developed countries are:
- Niger. It is a country located in North Africa and its capital is Niamey. Its economy is based exclusively on agricultural exploitation and its second economic activity is livestock. It has low literacy and life expectancy rates.
- Central African Republic. It is a country located in central Africa and its capital is Bangui. It has a very underdeveloped economy, which depends on the export of agricultural products. Less than half the population is literate and their life expectancy is very low.
- Chad. It is a country located in central Africa and its capital is N’Djamena. Its economy is based mainly on agriculture, livestock and the export of oil and cotton. It is a country with a high infant mortality rate and low life expectancy and literacy rates.
- South Sudan. It is a country located in East Africa and its capital is Yuba. It is one of the youngest countries in the world and has suffered in recent years a civil war. Its economy depends on the export of oil.
- Burundi. It is a country located in East Africa and its capital is Gitega. Its inhabitants have a low standard of living due to a recent economic and political crisis and difficult access to health and education services.
- Mali. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Bamako. It is one of the weakest economies in the world, which is based, above all, on agriculture. It has a low literacy rate and suffers from high rates of malnutrition and diseases such as malaria.
- Sierra Leone. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Freetown. Its economy is based on agriculture and fishing. It has high poverty rates and low literacy and life expectancy rates.
- Burkina faso. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Ouagadougou. Its economy is based on agriculture and its high unemployment rate drove a large part of its population into exile.
- Mozambique. It is a country located in southern Africa and its capital is Maputo. A large portion of its population is below the poverty line and it is a country with high rates of infant mortality and illiteracy.
- Eritrea. It is a country located in East Africa and its capital is Asmara. Its economy is based on agriculture, trade and the exploitation of minerals. Most of the population lives without access to basic needs and there is a violation of basic rights, such as freedom of the press.
- Yemen. It is a country located on the Arabian peninsula, in Asia, and its capital is Sanaa. It is one of the countries with the lowest GDP in the world and its economy is based on agriculture and some industries. This country has been going through a civil war since 2014.
- Guinea. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Conakry. Its economy is based on agriculture and mineral extraction. Much of its population is below the poverty line.
- Liberia. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Monrovia. Its GDP is one of the lowest in the world and its economy depends mainly on the export of natural resources. A large number of its population lives in poverty and without access to health services.
- Guinea Bissau. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Bissau. Its economy is based on agriculture and livestock, and its population has low access to education and health.
- Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a country located in central Africa and its capital is Kinshasa. Its economy is based on the extraction and commercialization of minerals. The consequent civil wars that this country suffered plunged its population into a humanitarian crisis.
- Malawi. It is a country located in East Africa and its capital is Lilongwe. Its economy is based on agriculture and it is a country that receives help from other nations. Much of its population lives below the poverty line and there are high rates of malnutrition and infant mortality and low life expectancy.
- Ethiopia. It is a country located in East Africa and its capital is Addis Ababa. Its economy is based on agriculture and the exploitation of minerals. Although its economy has shown signs of improvement in recent years, it is a densely populated country and more than half of its population lives in poverty.
- Gambia. It is a country located in West Africa and its capital is Banjul. Agriculture and livestock are the basis of its economy, which is one of the weakest in the world. It has low literacy rates and a high degree of violation of the human rights of its inhabitants.
- Sudan. It is a country located in East Africa and its capital is Khartoum. Its economy depends on agriculture and the extraction and export of minerals and oil. It suffers from a military dictatorship and some areas of the country are in constant conflict.
- Haiti. It is a country located on an island in the Caribbean Sea in Central America and its capital is Port-au-Prince. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and its economy is based on agriculture and fishing. It has a very weak medical and educational infrastructure.