The main types of countries in the modern world. Types of countries by level of socio-economic development Type of country by level of development

The division of the world economy into spheres of economic activity and the determination of the main economic relationships between them allow not only to analyze development trends individual countries but also to compare them with each other. However, there are approximately 200 countries in the world as a whole, which are very different in terms of economic development. And knowledge of classifications is extremely important for mutual study and exchange of experience in economic development.

As an economical developed countries The International Monetary Fund singles out the states: 1. Countries qualifying the WB and the IMF as countries with developed economies in the late XX - early XXI centuries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, .

2. The more complete group of developed countries also includes Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe islands, Vatican City, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino.

Among the main features of developed countries, it is advisable to highlight the following:

5. The economies of developed countries are characterized by their openness to the world economy and the liberal organization of the foreign trade regime. Leadership in world production determines their leading role in world trade, international movement capital, international monetary and settlement relations. In the field of international labor migration, developed countries act as hosts.

Countries with economies in transition

to countries with transition economy usually include 28 states of Central and of Eastern Europe and former USSR, moving from a centrally planned to a market economy, as well as, in some cases, Mongolia, China and Vietnam. Among the countries with economies in transition, due to its political significance, Russia is usually considered separately, without connection with other groups (2% world GDP and 1% of exports). The countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which were once part of the socialist camp, as well as the countries of the former USSR, which are called the countries of the former "ruble zone", stand out as a separate group.

Countries with economies in transition include:

1. Former socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, successors of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro;

2. Former Soviet republics - now CIS countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine;

3. Former Baltic republics: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

Of particular difficulty is the classification, since the construction of capitalism, and hence market relations, in the PRC takes place under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CCP). China's economy is a symbiosis of a planned socialist economy and free enterprise. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) classifies China, like India, as an emerging Asian country.

The countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic States and some Balkan countries are characterized by an initially higher level of socio-economic development; radical and successful implementation of reforms (“velvet revolutions”); expressed aspiration to join the EU. Outsiders in this group are Albania, Bulgaria and Romania. The leaders are the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

The former Soviet republics, with the exception of the Baltic states, have been united in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) since 1993. The collapse of the USSR led to a break in the economic ties that had been developing for decades between the enterprises of the former republics. The one-time abolition of state pricing (in the context of a shortage of goods and services), the spontaneous privatization of the largest export-oriented state-owned enterprises, the introduction of a parallel currency (US dollar) and the liberalization of foreign trade activities led to a sharp drop in production. Russia's GDP has almost halved. Hyperinflation reached 2000% or more per year.

There was a sharp drop in the exchange rate national currency, the state budget deficit, a sharp stratification of the population with the absolute impoverishment of its bulk. The formation of an oligarchic variant of capitalism took place without the creation of a middle class. Loans from the IMF and others international organizations were sent to “patching holes” in state budget and looted uncontrollably. Conducting financial stabilization through budgetary constraints and restrictive or contraction policies money supply(growth interest rates) gradually reduced inflation, but had serious social losses (unemployment, increased mortality, homeless children, etc.). The experience of "shock therapy" has shown that the introduction of private property and market relations in itself is not a guarantee of creating an efficient economy.

If we talk about the term "transitional economy", then it is used to characterize the transformation of the economy of the socialist countries into a market economy. The transition to the market required a number of significant transformations, which include:

1) denationalization of the economy, requiring privatization and stimulation of the development of non-state enterprises;

2) development of non-state forms of ownership, including private ownership of the means of production; 3) formation consumer market and saturating it with goods.

The first reform programs consisted of sets of stabilization measures and privatization. Monetary and fiscal restrictions were supposed to bring down inflation and restore financial balance, while the liberalization of external relations domestic market the necessary competition.

The economic and social costs of the transition were higher than expected. Protracted economic downturn, high unemployment, the decline of the social security system, the deepening of income differentiation and the decline in the well-being of the population were the first results of the reforms.

The practice of reform in various countries can be reduced to two main alternative paths:

1) the path of rapid radical reforms (“shock therapy”), which is taken as a basis in many countries, including Russia. The strategy was historically formed back in the 1980s by the IMF for debtor countries. Its features were the landslide liberalization of prices, incomes and economic activity. Macroeconomic stabilization was achieved by reducing the money supply and huge inflation as a consequence.

Urgent systemic changes included privatization. In foreign economic activity the goal was to involve national economy in world economy. The results of "shock therapy" are more negative than positive;

2) the path of gradual evolutionary transformation of the economy, taken as a basis in China.

Already from the mid-1990s and with the beginning of the recovery stage, the countries with economies in transition showed good overall performance. economic development and market economy. GDP indicators gradually went up. However, the unemployment rate remains high. Taking into account the different starting conditions at different times of the beginning of the transformations, their results turned out to be different. Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Slovakia achieved the greatest success.

In many countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the share of public spending in GDP is high: at least 30-50%. In the process of market reform, the standard of living of the population decreased and inequality in the distribution of income increased: approximately 1/5 of the population was able to raise the standard of living, and about 30% became poor. One group can be divided into the former Soviet republics, which are now united in the CIS. Their economies show different rates of market transformation.

Developing countries

Developing countries - 132 states of Asia, Africa, Latin America, characterized by low and middle income levels. Due to the wide variety developing countries international economy they are usually classified both geographically and according to various analytical criteria.

There are certain grounds for singling out yesterday's dependent and colonial countries that are lagging behind in their economic and social development and conventionally united by the term "developing", into a special group of states. These countries are home to 80% of the world's population, and the fate of this region will always have a significant impact on global processes.

The most important criteria for identifying developing countries is a special place in the system of economic and political relations, the level of economic development and specific features of reproduction and features of the socio-economic structure.

The first and most essential feature of developing countries is their place in the world economy and politics. Today they are part of the world capitalist system and are more or less subject to the prevailing economic laws and world economic trends. Remaining a link in the world economy, these countries continue to have a tendency to deepen economic and political dependence on the economies of developed countries.

Developing countries are still major suppliers of raw materials and fuel to the world market, despite the fact that the share of developing countries in Western countries' imports of fuel is over last years decreased somewhat. Being suppliers of raw materials, they depend on imports of finished products, so today the share of developing countries in world exports is only about 30%, including 21.4% in the supply of industrial products.

The economy of this group of countries is highly dependent on TNCs, as well as financial dependence. TNCs with the most advanced technology do not go for its transfer when created in developing countries joint ventures, preferring to place their branches there. At least 1/4 of foreign investments of TNCs are concentrated in developing countries. Private capital has now become the main element of foreign inflows to developing countries. Foreign direct investment today accounts for more than half of all funds coming from private sources.

The level of economic development of developing countries can be characterized as economic backwardness from the most developed part of the world. The low level of development of productive forces, the backwardness of the technical equipment of industry, Agriculture and social infrastructure are the main features of the economies of these countries as a whole. Most feature underdevelopment - the agrarian profile of the economy and the proportion of the population employed in agriculture. The industrial-agrarian profile of the economy is not typical for developing countries. It has developed only in the most developed countries of Latin America and several Asian states. In the overwhelming majority of countries, agricultural employment is still 2.5 times, and sometimes even 10 times, higher than industrial employment. In this regard, many oil producing countries closer to developing countries than to developed ones.

Features of the socio-economic structure of developing countries are associated with the multi-structural nature of the economy. Developing countries are characterized by a significant range of forms of production: from patriarchal-communal and small-scale commodity to monopolistic and cooperative. Economic ties between structures are limited. Ways are characterized by their system of values ​​and way of life of the population. The patriarchal way of life is characteristic of agriculture. The private capitalist structure includes various forms of ownership and exists in trade and the service sector.

The emergence of the capitalist order has its own peculiarities here. Firstly, it is often associated with the export of capital from more developed countries, and in the conditions of an unprepared economy is of an “enclave” nature.

Secondly, the capitalist structure, while developing as a dependent one, cannot eliminate the multi-structural structure and even leads to its expansion. Thirdly, there is no consistent development of one form of ownership from another. For example, monopolistic property, most often represented by TNC affiliates, is not a product of the development of joint-stock property, etc.

The social structure of society reflects the diversity of the economy. The communal type dominates in public relations, civil society is just being formed. Developing countries are characterized by poverty, overpopulation, and high unemployment.

The economic role of the state in developing countries is very large and, along with traditional functions, includes: the exercise of national sovereignty over natural resources; control over foreign financial assistance to use it for the implementation of projects provided for in the programs of social and economic development of the state; agrarian reforms associated with an increase in agricultural production, the creation of cooperatives, etc.; training of national personnel.

There is a classification of developing countries depending on the level of economic development, measured by GDP per capita:

1) countries with high income per capita, comparable to incomes in developed countries (Brunei, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Singapore);

2) countries with average GDP per capita (Libya, Uruguay, Tunisia, etc.);

3) poor countries of the world. This group includes most of the countries of tropical Africa, the countries of South Asia and Oceania, and a number of countries in Latin America.

Another classification of developing countries is related to the level of development of capitalism as an economic structure. From this point of view, the following groups of developing countries can be distinguished:

1) these are states where state, foreign and local capital prevails. The economic activity of the state is state-capitalist in content. In these countries, there is a high involvement foreign capital to local. These countries include Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, as well as a number of smaller countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

2) the second group of states is the largest. Their peculiarity is that here capitalism is represented by "enclaves", and sometimes very isolated ones. This group includes such countries as India, Pakistan, the countries of the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, North Africa, some countries of Southeast Asia (Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia).

3) the third group - the least developed countries of the world, about 30 countries with a population of about 15% of the population of the developing world. The capitalist structure in them exists in the form of fragments. These capitalist "enclaves" are mainly represented by foreign capital. 2/3 of the least developed countries are in Africa. The pre-capitalist sector is dominated by natural ties. Almost all areas of employment are traditional ways. The only driving force behind development in most of them is the state. The share of the manufacturing industry in GDP is no more than 10%, GDP per capita is no more than $300, and the literacy rate is no more than 20% of the adult population. These countries have little chance of improving their situation on their own, relying only on internal forces.

Source - World economy: textbook / E.G. Guzhva, M.I. Lesnaya, A.V. Kondratiev, A.N. Egorov; SPbGASU. - St. Petersburg, 2009. - 116 p.

The economic system is a set of socio-economic relations based on the established forms of ownership of economic resources and business results: organizational forms economic activity, economic mechanisms- ways of regulating economic activity at the macroeconomic level, specific economic relations between economic entities.

In the last 1.5-2 centuries, various types of economic systems operated in the world. Of these, 4 are best known: two market systems and two non-market ones.

Market: market economy of free competition ("pure capitalism") and modern market economy (modern capitalism). Non-market: administrative-command system and traditional.

Within each system, there are diverse models of economic development of individual countries, groups of countries and regions.

Especially popular in the world economy are: the American model, the Japanese model, the Swedish model, the model of the social market economy of Germany. Also known are the NIS model, the Chinese model, the Soviet model, etc. Each country has its own practically unique model of economic development (national and religious characteristics, historical development, neighboring countries, etc.).

Russia is currently developing according to an eclectic model (consisting of separate elements of a market and non-market economy) - a transitional model (models transition period).

Specific economic model can be formed with the stabilization and sustainable development of the economy for several years (even decades), which depends on the balance of political forces in the country, the course of the government, the nature of the transformations, the scale of support for reforms by the international community and historical traditions.

Until recently, three groups of countries (socio-economic systems) were distinguished in the world community: socialist, developed capitalist, and developing countries. These groups are unstable, very mobile. Over time, the composition and structure of groups changes. (For example, some developing countries today can claim the status of developed countries: Brazil, Argentina and others. At the same time, fundamental changes took place in the socialist bloc in the late 1980s. The transformation of the economic system led to a drop in living standards, disillusionment with socialist ideals and a return to the capitalist mode of production in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, and then in the territory of the former USSR.

Currently, there are two socio-economic systems in the world, including two types of countries: economically developed countries and developing ones. According to the level of development of market relations, there are: countries with developed market economies, with developing and non-market economies.

The fundamental differences between the two existing types of countries:

The level of socio-economic development,

The degree of satisfaction of the needs of the population in material and social benefits.

A more detailed analysis of the world economy uses country typology- selection of individual types of states by identifying their similarities and differences.

The typology of countries depends on the features underlying it (geographical location, level of socio-economic development, level and nature of the development of industrial relations, time of occurrence, etc.).

There are about 230 countries and territories in the modern world, of which about 210 are sovereign states. Each country has its own characteristics.

Among the states of the world there are countries with a vast territory (on this basis, 7 largest countries are distinguished: Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil, Australia, India), and very tiny ones (Andorra, Liechtenstein, Singapore). The 10 largest states are distinguished by population: China, India, USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria. There are multinational and single-national countries, rich in natural resources and poor in them, inland, coastal and island states, etc.

There are countries according to the forms of government: republican and monarchical. Approximately 3/4 of the countries are republics (France, Poland, India, China, Egypt, USA, Mexico, Argentina, Russia), monarchies - a total of 30 countries. (Europe and Asia: constitutional monarchy - Japan, Great Britain, absolute monarchy - United Arab Emirates.

All countries are divided into unitary and federal. Unitary majority - the country has a single legislative and executive power - Italy, Bulgaria, Republic of Korea, Algeria, Colombia.

With a federal structure, along with federal laws and authorities, there are separate territorial units (republics, provinces, states) that have their own legislative executive and judiciary authorities -21 federal states (Germany, the Swiss Confederation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the USA, the Federal Republic of Brazil, etc.).

The most complete picture of the groups of countries in the world economy is provided by the information of universal international organizations, the members of which are the majority of the countries of the world - the UN (185), the IMF (181), the IBRD (180). The assessment of these bodies varies, since the number of member countries of these organizations is different and the classification is based on different characteristics (standard of living, level of development, social and demographic aspects).

According to the UN standard classification, within the framework of the world economy, two groups of countries are distinguished - 185 countries according to the level of economic development:

1. Advanced economies - 25 countries of North America, Western Europe, the Pacific basin: a high level of GDP per day, over 55% of the GMP is produced, more than 70% of world exports. The most significant role in this group is played by the “7” group, which provides 47% of the GMP and 51% of world trade. EU -15 countries, 21% GMP, 41% of world exports; 28 post-socialist countries.

The main representatives of the most developed countries: USA Canada Western European countries, Japan, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa.

Signs:

mature level of development of market relations,

Domination of state monopoly capitalism.

According to their role in world politics and economics, developed countries are divided into 4 subgroups:

A. Seven of the countries - leaders of the world economy ("Big Seven"): USA Canada Japan Germany Great Britain France Italy. They play a leading role in the world economy and politics, have a high level of labor productivity in all spheres of the economy, significant success in the development of science and technology, most of which had large colonial empires in the recent past and derived huge profits from them.

The G7 accounts for more than 50 per cent of global GNP and industrial production, more than 25 percent of agricultural production. GDP per capita from 10 to 20 thousand dollars.

B. Smaller European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, etc. - act as a link in the economic and political relations of the countries of the seven. They occupy a very prominent position (positions) in world trade and politics.

C. Countries of "settlement capitalism" (Australia, New Zealand, former colonies of Great Britain, South Africa, Israel

D. The countries of the CIS (1991) and the countries of Eastern Europe are combined into a special subgroup. The lag in the pace of scientific and technical progress and the efficiency of the economy led to a drop in the standard of living of the population and seriously shook their position as developed countries. But the accumulated production potential and the main indicators characterizing the typology of countries give grounds to refer these countries to the developed countries of the world. Currently, these are countries with economies in transition - 28 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former "ruble zone" (USSR) - high economic potential, including natural, labor, scientific, but a long period of development in a closed economy and economic restructuring have led to a decline in the standard of living and the level of production.

2. Developing countries - about 140 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America with a low and medium level of development. The group is very diverse and it is customary to classify it according to additional features (regions, export orientation, financial criteria, income level and economic development)

Developing countries. Basically, these are former colonies in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Oceania.

Characteristic features: a colonial past, poverty, an acute contradiction between political freedom and economic dependence, the preservation of pre-capitalist forms of management, an agrarian-raw or mineral-raw material orientation of the economy. (character) gigantic debts to industrialized countries (more than 1 trillion dollars).

Developing states - countries in transition, in which socio-economic relations are at the stage of formation (intensive transformation). They occupy more than half of the entire earth's land area and concentrate more than half of the world's population (with China 75 percent), about half of the raw materials reserves.

The countries of the "third world" are divided by the level of economic development and the structure of the economy into five subgroups:

A. "Key" countries - India, Brazil, Mexico, China - the leaders of the developing world, having character traits developing countries. Possess large natural resources, economic potential, huge by human resourses. The economy is developing at an average pace, but quite steadily (stably). GDP is much lower than developed countries, especially per capita (as a rule, it does not exceed 1-1.5 thousand dollars, India -300-400 dollars)

B. New industrial countries(NIS) - Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong (little dragons of Southeast Asia) - characterized by a developed structure of the economy, industrial forms of labor, highly developed market relations, high labor productivity and competitiveness of products, a relatively high level of GDP per capita (10 -15 tons) Very close to developed countries in terms of development.

B. Oil-exporting countries - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Libya, etc. The structure of the economy is poorly developed (the main focus is on the extractive industry) The level and quality of life of the majority of the population is low. On average, GDP per capita ($10-15 tons) is high, but 5-7 percent of the population receives the main income, the rest live in extreme poverty, go hungry, and the literacy rate is low (agricultural sector).

D. Lagging countries with a mixed economy, feudal remnants, and an undeveloped economic structure (two or three branches, as a rule, agrarian and light industry). GDP per capita is low, the level and quality of life of the population, too. This group includes most countries in the developing world: Vietnam, Mongolia, Egypt, Laos, etc.

E. Least developed countries (LDCs - 48 countries). Consumer agriculture prevails, there is no manufacturing industry, 2/3 of the population is illiterate, GDP per capita is 100-200 dollars a year. Extreme poverty, poverty, hunger. Most - the countries of Africa, as well as Asia and Latin America (Mali, Somalia, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Yemen. Haiti).

Classification of countries by GDP per capita (IBRD 210 countries):

Low-income countries 63 countries - less than $875/d.c.;

Middle income countries;

Below the average level of 63 countries up to 865-3115 dollars per day;

Above average 31 countries 3115-9625;

High-income countries 53 countries - over $9,625 per capita.

The world economy is a complex system of various national economies that are interconnected. These national economies participate in the global division of labor. world economy are distinguished by such characteristics as: integrity - experts emphasize that only a holistic structure of economic relationships (if it is stable) can ensure constant development, dynamics and, importantly, regulation of the system.

In other words, if the world's leading countries in macroeconomic issues come to a consensus and join their efforts, economic system around the world will develop independently.

The next aspect inherent in the world economic system is hierarchy. It exists between different states, is formed taking into account political trends and social, economic and human development. Highly developed countries have a more significant influence on the structure of the world economy and therefore occupy dominant positions in the global economy. market system.

Self-regulation is the last aspect that needs to be emphasized in the properties of the world economy. The fact is that the adaptation of the economic system to variable values ​​occurs with the help of market mechanisms(involving supply and demand), as well as with the participation of the state and international regulation. The main trend that leads to an adaptive form of operation of the economic system is the globalization of global national economic relations.

The components of the world economy are national economic models, and in order to study the features of the socio-economic development of countries, it will be necessary to delve into the models of economic development of the countries of Europe, Asia and the whole world.

Each country, each economic system has its own model of economic and economic organization. This is primarily due to the fact that countries differ in various ways:

• geographical location (island mentality does not allow residents of island states to build the same economic models as citizens of continental countries);
• historical and cultural development - the stages of historical development left special imprints not only on development models, but also on ways of thinking, as well as on production capacity and economic potential of different states;
• national features.

Modern market structure considers various models - Western European, American, Japanese. However, there are others.

American model The development of the economy is based on a large-scale encouragement of the activity of small and medium-sized businesses, which makes it possible to enrich the majority of the adult capable population. There are low-income people, but at the same time they have access to an adequate standard of living thanks to various benefits, benefits, tax breaks.

There was an economic model of Germany - the so-called market social economy. This model was highly effective, but became politically obsolete by the end of the twentieth century.

The Swedish model of social and economic development is based on a strong social policy. Adherents of this model are guided by the gradual reduction of various property disputes and inequalities due to the relative redistribution of national income in favor of those social strata that are less well off and protected. Remarkably, this model does not exert significant state pressure - the state owns less than 5% of the main fund, but at the same time, statistics from 2000 show that government spending account for more than half of the GDP.

Thus, most of the finance covers social needs. This is done through high tax collection and deductions - in particular, for individuals. The current government has assigned responsibilities in the following way- the main production of almost all areas is given to private enterprises that operate on the basis of traditional market competition, while the state takes the actual provision of the social functions of society - insurance, medicine, education, housing, employment and much more.

Japan's economic development model is characterized by a slow pace of matching between productivity and living standards. Thus, productivity and efficiency are rising while living standards have remained at the same level for several decades. This model is realized only when there is a high level of national awareness, when society is able to put the interests of the nation at the forefront, and not the interests of individual citizens. Another characteristic feature of the Japanese economic model is the modernization of the economy.

Classification of the countries of the world by socio-economic development

The countries of the world can be divided into three groups:

• Countries with a high level of development and market economies - these include almost all the states of Western Europe and the United States of America, as well as Israel, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. These states have a high level of development both in the social environment and in the economic one.
• The transitional economy is characteristic of the Russian Federation and the countries of Eastern Europe, as well as some Asian states - for example, China, Vietnam, Mongolia and the former countries that are part of the USSR.
• Developing countries are different developed countries the fact that their common GDP does not reach a quarter of GDP, which is customary for developed countries. This is Asia, Africa, Latin America, the countries of the former Yugoslavia, as well as the states of Oceania.
• Developed countries occupy the post-industrial stage of production, which means that the dominant environment in them is the service sector. If we evaluate the GDP per person, then according to the PPP, the size of the GDP is not less than 12,000 US dollars.

Areas high technology are developing rapidly, science and research organizations are supported by the state and private business structures, the soft industry is also flourishing - an area of ​​services that is close to high-tech. It can be consulting, service and development software. Such an economic model allows us to speak about new contours of the economy for developed countries.

The share of developed countries in the world gross domestic product:

• Germany - 3.45%.
• RF – 3.29%.
• Federative Republic of Brazil - 3.01%.
• Indonesia - 2.47%.
• French Republic - 2.38%.
• United Kingdom - 2.36%.
• United Mexican States - 1.98%.
• Italian Republic - 1.96%.
• South Korea - 1.64%.
• Saudi Arabia - 1.48%.
• Canada - 1.47%.
• Other states – 30.75%.

The most influential highly developed countries are included in the Big Seven - Canada, Japan, USA, France, Germany, England and Italy.

Countries that develop according to the transition economy model are gradually moving from administrative-command work to market relations. This process began more than 30 years ago, during the destruction of the socialist system.

Developing countries (also often called third world countries) have a low social and economic level development. These countries are the most, their population is 4/5 of the total population the globe, and they account for less than 1/3 of the world's gross domestic product. However, developing countries can also be distinguished on other grounds.

Most often in the past of such a state there are any problems with colonization. The economy is directed towards the raw material and agricultural direction, which allows us to speak of seasonality and the absence of profit regulation. The structure of society is heterogeneous, there are catastrophic gaps between social strata - for example, someone can acquire multi-million dollar villas, and someone can die of thirst, as in the days of apartheid. The quality of work is frankly low, there is not enough moral and material motivation for the workers. Basically, this situation is in Africa, Asia and LA.

The scientific and practical task of the typology of countries - the identification of groups of countries with a similar type and level of socio-economic development - was solved in different ways by economists and geographers.

The scientific apparatus of the economy makes it possible to successfully take into account quantitative indicators, and, first of all, GDP is the most important complex indicator that reflects the level of socio-economic development.

The creation of economic-geographical typologies requires taking into account not only quantitative indicators and the level of development achieved, but also similar features of the territorial structure of the economy. Geographic typology is, first of all, a complex typology, where the most significant features of socio-economic development are taken as a basis.

The most recognized typology of countries, developed at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov.

The scientific and practical task of the typology of countries - that is, the selection of groups of countries with a similar type and level of socio-economic development, was solved in different ways by scientists - economists and geographers.

The scientific apparatus of the economy makes it possible to successfully take into account quantitative indicators, and, first of all, GDP is the most important complex indicator that reflects the level of socio-economic development. But the GDP volumes of Argentina, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan (countries with obviously different type socio-economic development) are approximately the same.

The creation of economic-geographical typologies requires taking into account not only quantitative indicators and the level of development achieved, but also similar features of the territorial structure of the economy. Geographic typology is, first of all, a complex typology, where the most significant features of socio-economic development are taken as a basis.

Typically, working with statistics necessarily involves an expert analysis of the results obtained.

"The gross national product is one of the great inventions of the 20th century, almost equal in importance to a car and only slightly inferior to television. The effect of material inventions is obvious, but social inventions like GNP change the world almost to the same extent" - K. Boulding

Indicators of the level of socio-economic development of countries

Statistical (quantitative) indicators are the basis of every objective scientific research. What are the indicators that can be used to judge the level of socio-economic development of the country? First of all, these are absolute indicators characterizing economic power: GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) - the sum of all goods produced in the territory of a given country in a year, and GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (GNP) - the volume of goods produced according to the national principle: GDP minus profits foreign companies transferred abroad and wages of foreign workers, plus similar receipts from abroad. As a rule, the difference between these indicators does not exceed a fraction of a percent, but there are countries where this share is significant (for example, Singapore).

The countries of the world use different methods for calculating GDP and GNP, so the data provided by national statistics and international statistics are almost always different. So, in the national statistics of Russia, unlike other countries, non-material production sectors - bank profits, services - are not included in GDP.

To enable cross-country comparisons, international statistics data on GDP are given in a single monetary measurement - US dollars. They are calculated by UN experts using special methods - at official exchange rates or at parities. purchasing power currencies. Therefore, these data, depending on the calculation method, differ significantly from each other.

An important indicator is GDP PER CAPITA, reflecting the distribution of wealth produced among the population of the country.

The structure of the economy (the ratio of the sectors of the "primary" agriculture and forestry, manufacturing industries, fishing; "secondary" industries; "tertiary" - services and management) is reflected in the STRUCTURE of GDP and the STRUCTURE OF EMPLOYMENT OF THE ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE POPULATION.

The dynamics of GDP over a number of years gives an idea of ​​the RATES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH.

Important indicators for cross-country comparisons are demographic indicators - the average life expectancy of men and women, birth and death rates (respectively, the number of births and deaths per thousand inhabitants), population growth rates, the number and share of the economically active population, the share of the urban population.

Indicators that reflect the social aspects of the life of the population and the "quality of life": the number of patients per doctor, the level of literacy (the proportion of the literate population in the country's population), the number of cars per 100 families, etc., are also important in economic and geographical analysis.

For all these indicators, there are very marked differences between the three groups of countries.

Typology technique: multi-attribute classifications

We are faced with the task of identifying countries with a similar type of socio-economic development out of 6 countries. The initial data are presented in the table.

It is obvious that comparing countries on one indicator is quite simple. If we are faced with the task of comparing these countries by several indicators at once and identifying "similar ones", the task becomes much more complicated. How can we compare, say, the share of the urban population with birth and death rates, life expectancy with the share of agriculture in GDP?

To compare different types of indicators, the RANKING technique is used - i.e. finding the ranks of all indicators and comparing not the indicators themselves, but their ranks.

Suppose we need to divide the proposed countries into 3 groups. This means that we will rank each indicator on a 3-point scale. The intervals in which each of their countries should fall is calculated by the formula:

where max - maximum value indicator;

min - the minimum value of the indicator;

X - interval.

Thus, countries, depending on the interval in which the indicator characterizing them is, receive the appropriate rank and belong to the following groups:

1. from min to (min+X)=y; 2. from y to y+X=z; 3. from z to max.

It is very important to adhere to the chosen logical basis of the classification - group 1 (rank 1) should include countries with the "best" performance, and they are not always the highest. For example, countries with the highest GDP rates should be ranked 1, while those with the highest mortality rates should be ranked 3.

Thus, our matrix of statistical data turns into a matrix of ranks, which we can already compare.

The next step in processing the matrix is ​​to calculate the sum of the ranks and the difference between the sum of the ranks of each of the countries with each other. Countries with the minimum difference in the sum of ranks will belong to the same type.

The classification adopted by the UN is the division of the countries of the world into "industrialized", "developing" and countries with "centralized planned economy"combines into one group extremely different countries. Obviously, such countries as, for example, the United States and Switzerland, classified as "economically developed countries", or Kuiwait and Papua New Guinea (falling into the group of developing countries) certainly have common features, but there are even more differences between them.

The group of industrialized countries includes about 30 states. They are distinguished by a high level of economic development, the predominance of manufacturing and service industries in GDP, and a high quality and standard of living of the population. These countries create the bulk of world industrial production. They account for more than 70% of the world foreign trade turnover, including about 90% of exports of machinery and equipment. Economically developed countries include: all countries of Western Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel. All of them are members of the Organization economic cooperation and Development” (OECD).

The group of developing countries includes the most big number states of the world (about 150). These countries are extremely different - this group includes Brazil and Tuvalu, India and South Korea, Somalia and Burkina Faso, etc. However, all of them have such common features of socio-economic development as: a colonial past that predetermined territorial structure and predominantly agrarian and raw material specialization of the economy; features of participation in the international division of labor; unequal position in the world economy, dependence on foreign capital; huge external debt; the presence of the most acute problems - demographic, environmental and food, as well as the low standard of living of the majority of the population and others.

Nevertheless, among the developing countries there are countries and territories that, in terms of socio-economic development, have already approached the level of industrialized ones. This is, for example, Turkey, which officially applied in 1987 with an application for entry into the European Economic Community, arguing the request with close economic ties with European countries. These include the largest of the developing countries - Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, India, as well as "new industrial countries": the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong.

The group of countries with a centrally planned economy includes former socialist countries that in the 1990s switched to creating the foundations of a market economy (the republics of the former USSR, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Mongolia) and the actual socialist countries (China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam).

The role of industrialized, developing states and countries with centrally planned economies in the world economy, mid-90s.

Before the collapse of the USSR, the world community was divided into two opposite parts: socialist and capitalist countries. (among the latter, the so-called third countries stood out, which included a group of developing (mostly underdeveloped) states. Such a division was confrontational, it was due to the idealistic notion that the whole world was going through a transition to socialism, which seemed to be a higher stage of economic development and social justice. It was believed that socialism could be achieved by bypassing the long, painful years of feudal and capitalist development, and this division aimed at this.

Currently, there is no single division of the countries of the world.

Most often, countries are divided according to the level of socio-economic development. For this, a complex of factors is used, including, for example, the income of the population, the availability of industrial goods, food, the level of education, and life expectancy. In this case, the main factor is usually the value of the gross domestic (national) product per inhabitant of the country (sometimes they say: per capita or per capita income).

According to the level of socio-economic development, the countries of the world are divided into three main groups.

First- countries with the highest GDP (GNP) per capita (over 9 thousand dollars): the USA, Canada, Japan, most of the countries of Western Europe. These countries are called highly developed.

Among the highly developed countries, the "big seven" stands out - ("USA, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy. The "Seven" are the leaders of the world economy, who have achieved the highest labor productivity and are at the forefront of scientific and technological progress. These countries account for more than 80% of the industrial production of all highly developed countries, about the entire world industrial production.<>0% of the world's electricity supply 50% of all exported goods in the world to the world market.

New members are striving to enter the group of highly developed countries: for example, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, South Korea, Kuwait.
The second group includes countries with an average level of socio-economic development. The value of GDP (GNP) per capita ranges from 8.5 thousand to 750 dollars. These are, for example, Greece, South Africa, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Oman, Libya. A large group of former socialist countries adjoins: for example, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Russia. Russia also belongs to this group.

Thirdthe largest group. It includes countries with a low level of socio-economic development, in which GDP per capita does not exceed $ 750. These countries are called underdeveloped. There are over 60 of them: for example, India, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Ecuador. This group includes the least developed countries. As a rule, they have a narrow and even monocultural structure of the economy, a high degree of dependence.| fees from external sources financing.

AT international practice three criteria are used to classify countries as least developed: GDP per capita does not exceed $350; the proportion of the adult population who can read is no more than 20%; the cost of manufacturing products does not exceed 10% of GDP. In total, there are about 50 least developed countries: for example, Chad, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh.
Most economists believe that the level of socio-economic development of the world community should be divided into only two groups: developed and developing countries.

Developed countries are characterized by two main differences. The first is the predominance of market forms of management: private ownership of the economic resources used, commodity-money exchange between producers and consumers. Another is the high standard of living of the population of these countries: the income per inhabitant exceeds 6 thousand dollars a year.

The developed countries— countries with a predominance of a market form of management and the value of the gross domestic product per inhabitant over 6 thousand dollars a year.

To emphasize the heterogeneity of developed countries, they are usually divided into two main subgroups.
The first one is formed by the "Big Seven" - the undisputed leaders of the world economy. The second - the rest: for example, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden.

Sometimes a third subgroup is added to developed countries, which is formed by "newcomers": for example, South Korea, Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Argentina, Chile. They are only at the end of the 20th century. formed an economy typical of developed countries. Now they are distinguished by a relatively high GDP per capita, the spread of market forms of management, and cheap labor. The "newcomers" were called "new industrialized countries" (NIS). However, their assignment to developed countries is an unresolved issue. Most economists believe that these countries cannot yet be called developed.

Almost all newly industrialized countries are former colonies. More recently, they had an economy typical of developing countries: the predominance of agriculture and the mining industry, a meager per capita income, an undeveloped domestic market. (, In the last decades of the 20th century, the situation changed dramatically. -*" to cut the leading developed countries in terms of economic growth rates. Thus, in
In 1988, the average annual GDP growth rate in South Korea was 12.2%, Singapore and Thailand - 11%, Malaysia - 8.1% (for comparison: in Japan - 5.1%, the USA - 3.9%).

In terms of per capita income ($9,000), Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong (Hong Kong) are among the richest countries in the world. Developing rapidly international trade NIS. More than 80% of exports come from manufacturing products. Hong Kong has become one of the first places in the world in the export of clothes, watches, phones, toys; Taiwan - shoes, monitors, movie cameras, sewing machines; South Korea - ships, containers, televisions, video recorders, electric wave kitchen appliances; Singapore - offshore drilling platforms, magnetic disk drives, video recorders; Malaysia — electronic components, air conditioners.

The competitiveness of industrial products is achieved through high labor productivity and low wage costs. Shoe, textile, electronic, automotive industry products are much cheaper than Western analogues.
South Korean companies - Samsung, Hyundai, Tevu, Lucky Goldstar - are acquiring the same world fame as the Japanese companies Sony, Mitsubishi, Toyota.

The improvement of scientific and technical potential contributes to the acceleration of economic development. Results are achieved by concentrating resources in the most important areas; microelectronics, biotechnology, genetic engineering.
In South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, programs are being actively implemented to create technopolises - cities of advanced technologies, scientific research, and design development.

Developing countriesare the most numerous in the world community. They are united by the colonial past, the "x" life associated with this, the predominance of non-market forms of management (primitive communal and feudal), as well as economic dependence from developed countries. Examples are India, China, Mexico, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Indonesia, Congo, Angola, Ethiopia.

Developing countries- countries with a predominance of non-market forms of management and a gross domestic product per inhabitant of less than 6 thousand dollars a year.

Many economists refer to developing countries as "newly industrialized countries", as well as former socialist countries (for example, Russia, Russia, Ukraine).

In international practice, another division is often used: according to the degree of approximation to a market economy. There are countries with a developed market economy (for example, the USA, Great Britain, Germany), with an emerging market economy (for example, Greece, Portugal, South Korea), with a transitional economy (for example, Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, Russia).

According to the UN classification, countries with developed market economies include:
- USA, Canada (in North America);
- Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxburg, Great Britain, Iceland, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Norway, Switzerland (in Europe);
- Israel, Japan (in Asia);
- South Africa (in Africa);
- Australia, New Zealand (in Oceania).

Sometimes there is a typology in which the countries are divided > s industrial (industrial) and agrarian (agricultural). The highly developed countries are industrial, the underdeveloped countries are agrarian.

The division of the countries of the world is in in constant motion: one group die off, others - are formed. For example, among the different countries, the group that united the dietary countries ceased to exist. A new group of countries with social economies (sometimes called socially oriented market countries) is emerging. Among the developing countries in recent years, a special group stands out - highly profitable oil exporting countries (for example, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates).