ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

"development either becomes shared in common by every part of the world or it undergoes a process of regression even in zones marked by constant progress".John Paul II-Enc. Sollicitudo rei socialis 1988

Growth rates in developing countries are high, but it is not enough to reach industrial countries. World GDP per capita is 7804 PPP$ but there is a big gap between the richest and the poorest. The country with the highest income per capita (Luxembourg) has a GDP per capita of  61.190 PPP$ while the poorest one (Sierra Leone) has a GDP of only 520 PPP$ per person. Apart OECD countries, only a few get a GDPpc over the world average. The situation in Africa is even worse: 1.790 PPP$ per capita.

United Nations (data for 2002)

 United Nations

World population has experienced a great growth, but this growth has been much more important in countries with a low human development index, where population in 2002 was more than twice the population in 1975. Meanwhile, population growth in high HDI countries (24%) has been under the world average. (53%)

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION:
   HIGH HDI:      1201 million people
   MEDIUM HDI:  4165 million people
   LOW HDI:     756 million people