less economically developed country

A country with low levels of economic development. Indicators of lack of development include high birth, death, and infant mortality rates (characteristically over 20; over 30; and over 50 per thousand, respectively); more than 50% of the workforce in agriculture; and with low levels of nutrition, secondary schooling, literacy, electricity consumption per head, and GDP per capita—generally below $US1000 per capita. See also human development Index, least developed country, more economically developed country.

The word ‘economically’ was included in this term some twenty years ago, in order to redress the perceptions of the peoples of financially poorer nations as uncivilized, irrational, ignorant, and unskilled.