more economically developed country

A country with high levels of economic development. Indicators of development include low birth, death, and infant mortality rates (characteristically around 10; around 10; and under 12 per thousand, respectively); less than 10% of the workforce in agriculture; and high levels of nutrition, secondary schooling, literacy, electricity consumption per head, and GDP per capita—generally above $US20 000 per capita. See also advanced economy, human development index, least developed country, less 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 richer nations as more civilized, and more rational.