It is customary to classify developing countries as states that have recently freed themselves from colonial dependence. In this regard, they are forced to experience a number of unresolved economic, social and political problems. These states are also commonly called third world countries. They occupy more than half of all the land of the Earth, about 75% of the population of the entire planet lives on their territory.
Consisting of 130 countries, this group of states is heterogeneous. Due to constantly progressing political, social and economic processes, their internal situation is constantly changing. It is for this reason that it is very difficult to give an accurate classification to this group of states.
In the category of "developing countries" include Africa, Oceania, Latin America and Asia.
Brazil, India, Mexico, Iran and Argentina are leading countries. They have powerful economic, resource and human potential.
Countries that not so long ago (from the 70th of the 20th century) made a significant leap in the development of industry (due to the use of their labor opportunities and foreign investment), and within a rather short period of time became quite large manufacturers of engineering products, are called new industrial states. These are such developing countries of the world as Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore. This group also includes the states involved in oil production and its export. This includes Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, the UAE.
The so-called intermediate states, with average indicators, are the largest group among developing countries in terms of numbers. These include Chile, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Colombia, etc.
Developing countries include small island- type states that have significant recreational resources. They are characterized by high GDP, have a fairly large population and are the largest tourist centers.
Developing countries have common characteristics that make it possible to separate them into a separate group.
- The extent of poverty. Most of the third world countries are countries with a low standard of living, in which the income of the rich exceeds the material indicator of the poor by 7-10 times.
- Labor productivity. Developing countries have a fairly low rate in this category. The reason for this is that for efficient production in such states both foreign capital and a qualitative improvement in the education system, the transformation of ownership, the improvement of the banking system, tax and land reform, and the creation of a new non-corrupt administrative apparatus are necessary. In addition, it is important the attitude of workers to work and to improve their skills, as well as discipline, initiative, the ability to adapt to changes and attitude to power. It can be argued that low productivity in third world countries is caused mainly by non-competitiveness (emotional and physical) in the labor market.
- Population growth in these countries is high. 40% of residents of third world countries are children under 15 years old. For this reason, the cost of maintaining the disabled part of the population is several times higher than in developed countries.
- The unemployment rate is noted as high and rising.
- The economy of developing countries. In almost all countries, pre-industrial types of production are closely adjacent to the latest developments in the field of science and technology. As a result, there is an inharmonious development of the national economy. Increasingly, in order to accelerate the pace of economic growth , the state directly intervenes by implementing a policy of statism.