The development of society in economic terms is a complex and multifaceted process, which includes serious structural changes in the economic situation of countries and reflects an improvement in the quality of life of people.
There is a classification of countries in the global economy, according to which there are developed countries (Sweden, Japan, USA, France, Germany, etc.), developing countries in the world economy (India, Brazil, etc.) and countries with economies in transition (Central and Eastern Europe, the former republics of the Union, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, etc.). These groups of countries in the global economy are characterized by common parameters and patterns of development.
The economic development of individual countries is rather difficult to measure; it does not proceed in a straight line along one line. It is characterized by unevenness, alternating periods of recessions and growth, qualitative changes and quantitative movements, positive and negative trends.
The appearance of different countries is affected by the features of their historical development. For example, a feature of the development of Latin America and Africa is their multistructure. It is she who accounts for the slow change in production relations, as a result of which one of the economic and social structures was superimposed on the other, new on the old.
Developing countries in the global economy today differ from those developed by the backwardness of their condition in the economic and social aspects. Their underdevelopment reflects the state of the economy, characterized by a low level of industrial development of economic relations.
This is determined by the indicators of GDP per capita, the very structure of GDP, the level of development of science, the state of technology, the quality and productivity of labor, etc.
Developing countries in the global economy are characterized by two aspects: the general historical (which is manifested in the lag of one type of social development from others) and modern (demonstrates the low level of development of countries at the present stage).
Developing countries in the global economy have common specific problems of the economy and social development, which require special approaches that are different from those used in industrialized countries.
Developing countries in the global economy also have specifics in foreign economic relations. Due to the low level of production and agrarian and raw material specialization, these countries are oriented towards the industrial states of the West. Hence the relations of economic subordination in relation to the latter. Such relations are characteristic of all kinds of ties that establish and maintain developing countries with developed ones in the economic, political or ideological sphere. The degree of subordination (dependence) changes with changes in the state of the international economy and the characteristics of the socio-economic development of these countries.
Developing countries, in fact, differ from the developed industrial and social structure of their entire society. They, as a rule, have not yet formed a strong and stable civil society and a strong desire to maintain the principles of the community.
The social structure of these countries was formed in the system of different civilizations and differs in socio-cultural content.
Developing countries today occupy a modest place in world production. They account for only about 18% of total world GDP and about 13.6% of industrial world production. Most of these countries are rich in human and natural resources.
In terms of per capita GNP, developing countries are divided into countries with high (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore), middle (Africa) and low (Tropical Africa) incomes.