5.1 - Living Standards Flashcards
What is the Human Development Index?
An indicator of development produced by the UN accounting for GDP per head, life expectancy and education.
What are the reasons why HDI is not a good measure of living standards?
It still does not consider all factors that influences living standards like distribution of income and environmental factors
It is produced by a reputable body, the UN
The weightings may not reflect the relative contribution of indicators of living standards like some may argue life expectancy should be given a greater weighing than GDP
What are the reasons why HDI is a good measure of living standards?
It is a wider measure than GDP per head as it covers 3 important influences on standards of living
It is produced by a reputable body, the UN
What does HDI take into account?
Health, as measured by the life expectancy at birth e.g.in 2019 it was 81.2 years in the UK
Education, as measured by a combination of the mean years of schooling that 25 year olds have received, together with the expected years of schooling for a pre-school child
Income, as measured by the real GDP
What are the reasons for the difference in living standards for different countries?
Over - dependence on agriculture to provide jobs and incomes
. More people in less developed economies work in farming than industry and services compared to developed nations. Many produce only enough food for themselves and their families to live on and little surplus.
Inflation - When developing nations try to grow their economy and improve standards of living risk of high levels of inflation. Tends to impact poorer households more as any increase in general price levels represents a large value of their wages compared to wealthier households
Insufficient investment in education, skills and healthcare - Many people in less developed countries do not have access to basic education training and healthcare help them become healthier more productive workers. Wages received by workers influenced by their skills qualifications and number of house they work.
Low levels of investment in infrastructure - Road, rail and cmmunicatio network are poor in man less developed countries makes travel and access to rural areas sharing of info difficult suffer from factor immobility.
What does rising living standards suggest about incomes?
Why are improved education and healthcare associated with rising living standards important?
What are the problem with concepts of living standards?
How might raising living standards be achieved and what are the conflicts?
