Editing Economic development (section)

==Development indicators and indices==
There are various types of macroeconomic and sociocultural indicators or "metrics" used by [[economist]]s and [[geographer]]s to assess the relative economic advancement of a given region or nation. The [[World Bank]]'s "World Development Indicators" are compiled annually from officially recognized international sources and include national, regional and global estimates.<ref>{{Cite web|title=World Development Indicators |url=https://databank.worldbank.org/reports.aspx?source=world-development-indicators|access-date=2020-12-01|website=DataBank }}</ref>

===GDP per capita and real income===
{{Further|Real income}}
GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by mid-year population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidizes not included in the value of the products.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Callen|first=Tim|title=Gross Domestic Product: An Economy's All|url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/basics/gdp.htm|url-status=live|website=International Monetary Fund|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217075435/http://www.imf.org:80/external/pubs/ft/fandd/basics/gdp.htm |archive-date=2012-02-17 }}</ref> It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. [[Median income]] is related to [[Real income#Real gross national income per capita by country|real gross national income per capita]] and [[income distribution]].

===Modern transportation===
European [[development economist]]s have argued that the existence of modern transportation networks- such as [[high-speed rail]] infrastructure constitutes a significant indicator of a country's economic advancement: this perspective is illustrated notably through the [[Basic Rail Transportation Infrastructure Index]] (known as BRTI Index)<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.academia.edu/6494981| work= Revue Analyse Financière| location=Paris | title= Transportation Infrastructure and Country Attractiveness| first= M. Nicolas J.  | last= Firzli | date=September 2013 | access-date=26 April 2014}}</ref> and related models such as the (Modified) Rail Transportation Infrastructure Index (RTI).<ref>M. Nicolas J. Firzli : [https://www.academia.edu/10053563/2014_LTI_Rome_Conference_Infrastructure-Driven_Development_to_Conjure_Away_the_EU_Malaise  '2014 LTI Rome Conference: Infrastructure-Driven Development to Conjure Away the EU Malaise?', Revue Analyse Financière, Q1 2015 – Issue N°54]</ref>

=== Introduction of The GDI and GEM ===
In an effort to create an indicator that would help measure [[gender equality]], the United Nations has created two measures: the [[Gender Development Index|Gender-Related Development Index]] (GDI) and the [[Gender Empowerment Measure]] (GEM). These indicators were first introduced in the 1995 UNDP Human Development Report.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Human development report 1995|last=United Nations Development Programme|date=1995|publisher=Oxford University Press for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)|isbn=978-0-19-510023-5|location=New York|language=en|oclc=33420816|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/humandevelopment0000unse_v6k4}}</ref>

=== Other factors ===
Other factors include the [[inflation]] rate, [[investment]] level and [[national debt]], birth and death rates, [[life expectancy]], [[morbidity]], education levels (measured through [[literacy]] and [[numeracy]] rates), [[housing]], [[social services]] like [[hospital]]s, [[health facility|health facilities]], clean and safe [[drinking water]], schools (measured by the distance learners must travel to reach them), ability to use hard [[infrastructure]] (railways, roads, ports, airports, harbours, etc.), and [[telecommunications]] and other soft infrastructure like the [[Internet]].<ref name=Ngowi/>

=== Gender Empowerment Measure ===
{{main|Gender Empowerment Measure}}
The Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) focuses on aggregating various indicators that focus on capturing the economic, political, and professional gains made by women. The GEM is composed of just three variables: income earning power, share in professional and managerial jobs, and share of parliamentary seats.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Human development report 1995|last=United Nations Development Programme|date=1995|publisher=Oxford University Press for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)|isbn=978-0-19-510023-5|location=New York|language=en|oclc=33420816|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/humandevelopment0000unse_v6k4}}</ref>

==== Gender Development Index ====
{{main|Gender Development Index}}
The Gender Development Index (GDI) measures the gender gap in human development achievements. It takes the disparity between men and women into account through three variables, health, knowledge, and living standards.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/gender-development-index-gdi|title=Gender Development Index (GDI) {{!}} Human Development Reports|website=hdr.undp.org|access-date=2019-12-19|last1=Nations |first1=United }}</ref>