4.8.1—Multidimensional development
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2022
- Objective
- 4.8.1
- Level
- HL
Development is multidimensional, not one number
Development is multidimensional, not one number.
Development includes material living standards, health, education, security, agency and environmental conditions; the chosen dimensions reflect a value judgement as well as data.
Example
A country can have rising income while life expectancy stalls and pollution worsens, so income alone cannot settle whether development improved.
List the dimension being measured before comparing countries or years, then identify whose experience may be hidden.
A broad definition does not mean every indicator is equally reliable or equally weighted.