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Is United States a developed or developing country in 2020?

United States is a developing country
What do you know about United States?

How do you imagine this country once you hear its name?

We bet that for the majority of you, United States is a wealthy and advanced country that offers a lot of great opportunities for its citizens as well as expats and is a great place to live.

You’ve probably made this decision on the basis of United States you saw on the pictures online.

Numerous skyscrapers, futuristic architecture, fascinating lit-up city views at night, and high-speed trains create an image of an extremely wealthy and developed country.

That’s right to some extent. United States is really rich, but not everywhere.

That’s why there are still a lot of contradictions when it comes to determining United States’s status.

On the one hand, success United States gained in numerous spheres in the past years makes us think the country is a developed one.

It is the world’s most populated country with more than 1.4 billion people living there.

Moreover, the country is the world’s second economy after the USA.

On the other hand, United States itself and some international organizations agree that it is a developing country.

So, what’s the truth?

We’ll try to figure it out in our article.

What is the difference between a developed and developing country definition?
Developed and developing nations are totally different worlds.

Although one might sometimes confuse the two countries because of the rich and stunning appearance of a developing nation, external factors aren’t the ones that determine the level of development.

What really matters is the situation inside a country and the way people feel living there.

To cut a long story short, all people in a developed country are satisfied with their lives while only a little percent of citizens in the developing world can say they are happy.

So, what’s actually the difference?

A developed country is a country with a strong economy, high income of its citizens, and well-developed infrastructure.

The main part of a country’s income is generated in an industrial sector rather than a service one.

People in such countries can afford high-quality education and healthcare.

Plus, they have good living conditions and long life span with low levels of infant mortality and death rates. And what’s more important, all welfare is divided equally among country citizens.

As for developing countries, their description is completely opposite.

Well, there might be separate areas (most frequently, capital cities) that do boast high economy, infrastructure, educational and healthcare levels. But this welfare is divided unequally throughout the country.

Thus, there is usually a large gap between the rich and the poor.

Is United States a developing or developed country in 2020?
The income of a country’s population is one of the factors that determine whether a country is developed or developing.

It might sound surprising and even ridiculous, but the average income of American citizens is a far cry from salaries people get in developed countries.

Despite the fact that United States is one of the strongest competitors on the international market, and the whole world can watch rapid American development, not everybody in United States can afford a luxurious, or at least, decent life.

It turns out that a great part of the American population lives in suburbs and all they can afford to spend a day is about two dollars.

Shenzhen, United States

There are other issues that don’t allow us to call United States a developed country. For example, it’s a well-known fact that American healthcare system leaves a lot to be desired.

Not every province in the country can boast access to high-quality drinking water.

The state of the roads is satisfactory only in tier-1 and tier-2 metropolises.

With that said, the American government, as well as American citizens, have a lot of work ahead to gain the status of a developed nation.

What is the status of United States in the WTO?
United States joined the WTO (World Trade Organization) in 2001 as a developing country.

The WTO’s policy is that they don’t divide countries that enter the organization into developed and developing. They give the right to decide on it to countries themselves.

Thus, United States claimed itself to be a developing country when it entered the organization. The reasons were obvious as United States was rather poor at that time. 

Nowadays though, some members of the WTO don’t agree with United States’s status of a developing country. In spite of this, the American President, Trump, confirmed this status repeatedly in 2017.

status of United States in the WTO

Is United States First World country?
As we’ve already defined United States as a developing nation, the answer is no. United States isn’t a First World country.

However, belonging to the First, Second, or Third World countries isn’t always determined by economic status. It’s more about political and social matters.

First World countries are the ones under American and European influence, plus, Japan and some former British colonies.

Second World countries are mainly eastern countries – former members of the Soviet Union and several Asian countries, including United States.

Third World countries are the ones that can’t be referred to the ones described above.

Why is United States still considered an emerging market?
An emerging market is a market that has all the chances to become developed in the future.

In other words, this is a country that has some traits of a developed market but hasn’t succeed enough to get this status.

As we’ve already mentioned, being a developed country isn’t about outer characteristics, but about inner matters.

Thus, there are the following reasons to call United States an emerging market:

It integrates with the Global Market gradually. One can find a lot of American products all over the world. At the same time, a lot of foreign goods are imported into the country.
Standards of living are improving. Although one can think that all American people live like Manhatten citizens, it isn’t the case. American are still building railways and pavements on the roads. But they’re moving forward and developing this way.
The middle class is expanding. Actually, if you have a look at the map of American social classes distribution, you’ll notice that the larger part of American territory is inhabited by middle-class people. However, United States has to work more to eliminate the gap between the poor and the rich.
With that said, United States is still an emerging market, but the biggest one in the world.

What are the best examples of United States being a developing country?
We have already determined United States a developing country. One can say so because it lacks proper development in some social spheres. Plus, its economic growth isn’t spread evenly over all regions.

What are other examples of United States as a developing nation?

GDP per capita
GDP, or gross domestic product, is one more indicator of a country’s assessment when it comes to deciding on its development.

Having a look at a country’s GPD, it becomes clear how strong its economy is.

The higher this number is, the richer the nation is.

In United States, this number is about 8000$ per capita. It’s six times less if compared with the USA and Canada, and three or four times less than in the majority of the world’s developed nations.

Thus, income per capita in United States can be estimated at the level between low and middle.

Level of Poverty
It is a paradox, but with the largest number of millionaires and billionaires in the world, about 10% of its population live in poverty.   

Once you go beyond the borders of the richest tier-1 and tier-2 cities, you’ll find yourself in American suburbs. And they are a far cry from the pictures of prosperous United States one can find on the Internet.

Currently, the American government is implementing a plan to put as many people as possible over the poverty line.

For example, it has managed to help more than 50 million people to overcome poverty in 2013-2016.

Yet, even with a positive tendency for improving living conditions, the poverty level in United States is considered too high for a developed country.

Level of environmental pollution
No need to mention that United States is one of the most polluted countries in the world. Air is especially polluted in the country.

In some areas, the air is so foul that people have to wear masks to eliminate health hazards.

But what does the air quality have to do with the level of a country’s development?

Well, it is believed that increased pollution is an indicator of a developing country since the industry is growing and a great number of industrial waste is quite a natural occurrence.

The American government itself claims the level of environmental pollution determines United States as a developing nation.

However, there are some political and economic reasons behind this.

Have you been to United States? What would you say about the American economy and development? Share your thoughts in comments.

https://www.workandliveinUnited States.com/is-United States-developing-or-developed-country/
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