The Life Expectancy Gap
The difference in life expectancy between the highest and lowest countries (2022). Japan leads at 84.0 years. The floor is around 53-54 years (Nigeria, Somalia, Chad).
The Numbers Behind the World's Development Divide
World development divide by country
GDP Per Capita Ratio (Richest vs Poorest)
The ratio between the richest and poorest country by GDP per capita (IMF 2024). Liechtenstein at ~$211K vs South Sudan at ~$301. The richest country has roughly 700x the income per person of the poorest.
700
Countries Where 1 in 20+ Infants Die
Number of countries where infant mortality exceeds 50 per 1,000 live births (meaning more than 1 in 20 babies die before age 1). The global average is around 20 per 1,000. These are the countries where childbirth remains a life-or-death event.
14
Life Expectancy vs. GDP Per Capita (2022)
Each dot is a country. The classic development chart (the "Preston Curve"). Wealthy countries cluster in the top right (high income, long lives). Sub-Saharan African nations dominate the bottom left
Life Expectancy Trajectories (2000-2022)
How life expectancy has changed over two decades for 8 representative countries.
Countries with the Lowest Internet Access (2022, Bottom 20)
Percentage of population using the internet. Burundi (11%), Uganda (11.1%), and Chad (12.5%) have the lowest rates. The global average of 71% provides a benchmark. These numbers define which populations can participate in the digital economy and which cannot.
Extreme Poverty: Countries Where the Majority Lives on Under $2.15/Day
Percentage of population living below $2.15/day (the World Bank's international poverty line).
Electrification Progress: Who Is Catching Up? (2000-2022)
Electricity access over two decades for six developing countries. Some have made dramatic progress (Kenya, India, Bangladesh); others remain stuck. This chart shows that infrastructure gaps are not permanent, but closing them requires sustained investment.
Maternal Mortality and Infant Mortality: The Double Burden
Deaths per 100,000 live births from pregnancy-related causes (2020 WHO/World Bank estimates), with infant mortality (2022)
Development Scorecard (2022)
A side-by-side comparison of 20 selected countries across six development dimensions. Ordered by GDP per capita (richest to poorest). The expanded scorecard adds electricity access (2022) and maternal mortality (2020, latest WHO estimates) to the original four metrics. Countries that score worst on one dimension almost always score worst on all six.