| Comparison between MEDC and LEDC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Development Indicators | MEDC | LEDC |
| Birth Rate | Low Less than 10 babies born per 1000 | High On an average 20-45 people born per 1000 people |
| Death Rate | Low due to good health care | High due to poor health care and widespread diseases |
| Natural increase of population | Low (below 1%) Many of the MEDCs have high elderly population causing shrinking population. | High 2-3.5% or more High youthful population. |
| Infant Mortality | The number of babies who don't survive to the age of 1 (infant) per 1,000 live births. Very low in MEDS. | A high proportion of children die before the age of 5 in LEDCs due to poor health care. WHO has estimated that around 14 children die per minute due to poor health care and lack of food in the world. |
| People per doctor | A majority of people in MEDCs have access to a doctor | Few people in LEDCs have access to a doctor unless they are wealthy |
| Life Expectancy | The average age that a person is expected to live from birth. Life expectancy is high in MEDCs due to good medical care and quality of life | Life expectancy is low in LEDCs due to poor medical care and quality of life |
| Housing | Housing in MEDCs is adequate for the majority of people. Most people have access to clean water and electricity | Housing in LEDCs is often inadequate with no access to clean running water or electricity |
| Literacy | The percentage of adults who can read and write with understanding. Literacy rates in MEDCs are high because a majority of children have access to a free education. | Literacy rates in LEDCs are low because people cannot afford to send their children to school and some areas may not even have schools due to a lack of teachers |
| GDP Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | High Is the total economic output of a country in a year. GDP per capita of the MEDC countries is more than 10000 dollars on an average. | Low GDP per capita of the LEDC countries are generally less than 10000 dollar. LDC country may have even less than 500 dollar GDP per capita. |
