Developed country

A developed country, or advanced country, is a country with a high quality of life, a strong developed economy, and modern technology. To decide if a country is developed, people look at things like its gross domestic product (GDP), gross national product (GNP), and per capita income. There is often discussion about which countries should be called developed.

Developed countries usually have economies based on services more than factories or farming. This is called a post-industrial economy, where the service sector creates more wealth than the industrial sector. These countries are different from developing countries, which are still building up their industries or rely mainly on farming. Some of the least advanced countries are called Least Developed Countries.

As of 2023, advanced economies were a big part of the world's total economy. They made up a large share of global GDP, showing how important these countries are.

Definition and criteria

A developed country is one that has a high quality of life, a strong economy, and advanced technology. We can measure this by looking at how much money each person in the country makes, called gross domestic product per capita. We can also look at how much of the country's work is done in services and high-tech industries, known as industrialisation.

People now often use the Human Development Index. This looks at not just money but also how long people live and how much education they have. This helps show which countries are doing very well. However, this way of measuring doesn’t always include everything.

Economy lists by various criteria

Human Development Index (HDI)

Main articles: Human Development Index and List of countries by Human Development Index

The UN HDI measures how well a country supports people's education and health, not just money. Since 1990, countries like Norway, Japan, Canada, and Iceland have often been leaders in human development.

In 2023, several countries were listed as having "very high human development." This means they provide strong education and healthcare services.

WESP developed economies

According to the United Nations, 37 countries are classified as developed economies as of January 2026. These include many countries in Europe, such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, and others, along with Canada and the United States in North America, and Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand in Asia and the Pacific.

World Bank high-income economies

The World Bank lists countries and territories as high-income economies if their national income per person is above a certain level. This includes places like Andorra, Australia, Austria, and many others across different regions.

Development Assistance Committee members

The Development Assistance Committee includes major donor countries that discuss aid to developing countries. Members include Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, United States, and others.

IMF advanced economies

The International Monetary Fund lists 42 countries and territories as advanced economies. These include many European nations like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and others, as well as Australia, Canada, Israel, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, United States, and New Zealand.

Paris Club members

The Paris Club is a group of major creditor countries that help solve payment problems for countries that owe money. Members include Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

UNIDO high-income industrial economies

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization lists 48 countries and territories as high-income industrial economies. These countries have strong manufacturing sectors and include many in Europe like Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.

Additionally, countries in Asia such as Bahrain, Taiwan, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore; in North America like Canada, Puerto Rico, and United States of America; in Oceania like Australia, Nauru, and New Zealand; and in South America like Chile and Uruguay are also included.

Comparative table (2025)

The table shows countries that are considered very developed. These groups include the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. These countries usually have good living standards, strong economies, and advanced technology. The table lists when each country joined these groups.

Main article: List of countries by Human Development Index