Developed country

A developed country, or advanced country, is a country that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure compared to other less industrialized nations. To decide if a country is developed, people often look at things like its gross domestic product (GDP), gross national product (GNP), per capita income, how much industry it has, and the standard of living for its people. However, there is often debate about which criteria to use and which countries should be called developed.

Developed countries usually have economies based more on services than on 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 working on building up their industries or may mainly rely on farming. Some of the least advanced countries are called Least Developed Countries.

As of 2023, advanced economies made up a large part of the world's total economy. They accounted for 57.3% of global GDP when looking at simple money values and 41.1% when considering the cost of living and production, according to the IMF. This shows just how important these countries are in the global economy.

Definition and criteria

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

Recently, people have started using the Human Development Index, which 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, like the total wealth or how good the things people buy are in a country.

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 is a measure that shows how well an economy supports people's education and health, not just income. Since 1990, countries like Norway, Japan, Canada, and Iceland have often led in human development.

In 2023, several countries were listed as having "very high human development," meaning 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 based on several groups like 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