Developed nations

A developed country, or advanced country, is a country that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations. Most commonly, the criteria for evaluating the degree of economic development are the gross domestic product (GDP), gross national product (GNP), the per capita income, level of industrialization, amount of widespread infrastructure and general standard of living. Which criteria are to be used and which countries can be classified as being developed are subjects of debate. Different definitions of developed countries are provided by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; moreover, HDI ranking is used to reflect the composite index of life expectancy, education, and income per capita. In 2025, 40 countries fit all three criteria, while an additional 22 countries fit two out of three.

  Developed countries (IMF)

  Developing countries (IMF)

  Least developed countries (UN)

  Data unavailable

World map showing country classifications per the IMF and the UN (last updated April 2023). "Developed economies" according to this classification scheme are shown in blue. The map does not include classifications by the World Bank.

Developed countries have generally more advanced post-industrial economies, meaning the service sector provides more wealth than the industrial sector. They are contrasted with developing countries, which are in the process of industrialisation or are pre-industrial and almost entirely agrarian, some of which might fall into the category of Least Developed Countries. As of 2023^[update], advanced economies comprise 57.3% of global GDP based on nominal values and 41.1% of global GDP based on purchasing-power parity (PPP) according to the IMF.

Definition and criteria

Economic criteria have tended to dominate discussions. One such criterion is the income per capita; countries with the high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita would thus be described as developed countries. Another economic criterion is industrialisation; countries in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors of industry dominate would thus be described as developed. More recently, another measure, the Human Development Index (HDI), which combines an economic measure, national income, with other measures, indices for life expectancy and education has become prominent. This criterion would define developed countries as those with a very high (HDI) rating. The index, however, does not take into account several factors, such as the net wealth per capita or the relative quality of goods in a country. This situation tends to lower the ranking of some of the most advanced countries, such as the G7 members and others.

According to the United Nations Statistics Division:

There is no established convention for the designation of "developed" and "developing" countries or areas in the United Nations system.

And it notes that:

The designations "developed" and "developing" are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process.

Nevertheless, the UN Trade and Development considers that this categorization can continue to be applied:

The developed economies broadly comprise Northern America and Europe, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

Similar terms

Terms linked to the concept developed country include "advanced country", "industrialized country", "more developed country" (MDC), "more economically developed country" (MEDC), "Global North country", "first world country", and "post-industrial country". The term industrialized country may be somewhat ambiguous, as industrialisation is an ongoing process that is hard to define. The first industrialized country was the United Kingdom, followed by Belgium. Later it spread further to Germany, United States, France and other Western European countries. According to some economists such as Jeffrey Sachs, however, the current divide between the developed and developing world is largely a phenomenon of the 20th century.

Mathis Wackernagel calls the binary labeling of countries as "neither descriptive nor explanatory. It is merely a thoughtless and destructive endorsement of GDP fetish. In reality, there are not two types of countries, but over 200 countries, all faced with the same laws of nature, yet each with unique features."

A 2021 analysis proposes the term emerged to describe markets, economies, or countries that have graduated from emerging market status, but have not yet reached the level equivalent to developed countries. Multinational corporations from these emerging markets present unique patterns of overseas expansion and knowledge acquisition from foreign countries.

Economy lists by various criteria

Human Development Index (HDI)

The world map representing Human Development Index categories (based on 2023 data, published in 2025)

•   Very high
•   High
•   Medium
•   Low
•   No data

World map of countries or territories by Human Development Index scores in increments of 0.050 (based on 2023 data, published in 2025)

•   ≥ 0.950
•   0.900–0.950
•   0.850–0.899
•   0.800–0.849
•   0.750–0.799
•   0.700–0.749
•   0.650–0.699
•   0.600–0.649
•   0.550–0.599
•   0.500–0.549
•   0.450–0.499
•   0.400–0.449
•   ≤ 0.399
•   Data unavailable

The UN HDI is a statistical measure that gauges an economy's level of human development. While there is a strong correlation between having a high HDI score and being a prosperous economy, the UN points out that the HDI accounts for more than income or productivity. Unlike GDP per capita or per capita income, the HDI takes into account how income is turned "into education and health opportunities and therefore into higher levels of human development."

Since 1990, Norway (2001–2006, 2009–2019), Japan (1990–1991 and 1993), Canada (1992 and 1994–2000) and Iceland (2007–2008) have had the highest HDI score.

The following countries in the year 2023 are considered to be of "very high human development":

Human Development Index by country

Rank	Δ	Country or territory	HDI value	% annual growth (2010–2023)
1	2	Iceland	0.972	0.28%
2	(1)	Norway	0.970	0.25%
		Switzerland		0.24%
4	(2)	Denmark	0.962	0.35%
5	(1)	Germany	0.959	0.19%
		Sweden		0.38%
7	(1)	Australia	0.958	0.20%
8	(2)	Netherlands	0.955	0.26%
	(1)	Hong Kong		0.38%
10	(3)	Belgium	0.951	0.26%
11	(4)	Ireland	0.949	0.38%
12	(4)	Finland	0.948	0.27%
13	(2)	Singapore	0.946	0.25%
	(2)	United Kingdom		0.24%
15	(27)	United Arab Emirates	0.940	1.04%
16	(2)	Canada	0.939	0.22%
17	(1)	Liechtenstein	0.938	0.23%
	(5)	New Zealand		0.13%
		United States		0.10%
20	(1)	South Korea	0.937	0.36%
21	(2)	Slovenia	0.931	0.33%
22	(3)	Austria	0.930	0.21%
23	(3)	Japan	0.925	0.16%
24	(5)	Malta	0.924	0.50%
25	(3)	Luxembourg	0.922	0.14%
26	(1)	France	0.920	0.28%
27	(3)	Israel	0.919	0.26%
28		Spain	0.918	0.40%
29	(3)	Czech Republic	0.915	0.22%
	(1)	Italy		0.24%
	(2)	San Marino		0.32%
32	(3)	Cyprus	0.913	0.45%
	(1)	Andorra		0.20%
34	(3)	Greece	0.908	0.18%
35	(1)	Poland	0.906	0.35%
36	(5)	Estonia	0.905	0.33%
37	(9)	Saudi Arabia	0.900	0.70%
38	(1)	Bahrain	0.899	0.80%
39	(4)	Lithuania	0.895	0.32%
40	(2)	Portugal	0.890	0.42%
41	(4)	Latvia	0.889	0.51%
	(1)	Croatia		0.53%
43	(4)	Qatar	0.886	0.45%
44	(6)	Slovakia	0.880	0.14%
45	(1)	Chile	0.878	0.47%
46	(1)	Hungary	0.870	0.22%
47	(7)	Argentina	0.865	0.15%
48		Montenegro	0.862	0.38%
	(13)	Uruguay		0.47%
50	(1)	Oman	0.858	0.22%
51	(7)	Turkey	0.853	1.10%
52	(1)	Kuwait	0.852	0.36%
53	(5)	Antigua and Barbuda	0.851	0.18%
54	(5)	Seychelles	0.848	0.30%
55	(1)	Bulgaria	0.845	0.09%
	(2)	Romania		0.14%
57	(6)	Georgia	0.844	0.54%
58	(4)	Saint Kitts and Nevis	0.840	0.49%
59	(6)	Panama	0.839	0.47%
60	(12)	Brunei	0.837	0.13%
	(1)	Kazakhstan		0.38%
62	(3)	Costa Rica	0.833	0.39%
	(5)	Serbia		0.39%
64	(12)	Russia	0.832	0.25%
65	(10)	Belarus	0.824	0.12%
66	(3)	Bahamas	0.820	0.21%
67	(2)	Malaysia	0.819	0.41%
68	(4)	North Macedonia	0.815	0.21%
69	(9)	Barbados	0.811	0.18%
		Armenia		0.52%
71		Albania	0.810	0.25%
72	(10)	Trinidad and Tobago	0.807	0.30%
73		Mauritius	0.806	0.44%
74	(7)	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.804	0.68%

WESP developed economies

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs' World Economic Situation and Prospects report, the following 37 countries are classified as "developed economies" as of January 2025:

31 countries in Europe:

•  Austria
•  Belgium
•  Bulgaria
•  Croatia
•  Cyprus
•  Czech Republic
•  Denmark
•  Estonia
•  Finland
•  France
•  Germany
•  Greece
•  Hungary
•  Iceland
•  Ireland
•  Italy
•  Latvia
•  Lithuania
•  Luxembourg
•  Malta
•  Netherlands
•  Norway
•  Poland
•  Portugal
•  Romania
•  Slovakia
•  Slovenia
•  Spain
•  Sweden
•   Switzerland
•  United Kingdom

two countries in North America:

•  Canada
•  United States

four countries in Asia and the Pacific:

•  Australia
•  Japan
•  South Korea
•  New Zealand

World Bank high-income economies

High-income economies of the world as classified by the World Bank, 2023.

According to the World Bank, the following sovereign states and territories across are classified as high-income economies, having a nominal GNI per capita in excess of $13,935. as of the 2025 fiscal year:

Non-sovereign Territories are denoted by an asterisk (*).

• American Samoa*
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba*
• Australia
• Austria
• The Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Bermuda*
• British Virgin Islands*
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Cayman Islands*
• Channel Islands*
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Curaçao*
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Faroe Islands*
• Finland
• France
• French Polynesia*
• Germany
• Gibraltar*
• Greece
• Greenland*
• Guam*
• Guyana
• Hong Kong*
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Isle of Man*
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• South Korea
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau*
• Malta
• Monaco
• Nauru
• Netherlands
• New Caledonia*
• New Zealand
• Northern Mariana Islands*
• Norway
• Oman
• Palau
• Panama
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico*
• Qatar
• Romania
• Russia
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Sint Maarten*
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Martin*
• Sweden
•  Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands*
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay
• United States Virgin Islands*

Development Assistance Committee members

Member nations of the Development Assistance Committee

There are 32 OECD member countries and the European Union—in the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), a group of the world's major donor countries that discusses issues surrounding development aid and poverty reduction in developing countries. The following OECD member countries are DAC members:

26 countries in Europe:

•  Austria
•  Belgium
•  Czech Republic
•  Denmark
•  Estonia
•  Finland
•  France
•  Germany
•  Greece
•  Hungary
•  Iceland
•  Ireland
•  Italy
•  Latvia
•  Lithuania
•  Luxembourg
•  Netherlands
•  Norway
•  Poland
•  Portugal
•  Slovakia
•  Slovenia
•  Spain
•  Sweden
•   Switzerland
•  United Kingdom

two countries in the Americas:

•  Canada
•  United States

two countries in Asia:

•  Japan
•  South Korea

two countries in Oceania:

•  Australia
•  New Zealand

IMF advanced economies

  Countries described as Advanced Economies by the IMF

According to the International Monetary Fund, 41 countries and territories are officially listed as "advanced economies", with the addition of 7 microstates and dependencies modified by the CIA which were omitted from the IMF version:

29 countries and dependencies in Europe classified by the IMF, 6 others given by the CIA:

•  Andorra
•  Austria
•  Belgium
•  Croatia
•  Cyprus
•  Czech Republic
•  Denmark
•  Estonia
•  Finland
•  France
•  Germany
•  Greece
•  Iceland
•  Ireland
•  Italy
•  Latvia
•  Lithuania
•  Luxembourg
•  Malta
•  Netherlands
•  Norway
•  Portugal
•  San Marino
•  Slovakia
•  Slovenia
•  Spain
•  Sweden
•   Switzerland
•  United Kingdom

Plus^d

•  Faroe Islands
•  Guernsey
•  Holy See
•  Jersey
•  Liechtenstein
•  Monaco

seven countries and territories in Asia:

•  Hong Kong
•  Israel
•  Japan
•  South Korea
•  Macau
•  Singapore
•  Taiwan

three countries and territories in the Americas classified by the IMF, one territory given by the CIA :

•  Canada
•  Puerto Rico
•  United States
•  Bermuda ^d

two countries in Oceania:

•  Australia
•  New Zealand

^d The CIA has modified an older version of the IMF's list of 38 Advanced Economies, noting that the IMF's Advanced Economies list "would presumably also cover the following nine smaller countries of Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Holy See, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino[...]". San Marino (2012) and Andorra (2021) were later included in the IMF's list.

Paris Club members

Permanent members of the Paris Club

There are 22 permanent members in the Paris Club (French: Club de Paris), a group of officials from major creditor countries whose role is to find coordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries.

15 countries in Europe:

•  Austria
•  Belgium
•  Denmark
•  Finland
•  France
•  Germany
•  Ireland
•  Italy
•  Netherlands
•  Norway
•  Russia
•  Spain
•  Sweden
•   Switzerland
•  United Kingdom

three countries in the Americas:

•  Brazil
•  Canada
•  United States

three countries in Asia:

•  Israel
•  Japan
•  South Korea

one country in Oceania:

•  Australia

Comparative table (2025)

A comparison among the developed countries in the world

Comparative table of countries with a "very high" human development (0.800 or higher), according to UNDP; "advanced" economies, according to the IMF; "high-income" economies, according to the World Bank.

Developed countries
Countries	HDI	IMF	WB
2023
Croatia	Yes since 2007	Yes since 2023	Yes since 2017
2021
San Marino	Yes since 2021	Yes since 2012	Yes since 2000
2020
Andorra	Yes since 2003	Yes since 2020	Yes since 1990
2015
Lithuania	Yes since 2005	Yes since 2015	Yes since 2012
2014
Latvia	Yes since 2005	Yes since 2014	Yes since 2012
2011
Estonia	Yes since 2003	Yes since 2011	Yes since 2006
2009
Slovakia	Yes since 2006	Yes since 2009	Yes since 2007
Czech Republic	Yes since 2001	Yes since 2009	Yes since 2006
2008
Malta	Yes since 2003	Yes since 2008	Yes since 2002
Liechtenstein	Yes since 2000	Yes since 2008	Yes since 1990
Monaco	Yes before 1990	Yes since 2008	Yes before 1990
2007
Slovenia	Yes since 1998	Yes since 2007	Yes since 1997
2005
Portugal	Yes since 2005	Yes since 1989	Yes since 1994
2001
Greece	Yes since 2001	Yes since 1989	Yes since 1996
South Korea	Yes since 1999	Yes since 1997	Yes since 2001
Cyprus	Yes since 2001	Yes since 2001	Yes since 1988
1999
Singapore	Yes since 1999	Yes since 1997	Yes since 1987
1997
Israel	Yes since 1991	Yes since 1997	Yes since 1987
Taiwan	N/A	Yes since 1997	Yes since 1987
1996
Ireland	Yes since 1996	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
1995
Spain	Yes since 1995	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Italy	Yes since 1995	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
1994
Finland	Yes since 1994	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
1993
France	Yes since 1993	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
1992
United Kingdom	Yes since 1992	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Austria	Yes since 1992	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Luxembourg	Yes since 1992	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
1991
Denmark	Yes since 1991	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
1987
New Zealand	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Iceland	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Sweden	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Australia	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Belgium	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Canada	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Germany	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Japan	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Netherlands	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
United States	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Norway	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
Switzerland	Yes before 1990	Yes since 1945	Yes since 1987
In process
Countries	HDI	IMF	WB
Russia	Yes since 2013	No	Yes since 2023
Costa Rica	Yes since 2019	No	Yes since 2024
Uruguay	Yes since 2014	No	Yes since 2012
Chile	Yes since 2007	No	Yes since 2012
Trinidad and Tobago	Yes since 2021	No