Edexcel GCSE Geography B (1GB0) · Global Development
Mini-Lesson
Global Development
This mini-lesson covers Development Dynamics: how we measure development, the development gap and its causes, how one emerging country (India) is developing, and how aid and trade can reduce global inequality.
Work through each screen, answer the questions as you go (multiple-choice, numeric, short-answer and games) and collect ⭐ stars. Press Start.
Measuring development
How we measure development
Development means how economically and socially advanced a country is. We measure it with indicators:
GNI per capita — average income per person (an economic measure of wealth).
Life expectancy, literacy rate, infant mortality — social measures of health and education.
HDI (Human Development Index) — a combined score (0–1) using income, life expectancy and education. A high HDI is closer to 1.
Why use HDI? A single economic figure like GNI can hide inequality. HDI is better because it combines wealth, health and education into one measure of quality of life.
Match it
Match the indicator to what it measures
Tap an indicator on the left, then tap what it measures on the right.
Uneven development
The development gap
The development gap is the difference in wealth and wellbeing between the richest and poorest countries. Development is uneven at every scale — between and within countries. Causes include:
Physical — poor climate, natural hazards, being landlocked or lacking resources.
Historical — colonialism extracted wealth and left weak economies dependent on raw exports.
Economic — debt, unfair trade, and reliance on low-value primary products.
Quick check
Why the gap exists
?Why does relying on exporting primary products (like raw crops or minerals) often keep a country's income low?
Emerging country: India
Case study: India's development
India is a fast-growing emerging economy with over 1.4 billion people. Its development has been driven by:
Globalisation & TNCs — transnational companies invest in India for its large, skilled, lower-cost workforce.
Growing industry & services — a booming IT and outsourcing sector (e.g. Bangalore) and manufacturing.
Rising HDI — life expectancy and literacy have risen as incomes grow.
But uneven: development is concentrated in cities and the south/west; many rural areas and the poorest states remain far behind — the gap has grown within India too.
Number check
Reading the data
🔢A country's HDI rose from 0.55 to 0.68 over 20 years. By how much did its HDI increase? (Give the answer to 2 decimal places.)
(HDI)
Increase = later HDI − earlier HDI.
Reducing the gap
Aid and trade
Two big ways to reduce the development gap:
Aid — help given by richer countries/charities. It can be bilateral (country to country), multilateral (via bodies like the UN/World Bank) or NGO/charity aid. Short-term emergency aid saves lives after disasters; long-term development aid builds schools, wells and skills.
Trade — earning income by selling goods. Fair trade guarantees producers a fair price; developing manufacturing and services (rather than just raw exports) adds more value.
Debate: aid can help, but critics say it can create dependency or be lost to corruption. Many argue "trade not aid" — building a country's own economy — is more sustainable.
Quick check
What kind of aid?
?After a major earthquake, a country is sent tents, clean water and medical teams. What type of aid is this?
Sort it
Aid or trade?
Tap an example, then tap the box it belongs in.
🤝 Aid
💱 Trade
Explain it
Your turn — reducing the gap
✎Explain how fair trade can help reduce the development gap for producers in a developing country.
Model answer
Fair trade guarantees farmers and workers a fair, stable price for their goods, above the volatile world market price.
This gives them a more reliable, higher income they can plan around.
A fair-trade premium is also invested in the community (schools, clean water), improving quality of life and slowly narrowing the development gap.
Recap
The key ideas to know
Measuring development: GNI per capita (economic), life expectancy/literacy (social), HDI (combined 0–1).
Development gap: uneven wealth & wellbeing; causes physical, historical (colonialism) and economic.
Emerging country (India): 1.4bn people; growth from TNCs, IT & services; rising HDI but very uneven.
Aid: bilateral, multilateral, NGO; short-term emergency vs long-term development.
Trade: fair trade & adding value; "trade not aid" for sustainable growth.
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