Ans. Development has traditionally meant achieving sustained rates of growth of per capita income to enable a nation to expand its output at a rate faster than the growth rate of its population. Levels and rates of growth of real per capita income (GNI) are then used to measure the overall economic well-being of a population. Since then the economic welfare was associated with the increase in the output of an economy with a period of time but it had been observed that many developed countries (according to this approach ) was lacking many other necessary aspects of development. They reached their economic growth targets but the standard of living was remained unchanged for the majority of population . It revealed that this approach is missing something. The approach was itself too narrow because rising inequitable incomes , absolute poverty and rising unemployment was common in these countries. Hence , economic growth was defined at such narrow view and policymakers introduced the new concept (New approach) of Economic Development . That's why it is said development must be conceived as a multi-dimensional process because it includes rise in the output in the economy as well as eradication of mass poverty with its correlates of illiteracy , disease and early death and finally alleviation of unemployment and income inequality .
Economic Growth is the aggregate increase in the production in an economy. Increase in the amount of physical capital goods in the economy , technological improvement , grow the labor force and increase in the human capital leads to increase in the economic growth.
Economic Development is far more extensive than economic growth . Apart from rise in output , it involves changes in composition of output as well as a shift in the allocation of productive resources so as to ensure social justice ."A development without growth is inconceivable . A sustainable rise in a country`s GNP is required before it can hope to expand its industries, financial institutions , trade , public utilities , and government administration."
Factors affecting Economic Development
- Low GNP per capita
- Scarcity of capital
- Rapid population growth and high dependency burden
- Low level of production
- Technological backwardness
- High level of Unemployment and Underemployment
- Lower level of human well-being
- Wide income inequalities
- High incidence of poverty
- Agrarian economy
- Lower participation in foreign trade
- Dependence

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