Throughout the world, there is a dramatic difference in the wealth of nations. Twenty eight percent of the entire worlds population controls eighty percent of the worlds wealth, leaving the remaining twenty percent of wealth to be divided among the remaining seventy two percent of the population. Since the wealth of a nation is comprised of several different aspects, it can be determined why certain nations in the world have larger amounts of wealth than other nations. The amount of wealth of a country differs diversely along with birthrate, life expectancy as well as income.
Each of the factors greatly contributes to the gross national product per capita and the wealth of the nation in general. Per capita wealth is a measure of the gross national product of a country divided amongst all of the population, those who do not work included. Countries with high populations, but with low gross national product have smaller per capita wealth than a country with the same gross national product, but a lower population would have. Unfortunately, it is most often the countries known as ‘third world’ who have some of the lowest per capita wealth in the world.
Population increases and a standstill in gross national product would lead to a lower per capita wealth, while a zero population growth and increase, or even a standstill in gross national product would lead to a higher per capita wealth, which in many of the developing countries, would be a great thing, allowing some hopefully to leave the constant threat of extreme poverty, in which they constantly face life. The birth rate of countries is another factor which influences the wealth of a nation. Countries with higher birth rate are most often countries that have limited medical care, and high populations. When a country has limited medical care, more people die from diseases that are easily cured in richer nations. Epidemics spread rapidly, knocking out families as well as entire villages.
More children are born because with the ease in which they die, it is necessary for more support in the home. In Afghanistan, where there is extreme and bitter poverty, the average number of children born to a woman is almost seven. In the United States and Japan, the birthrate is at if not lower than zero population growth. In these countries there would be a decrease in population leading to more wealth per capita, but in countries with increasing population and quite often decreasing gross nation product, the per capita income would decrease even more from the already pathetic point. Cultures that are more agrarian in nature can been seen as have higher birthrates than nations that are more industrialized. The reason being is that, when there are more bodies, more work can be done leading to an increase in any profit that might be made, Parents can also look forward to being supported by at least one of their children when they are too old to work and need to be cared for.
Often the peoples of these low-income nations do not realize the complications of large families. With a large number of children, there is a tremendous amount of food needed even to just keep the children alive and in many of the countries, when daughters are sent off to be married, a dowry is expected. Families might not be able to establish a ‘decent’ dowry with an extraordinarily limited income and six or seven mouths to feed as well. When there is an increase in life expectancy, the population increases as well, because as people are growing older and older, not dying, and more and more children are being born.
The average life expectancy in The United States is seventy six years. The United States is also one of the most advanced countries in the world. Advanced, of course referring to all of the technological, agricultural and medical abilities that can be demonstrated, and more importantly practiced due to the high wealth of the nation. There is a high per capita wealth, low to average birth rate, and one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
Advanced medical care makes this possible, and a large per capita wealth makes the experimentation as well as actual procedures possible. In the Congo, for example, the country is developing, if not third world and the average life expectancy is forty four, an age at which in more developed countries, people are at the mid point of life expectancy. This country also, does not have any semblance of health care as people in developed countries know. The startling trends of low gross national product per capita, high birth rate, and low average life expectancy all show why there is such a frightening difference between nations wealth around the globe.
Wealthy countries, such as the United States, Sweden and Japan are industrialized, and have strong stable governments. Beyond the fact that countries in Africa, Asia and Europe can not be industrialized or have a lack of resources, is another key reason for the difference in wealth, political stability. The countries formerly part of the Soviet Union are young and have developing governments. African governments have never been stable.