Economic development goes beyond just measuring GDP growth—it involves assessing a country’s overall quality of life, social progress, and long-term economic sustainability. While some nations have experienced rapid economic expansion, others struggle with poverty, inequality, and institutional challenges that slow their progress. Understanding how economic development is measured is crucial for evaluating a country’s well-being and identifying the policies that drive sustainable growth. This project challenges students to research how economic development is measured, compare different countries' development levels, and analyze the factors that influence long-term progress.

Students will begin by exploring key economic development indicators, including Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Human Development Index (HDI), Gini coefficient (income inequality), access to healthcare and education, and infrastructure quality. They will examine why GDP alone is not a sufficient measure of development and how alternative indicators provide a more comprehensive understanding of a country's economic health.

A major part of this project will involve comparing countries at different stages of development. Students should select a high-income country, a middle-income country, and a low-income country, analyzing their economic indicators, income distribution, and social progress metrics. They should investigate what factors drive development in high-income nations, what challenges middle-income countries face in transitioning to wealthier economies, and what barriers keep low-income nations from growing.

Additionally, students should explore how governments and international organizations promote development through policies such as investment in education, infrastructure projects, foreign aid, and trade agreements. They will analyze whether these efforts lead to sustainable progress or if some development strategies create long-term dependency issues. The final report should summarize how economic development is measured, why it varies between countries, and what factors determine whether a country can sustain long-term progress. The goal of this project is for students to understand that development is not just about economic growth—it also involves social well-being, human capital, and structural improvements.