1. What is considered a least developed country?

Least developed countries (LDCs) are those included on a United Nations list which possess the lowest socio-economic development indicators. In all least developed countries, the gross national income (GNI) per capita is below 1,018 US dollars; for comparison, according to World Bank data, it is almost 71,000 US dollars in the United States, 44,000 US dollars in France, 9,900 US dollars in Turkey, and 6,530 US dollars in South Africa.

These countries also have low scores regarding nutrition, health, school attendance, and literacy, as well as high scores for economic and environmental vulnerability, which are determined by factors such as remoteness, dependence on agriculture, and exposure to natural disasters.

There are currently 46 least developed countries listed, the majority of which are located in Africa. The list is reviewed every three years by the UN Economic and Social Council. Between 1994 and 2020, six countries graduated from least developed country status.