Lesson video

Hello and welcome.

My name is Ms. Harrison.

I'm so excited to be learning with you today.

Today's lesson is called "Changes in Wealth and Quality of Life Over Time." Grab everything you might need for today's lesson and let's begin our learning.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to analyse trends in development indicators over time.

Before we can begin this learning, we need to find the keywords that we'll be using throughout today's lesson.

The keywords are GDP per capita, economy, and GINI coefficient.

GDP per capita, this is the total monetary value of all the goods and services produced in the country over a year divided by the population.

Economy, this is the system of money, jobs, businesses, and trade that helps people live and work.

GINI coefficient, this is a measure of inequality on a scale between zero and one.

Now we've defined these keywords, we can begin our learning.

The first question we are going to explore in today's lesson is are people around the world becoming wealthier? Is the world getting wealthier? In simple terms, the answer is yes.

The world is getting wealthier.

The bar chart shows an increase in global GDP per capita, which means that on average, people around the world are producing and earning more money per person, even when adjusted for inflation.

This suggests that over time, economies have been growing, leading to a greater wealth overall.

Can you think of any problems with this analysis? Pause the video here whilst you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Yes, there are a few problems with this analysis.

While global GDP per capita may be increasing, it doesn't account for how wealth is distributed.

Some people may be getting richer or many others may not be seeing any improvement in their living standards.

An increase in GDP often leads to more resource consumption and environmental degradation.

This growth doesn't necessarily mean that the development is sustainable or that the planet's natural resources are being used responsibly.

GDP per capita focuses on economic output, not on the quality of life.

It doesn't measure factors like health, education, happiness, or work-life balance, which are essential for understanding how well people are actually living.

Many people work informal economies like street vendors or unregistered businesses, and their contributions aren't being captured in official GDP statistics.

This can lead to an underestimation of the true economic situation in some countries.

and also, this analysis doesn't consider cultural differences, societal wellbeing, or the social fabric of different countries.

These elements can play a crucial role in determining how prosperous and fulfilled people feel.

Even though the world is becoming wealthier, these increases in wealth aren't evenly distributed.

There are regional differences between countries.

Some regions and countries have seen significant economic growth while others have experienced little to no improvement.

For example, countries in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia like China and Japan have benefited from rapid economic growth and high GDP per capita.

In contrast, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia still struggle with poverty and lower GDP per capita.

There are also differences between people within countries.

Within countries, there can also be large disparities in wealth.

Even in wealthy countries, income inequality means that some people have access to more resources, better healthcare, and higher standards of living, while others face poverty and lack basic services.

In countries with growing economies, the gap between the rich and the poor can widen.

Meaning that economic progress does not always translate into improved living conditions for everyone.

These differences highlight that while global wealth is increasing, the benefits of this wealth are not always felt by all in all regions.

Which of these statements are correct? Is it A, the overall wealth of the world is increasing.

B, there are differences in wealth increases between countries, or C, all people around the world are becoming wealthier.

Pause the video here whilst you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

The answers are, A, the overall wealth of the world is increasing, and B, there are differences in wealth increases between countries.

This GIF shows changes in GDP per capita between 1990 and 2023.

I wonder, can you identify any areas of significant change? Pause the video here whilst you take a closer look and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

China is a good example of a rapidly growing economy.

Over the past few decades, China has experienced significant economic growth transforming from a largely agricultural society to an industrial and an technological powerhouse.

This has led to a substantial increase in its GDP per capita, lifting millions of people out of poverty and making China one of the largest economies in the world.

However, this growth has also brought challenges like income inequality and environmental concerns.

In contrast, Japan has remained constant at a relatively high GDP per capita.

Meaning its economic growth has been steady but not as rapid as some other countries.

Japan's economy is already highly developed, so its growth rate has slowed compared to emerging countries.

The changes in the map show A, China's economy has grown rapidly since 1990, B, China now has one of the highest GDP per capitas in the world, C, China has now overtaken Japan's GDP per capita.

Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

The answer is A, China's economy has grown rapidly since 1990.

Well done if you've got that correct.

As income in East Asian countries such as China, Thailand, South Korea has grown much faster than historically high income countries like the USA, France, and the UK, this has helped reduce the overall inequality between these countries.

China, for example, had a lower starting GDP per capita, but it has been rising rapidly due to significant economic reforms, industrialization, and export-driven growth.

As a result, the income gap between China and wealthier countries has narrowed considerably in recent decades.

On the other hand, the UK despite having a higher starting GDP per capita, has seen slower economic growth compared to these fast growing East Asian countries.

This slower growth rate has meant that the income gap between the UK and emerging economies has not narrowed as quickly.

And in some cases, it has remained relatively constant.

This shift in global income dynamics is helping to reduce the global inequality gap as countries with lower starting points are experiencing faster economic growth and raising the living standards of their populations.

However, many countries in Africa have not experienced significant economic growth.

For example, Niger has remained in the same economic category with little to no change in its GDP per capita over the years.

This lack of growth can be attributed to factors such as political instability, conflict, poor infrastructure, and limited access to education and healthcare, all of which hinder economic development.

Similarly, the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen fluctuating GDP per capita.

While the country has abundant natural resources, it has faced ongoing challenges such as political instability, corruption, and violent conflict, which has caused its economy to fluctuate and prevented sustained economic progress.

These examples show despite global trends of rising GDP in many countries, several African nations continue to struggle with economic stagnation or instability, leaving them behind in the global economic race.

The lack of consistent growth in these countries contributes to the persistence of poverty and inequality within the continents.

We can summarise economic growth by using three broad categories High income but slow growth.

So, this is countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.

Low income and low growth.

This is places within Africa, places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger.

Rapidly growing economies.

For example, China.

Which category does the UK economy fit into? Is it A, high income but slow growth, B, low income and low growth, or C, rapidly growing economies? Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is A, high income but slow growth.

Well done if you managed to identify that correctly.

The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality within a country ranging from zero to one.

A Gini coefficient of zero indicates perfect equality where everyone in the country has the same income while a Gini coefficient of one indicates maximum inequality where one person holds all the income and everyone else has none.

The Gini coefficient allows us to analyse how evenly or unevenly wealth is distributed across the population.

Countries with a high Gini coefficient have more unequal wealth distribution.

Meaning the gap between the rich and the poor is wider.

Conversely, countries with a low Gini coefficient tend to have more equal distribution of wealth.

By examining the Gini coefficient, we can gain insights into the levels of inequality within a country, helping policy makers understand the extent of wealth disparity and focus on measures to reduce poverty and improve social welfare.

What do you notice about how the Gini coefficient has changed between the two dates? The image on the left is from 1976 and the image on the right is from 2022.

Pause the video here whilst you have a look and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

The income inequality for many countries and regions has increased over time, which has shown in the changes in the Gini coefficient between 1976 and 2022.

The Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality ranged from zero, perfectly equal, to one, maximum inequality.

If we look at the images, we can observe that many countries, especially in developed regions, have seen their Gini coefficient rise from 1976 to 2022.

This suggests that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened in these countries.

For example, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom and others in Western Europe have experienced increasing inequality over the years with wealth becoming more concentrated in the hands of the richest.

On the other hand, some countries, particularly in East Asia or developing regions, have seen improvements of income inequality or a slower rate of increase in inequality thanks to economic growth and more inclusive policies.

In conclusion, the images on the Gini coefficient from 1976 to 2022 highlight a global trend of growing income inequality, particularly in wealthier countries, which reflect changes in economic structures, wages, and social policies over time.

I would like you to tick all the statements that are correct.

Pause the video here whilst you read through them and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

Before we go through the answers, we're going to attempt another task first.

I would like you to annotate the maps to show how two countries' wealth has changed over time since 1990.

I would like you to choose two contrasting examples.

You may need an atlas to help you identify these countries.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's go through our answers.

I asked you to tick all the statements that are correct.

As you can see, the world as a whole has become more wealthy since 1990 is correct.

Many high income countries have had quite low economic growth since 1990, and income inequality within countries has risen since 1976.

Well done if you managed to identify those correctly.

I then asked you to identify two contrasting examples.

We can see Niger is an example of a country where GDP per capita has remained similar throughout the period between $1,000 and $2,000.

China is an example of a country where GDP per capita has risen significantly.

It was between $1,000 and $2,000.

But it is now between $20,000 and $50,000.

Well done if you managed to identify those correctly and explain them.

We are now to explore our second question of today's lesson.

Has quality of life improved? Quality of life refers to a person's overall wellbeing and includes factors beyond income.

Key aspects include health, access to healthcare, clean water, and healthy environment, education, quality education for better job opportunities and life satisfaction, and environmental quality, clean surroundings, green spaces, and safe living conditions.

We can also look at other factors like social connections, how strong relationships are, and whether there's a sense of community.

We can look at safety and security, so is there protection from crime and natural disasters? All of these factors contribute to a higher quality of life.

Physical health can be influenced by various factors, including access to clean water.

Having safe, clean water is essential, preventing diseases and maintaining good health.

Access to healthcare, availability of medical services, doctors and hospitals helps in preventing in treating illnesses.

Diet a balanced diet, a nutritious diet plays a key role in maintaining physical health and preventing malnutrition or chronic diseases.

Vaccinations, vaccines help protect people from dangerous diseases and contribute to overall public health.

Although these factors can be measured separately, life expectancy is often used as a simple way to compare the health of people in different parts of the world.

Life expectancy reflects how long people can expect to live on average and provides a general indication of the overall health and wellbeing of the population.

I would like you to take a look at how life expectancy has changed over time.

Pause the video here whilst you have a look and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Life expectancy has significantly increased around the world, largely due to improvements in healthcare, sanitation and nutrition, and overall living conditions.

Advances in medicine, disease prevention, and availability of vaccines have all contributed to longer lives for many people.

However, there are still significant inequalities in life expectancy both between countries and within countries.

Between countries, wealthier nations such as those in Western Europe, North America, and parts of East Asia tend to have higher life expectancies.

This is due to better access to healthcare, cleaner environments and more advanced medical technology.

On the other hand, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia may have lower life expectancies due to factors such as poverty, limited access to healthcare and higher rates of infectious diseases.

Within countries, even in wealthier countries, there can be large differences in life expectancy based on social class, geography, and ethnicity.

For example, people living in wealthier areas with better access to healthcare and resources tend to live longer than those in poorer areas with limited access to healthcare, education, and clean living conditions.

These differences highlight the ongoing challenges in achieving equitable development and improving the quality of life for everyone around the world.

Which continent do people have the lowest life expectancy in 2023? Pause the video here whilst you take a closer look and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is Africa.

Well done if you identified that correctly.

Traditionally, education around the world was measured using the adult literacy rate, which reflects the percentage of adults who can read and write.

This measure was important as it gave a basic indication of a country's ability to provide its population with the necessary skills for communication and understanding.

However, the adult literacy rate only focuses on the ability to read and write and doesn't consider other aspects of education such as depth and quality of learning or the level of schooling attended.

In more recent times, we have shifted towards the average years of schooling as a more comprehensive measure of education.

This indicator looks at how many years on average people in the country attend school.

It provides a broader understanding of educational attainment because it includes not only literacy, but also the full spectrum of education, including basic education, secondary education, and higher education.

By measuring the average years of schooling, we can get a clearer picture of how well educated a population is and how much access they have to education beyond basic literacy skills.

It also helps them in comparing the overall educational development of different countries.

Giving insights into the quality and accessibility of education systems around the world.

The average years of schooling have seen a significant increase in most countries around the world since 1990.

Looking at two maps, one from 1990 and one from 2022, we can see how education has expanded globally over these three decades.

In 1990, many countries, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and parts of Central America had relatively low average years of schooling.

In these regions, access to education was limited by various factors including poverty, lack of infrastructure, and gender disparities in education.

By 2022, most countries, particularly North America, Europe, and East Asia, show a much higher average number of schooling years.

This increase reflects the global push for improving education systems, as well as efforts to make education more accessible for all regardless of gender or socioeconomic backgrounds.

Countries like Japan, South Korea, and those in Western Europe have seen consistently high educational attainment.

This growth in average years of schooling is a clear sign of improvement in global education.

It suggests that more children are attending school for longer periods, and educational systems are expanding and improving in terms of accessibility and quality.

However, despite the progress, there are still disparities in educational attainment across different regions with countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia remaining behind in terms of average years of schooling.

Overall, these maps helped illustrate the positive global trend in education, but also highlight the areas that still need attention to ensure more equitable access to quality education worldwide.

Whose statement is more accurate? Laura says, "The expected years of schooling have increased in most countries other than those in Africa." Andeep said, "The expected years of schooling have increased in most countries around the world." Pause the video here whilst you decide and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is Andeep is correct.

Well done.

Environmental quality can be measured in different ways.

It can look at air quality, biodiversity, and water quality.

This graph is showing the percentage of deaths in each country that are linked to air pollution.

The countries with the highest proportions of those with the major air quality issues, often due to factors like industrial emissions, vehicle pollution, and coal burning.

The graph can highlight a few things.

Air pollution is a major contributor to health problems and mortality worldwide, affecting people in different countries to varying degrees.

Countries like India and China and parts of Southeast Asia often experience high rates of death due to air pollution.

This is because of rapid industrialization.

Large populations and heavy reliance on coal for energy among other factors.

On the other hand, countries with stricter environmental regulations or fewer sources of pollution, like many Scandinavian countries, tend to have lower proportions of death caused by air pollution.

The graph also illustrates how air pollution contributes to various diseases such as respiratory problems, heart diseases, and even cancer.

It underscores the importance of addressing air pollution for improving global public health.

Why do you think that there was a significant drop in 2020? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

In 2020, the drop in deaths from air pollution was due to COVID-19.

Lockdowns led to fewer cars on the road, less travel, and many factories closing.

This reduced pollution, but it was temporary and caused by restrictions, not a long-term solution.

Overall, the percentage of deaths caused by air pollution has been decreasing globally, but this trend doesn't apply to every country.

In India, the percentage peaked in 2014 before gradually starting to fall.

On the other hand, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the percentage was still rising before the COVID-19 lockdown, which had a temporary impact on air pollution levels.

Unpicking the trends shown in each country requires careful analysis because they're affected by several factors.

For example, whether the country has factories like India or whether many factories have closed as seen in the UK can influence pollution levels.

The quality of healthcare can also play a role as it determines how well countries can manage the health impacts of air pollution.

Additionally, the environmental policies of each government, such as regulations on emissions and pollution control can significantly affect air quality.

Finally, the proportion of people living in urban areas and whether this number is increasing can impact the amount of air pollution as cities often have higher pollution levels due to traffic and industry.

True or false? If a lower proportion of deaths are caused by air pollution, then it shows that air quality must be improving.

Pause the video here whilst you attempt this task and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

The answer is false.

I would now like you to explain why.

Pause video here and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

The reason why this answer is false is because it may that the air is improving, but there are other factors involved.

Healthcare may be able to reduce deaths or people may be dying from a different reason, which would lower the proportion of people dying from poor air quality.

Well done if you managed to explain that correctly.

The overall picture of progress in both wealth and quality of life is quite complex.

Have you been surprised by anything that you've learned? Pause here whilst you have a think and press play when you're ready to continue.

Fantastic.

Sofia says she's been surprised that things like education and health have improved in lots of places.

"The news is full of bad things so I assumed that these would've got worse over time." I wonder, did you think the same? I would like you to write a balance report evaluating, this means saying the positives and the negatives, whether the wealth and the quality of life of people around the world has improved over time.

I would like you to use the sentence starters and refer to specific countries in your answer.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to continue.

Excellent.

Let's check our answers.

You may have included some of the following points.

In some ways, wealth and quality of life have improved for people around the world because indicators such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, and number of years of schooling have improved or remained high in some places around the world.

Places like China have experienced rapid economic growth whilst life expectancy and expected years of schooling have also increased.

However, in other ways things, have not gotten better because there are some countries such as Niger, where the economy has not grown significantly over the last 30 years.

Also, many places around the world have become more unequal.

And therefore this suggests that not everyone is benefiting from increases in wealth.

On balance the increase in GDP per capita, life expectancy, and expected years of schooling show that the wealth and quality of life are increasing.

However, these improvements are not evenly spread around the world.

Well done in this task.

I hope you managed to include some of those points in your answer.

We've now come to the end of our lesson in learning about changes in wealth and quality of life over time, and you've done brilliantly.

But before we end this lesson, let's summarise everything we've learned today.

Overall, the world has become wealthier over recent decades.

GDP per capita has risen in many countries, but in some countries it has remained the same.

Statistics suggest that health and education has improved in most places around the world over time.

Despite increasing wealth, the inequality has also grown in many countries.

Well done in this lesson.

You've done brilliantly, and I look forward to learning with you again very soon.