New
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Changes in wealth and quality of life over time
I can analyse trends in development indicators over time.
Lesson 5 of 12
New
New
- Year 8
Changes in wealth and quality of life over time
I can analyse trends in development indicators over time.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Overall the world has become wealthier over time.
- 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, inequality has also grown in many countries.
Keywords
GDP per capita - the total monetary value of all the goods and services produced in a country over a year divided by the population
Economy - the system of money, jobs, businesses, and trade that helps people live and work
GINI coefficient - a measure of inequality on a scale between zero and one
Common misconception
The quality of life of people around the world is getting worse.
In most places around the world, social indicators such as life expectancy and the average expected years of schooling, have increased.
The ‘Our world in data’ website can be used to find maps that show changes over time. You can add or change this lesson to use development indicators of your choice.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Atlases
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is wealth?
What is wealth?
The number of people living in a country
The amount of land a country owns
How happy people are in a country
Q2.What does economic mean?
What does economic mean?
Related to the environment and nature
Only about a country's population size
The study of different cultures and traditions
Q3.What is quality of life?
What is quality of life?
The number of jobs in a country
How much money someone earns
The size of a country’s population
Q4.What is inequality?
What is inequality?
Everyone having the same wealth and opportunities
A country's total population
A type of government
Q5.What is a wealthy country likely to have?
What is a wealthy country likely to have?
A small population
No cities
Q6.Why do fewer people live in deserts?
Why do fewer people live in deserts?
Deserts have too many trees
There are too many people already
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What does ‘quality of life’ refer to?
What does ‘quality of life’ refer to?
The number of people living in a country
How much money a country has
Q2.Which factor is a key measure of a country’s wealth?
Which factor is a key measure of a country’s wealth?
The number of tourists visiting each year
The number of sports stadiums
The number of rivers in the country
Q3.How has global wealth changed over the past 100 years?
How has global wealth changed over the past 100 years?
It has stayed the same everywhere.
All countries have become equally wealthy.
Only rich countries have become richer.
Q4.Is quality of life for people around the world getting worse?
Is quality of life for people around the world getting worse?
Yes, life is getting worse for everyone.
No, quality of life is improving everywhere equally.
Yes, because there are more global challenges than before.
