Sociology Now, Census Update

produce about as much as they need to survive, barring droughts, pestilence,

and flood—industrial work is associated with a higher quality of life. In

poor countries, most people use muscle or animal power, so complex machin-

ery is rare.

■Life expectancy.During the last 30 years, better nutrition and advanced health

care have increased the mean life expectancy around the world by a decade, to

64. But in low-income countries, it’s still hovering around 50.
    ■Infant mortality rate.Better nutrition and advanced health care have had an
    impact on infant mortality as well: It’s currently about 50 deaths per 1,000 births.
    But it’s much higher in low-income countries, much lower in high-income countries.
    ■Literacy rate,the population over the age of 15 who can read and write, about
    77 percent worldwide.
    ■Percentage of children aged 10 to 14 in the labor force. Child labor is illegal in
    most high-income countries because when children are working, they cannot be
    in school, learning the skills necessary to overcome poverty. In addition, most of
    the unskilled and semiskilled jobs children are qualified for are too strenuous for
    growing bodies.

The World Bank also classifies quality of life based on:

■Birth rate. Poor countries usually have the world’s highest birth rates. In tradi-

tional societies, children are an important economic asset because they can assist

in farming. But in urban societies, they are an economic liability because they are

dependent, can’t work, and must be fed and clothed. Thus, the more children you

GLOBAL INEQUALITY 231

low ($755 or less)

lower middle ($756–2,995)

upper middle ($2,996–9,265)

high ($9,266 or more)

no data

GNP Per Capita

FIGURE 7.5 The World by Income

Note:This map presents economies classified according to World Bank estimates of 1999 GNP per capita. Not shown on the map because of space constraints
are French Polynesia (high income); American Samoa (upper middle income); Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tonga (lower middle income); and Tuvalu (no data).
Source:From The World Bank website, http//go.worldbank.org. Reprinted by permission of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The
World Bank.