have, the poorer you are. Furthermore, an expanding population limits the
opportunities for economic improvement.
■Distribution of wealth. Every country has rich and poor people, but inequality
is more pronounced in poor countries: In India, the middle-class elite buy mag-
azines about the latest diet fads, while outside their windows, people are starv-
ing to death.
■Gender inequality. Poor countries usually depend almost entirely on male labor
and limit the opportunities for women (this usually means that they stay at home,
and the birth rate is very high). Many analysts conclude that raising the living
standards in a country depends on getting women in the workforce.High-Income Countries.There are about 40 high-income countries, including the
United States ($37,800 per capita GDP), Switzerland ($32,600), Japan ($28,000),
and Spain ($22,000). These countries cover 25 percent of the world’s land surface
and are home to 17 percent of its population. Together they enjoy more than half
of the world’s total income and control the world’s financial markets. Most of
these nations’ populations live in or near cities. Industry is dominated by large-scale
factories, big machinery, and advanced technology; however, these countries are
also at the forefront of the Information Revolution, with most companies that
make and sell computers and most computer users; 53 percent of the United States’
population and 33 percent of Switzerland’s is on the Internet. Because they have
access to better nutrition and expert medical care, residents of these countries tend
to have high life expectancies (80.8 in Japan) and low infant mortality rates (4.43
per 100,000 in Switzerland). Because the population is mostly urban and well
educated, the birth rate tends to be low (10.1 per thousand in Spain), and the
literacy rate high (99 percent in Switzerland).Middle-Income Countries.There are about 90 middle-income countries, divided into
high middle-income countries like Portugal ($18,000 per capita GDP), Uruguay
($12,600), and South Africa ($10,700), and low middle-income countries like Brazil
($7,600), Libya ($6,400), and China ($5,000). These countries cover 47 percent of
Earth’s land area and are home to more than half of its population. Only two-thirds
of the people live in or near cities. There are many industrial jobs, but the
Information Revolution has had only a minor impact: Only 7 percent of Portugal’s
residents and 4 percent of South Africa’s is on the Internet. Demographic indicators
vary from country to country: In South Africa, the life expectancy is very low
(43.3), but in China it is quite high (71.6). The infant mortality rate is 4.92 deaths
per 1,000 births in Portugal and 27.62 in Brazil. Middle countries are not staying in
the middle: They are getting either richer or poorer. (And in those countries, the rich
are also getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.)Low-Income Countries.There are about 60 low-income countries, including Jamaica
($3,800 per capita GDP), India ($2,900), Kenya ($1,000), and Somalia ($500).
These countries cover 28 percent of the world’s land area and are home to 28 percent
of its population. Most people live in villages and on farms, as their ancestors have
for centuries; only about a third live in cities. They are primarily agricultural, with
only a few sustenance industries and virtually no access to the Information
Revolution: There are 45,000 Internet users among Kenya’s 30 million people and
200 among Somalia’s 7.4 million. They tend to have low life expectancies (46.6 in
Somalia), high infant mortality rates (62.6 deaths per 1,000 births in Kenya), high
birth rates (40.13 per thousand in Kenya), and low literacy rates (52 percent in
India). Hunger, disease, and unsafe housing frame their lives (CIA, 2007).232 CHAPTER 7STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL CLASS