Third World

Third World is a term used along with First World and (to a much lesser extent) Second World to divide the nations of Earth into three broad categories. The term was coined in 1952 by French demographer Alfred Sauvy to refer to now-called developing countries, especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia, which were isolated from both the communist and the capitalist entities during the Cold War.

Today, however, the term is synonymous with all countries in the developing world, independent of their political status. However, there is no objective definition of Third World or "Third World country" and the use of the term remains common. The term Third World is also disliked as it may imply the false notion that those countries are not a part of the global economic system. Although it is also criticized as being out-of-date, colonialist, othering, and inaccurate, its use continues unabated. Political theorist Hannah Arendt contends that, indeed, "The Third World is not a reality but an ideology."

In general, Third World countries are not as industrialized or technologically advanced as OECD countries, and therefore in academia, the current term in use is developing nation. Terms such as Global South, developing countries, less economically developed countries (LEDC), least developed countries and the Majority World have become more popular in circles where the term "third world" is regarded to have derogatory or out-of-date connotations. Development workers also call them the two-thirds world (because two-thirds of the world is underdeveloped) and The South. Some theorists, such as Andre Gunder Frank and Walter Rodney have used the term underdevelopment or underdeveloped world, to indicate the active process by which the global South has been locked out of development by imperialism and the post-colonial policies of the richer nations.

It remains, however, that more politically correct terminology continues to imply a path of progressive industrialization and/or (economic) liberalization not far removed from the more plainly ideological "Third World".citation needed]

First World · Second World · Third World · Fourth World

GDP per capita · List of countries by GDP (nominal), (per capita) · List of countries by GDP (PPP), (per capita), (per hour)

Human Development Index · List of countries by Human Development Index

Human Poverty Index · List of countries by percentage of population living in poverty