A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Less developed country (LDC)

A country showing:

(1) a poverty level of income;

(2) a high rate of population increase;

(3) a substantial portion of its workers employed in agriculture;

(4) a low proportion of adult literacy;

(5) high unemployment; and

(6) a significant reliance of a few items for export.

Terms such as third world, poor, developing nations, and underdeveloped have been used to describe less developed countries.

Related entries