This project has been funded with support from the European Commission (226388-cp-1-2005-1-de-comenius-c21). This publication reflects the views only of the authors

2.2.3. Social Issues

As of 2006 total world population is 6.52 billion. China and India have the highest populations with 1.31 billion and 1.11 billion. Like income, population is not distributed evenly in the world. While 6,728 people live in Hong Kong per km2 and 6,376 people in Singapore, only 2 people live in Mongolia and Namibia, and 3 people in Australia.
The level of education which can be qualified as infrastructure in the way of development may differ greatly among countries. While countries like Latvia and Lithuania have a literacy rate of 100%, the rate is only 24% in Mali. Another indicator for education is the rate of primary school completion. In some countries this rate may be 100% or higher (because of the education of people outside the assigned age group) but as of 2005 it is only 23% in the Republic of Central Africa. When the data of 1991 and 2005 are compared an improvement in the rate of primary completion can be seen easily. The largest increase was experienced in Venezuela with an increase from 43% to 92%. The differences in the level of education are closely related to the investments of these countries into education. While in some countries expenditure on education to GDP ratios are below 1% (Indonesia, 0.9%), some countries have a ratio above 10% (Botswana, 10.7%). Developing countries increase the share of education expenditure in public expenditure. Therefore developing and developed countries converge in terms of education.
Today there is no gender discrimination in the primary and secondary education. As of 2005, the Republic of Central Africa has the worst ratio of 60% (the rate of female students to male students), but she experienced a significant development from the ratio of 40% in 1991.
The life expectancy at birth differs among countries according to these countries’ health, environmental, cultural and wealth levels. For example, as of 2005 life expectancy for males is 39 and 38 for females in Zambia. At the other end is Hong Kong with life expectancy of 79 and 85 for males and females respectively. When the mortality rate under the age of 5 (per 1000 people) is analyzed it is seen that the world average decreased from 95 in 1991 to 75 in 2005. The worst statistics for infant mortality are experienced unfortunately in developing countries such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the republic of Central Africa and Mali. Even in these countries the mortality rates improve. In this improvement, assistance by various health and aid institutions to the developing countries and globalization of knowledge and health services has significant contributions.
When the health expenditure per capita statistics are analyzed it is seen that there is 400 fold gap between the highest (USA with $6,096) and the lowest (the Republic of Congo with $15) expenditures as of 2004. This huge gap creates differences even in the rates of infant vaccination against tuberculosis and measles (only 40% and 23% of infants were vaccinated against tuberculosis and measles in Chad in 2005). A similar view prevails in the health services and improved water source utilization. Although 100% of people in developed countries benefit from these services, the rates in developing countries are about 10% and 50% respectively. What is satisfactory is that these ratios are improving.