The world has become noticeably more prosperous over recent decades, according to new World Bank data. If 30% of countries were classified as low-income in 1987, by 2024 that figure had fallen to just 12%. At the same time, the share of high-income states almost doubled, rising from 25% to 40%.
This shift is the result of sustained economic growth, especially in developing countries, which were able not only to increase GDP but also to improve people’s lives. Through reforms in public administration, international support, and openness to foreign markets, countries integrated more actively into the global economy. Investment, infrastructure development, technology adoption, and job creation became key drivers of change.
Rising incomes meant not just more money in the economy, but also broader opportunities for people: access to education, healthcare, and modern professions. And it is not simply a matter of already rich countries becoming even richer (though that is often true): the point is that the "club of the well-off" has stopped being closed with a strict dress code and family-name-only entry.
