The charts compare levels of participation in education and science in developing and industrialised countries in 1980 and 1990.
Overall, it is clear that industrialised nations consistently outperformed developing countries across all three categories. While both groups made progress in education and science, the gap between them remained substantial, particularly in research and development spending.
The average years of schooling rose in both groups, from just over 8 to more than 10 years in industrialised countries, and from around 2 to approximately 3 years in developing ones. Similarly, the number of scientists and technicians per 1,000 people increased significantly in developed nations, climbing from about 45 to nearly 70. By contrast, the figure for developing countries grew only modestly, from roughly 10 to 15 per 1,000.
A striking disparity is also evident in financial investment. Spending on research and development in industrialised countries more than doubled, rising from about 150 billion dollars in 1980 to around 350 billion by 1990. In contrast, developing nations’ expenditure actually declined over the same period, falling from approximately 50 billion to just 25 billion dollars.