Question.
Do growth and development mean the same thing? Do they accompany each other?
(Class 12 geography, Fundamentals of Human Geography, Chapter - 4. Human Development )
Answer.
Growth and development meant the same thing in the early 20th century. But now growth and development have different meanings which are different in the following sense:
Growth is a quantitative and value-neutral tool to measure economic prosperity whereas development means a qualitative change in facilities and development always indicates a positive change in economic prosperity.
Growth can be either positive or negative whereas development is always a positive change as it is qualitative. Development cannot happen unless there is positive growth in existing facilities.
Development can happen only in positive growth but positive growth does not always lead to development. For example, if the GDP of a country has increased from 1 billion to 2 billion, but poverty does not decrease in the society, it means that there has been a positive growth of GDP, but the country has not developed because there is no qualitative growth in society.
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