Développés

Developed economies, or developed countries, is a term used in economics and international development to describe nations with high income, advanced industrialization, and diversified economies. The label is not tied to a single universal criterion; definitions vary by organization. Common indicators include high GDP per capita (nominal or purchasing power parity), a high Human Development Index, substantial GNI per capita, long life expectancy, low infant mortality, and extensive infrastructure and institutions. In practice, countries commonly classified as developed include much of Western Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, as well as some others such as Singapore, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, depending on the metric used. In contrast, "developing countries" or "emerging markets" describe nations with lower income levels and less industrial diversification.

Historically, the notion emerged in the mid-20th century alongside decolonization and the Cold War, evolving from the dichotomy of First World, Second World, Third World to more nuanced categories. Today, many organizations prefer terms like "high-income economies" or "developed economies" to describe similar sets of economies, acknowledging heterogeneity in welfare systems, institutions, and growth paths. Debates around the term highlight that it can obscure inequalities within countries and overlook environmental and sustainability challenges. Some analysts anticipate shifts in global influence as emerging economies mature or as demographic and ecological pressures reshape growth trajectories.

In French-language discourse, the shorthand developed countries is often conveyed as pays développés (often contrasted with pays en développement), reflecting the same conceptual distinctions in a different linguistic and policy context.