Third World Countries in 2025: Check the Complete List Here!

Third World Countries: In the era of the Cold War, the moniker 'Third World' emerged to delineate nations abstaining from alignment with either the Western bloc (NATO) or the Eastern sphere, the Communist bloc. Presently, this terminology frequently characterises the nations undergoing developmental phases in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

With time, the term has assumed a flexible semantic scope. In this exposition, 'Third World' will be employed to designate nations experiencing deficiencies, underdevelopment, or lacklustre performance in specific domains, warranting urgent attention for their advancement.

What is meant by Third World Country?

Historically, the term third world country was first used by French demographer Alfred Sauvy in 1952. According to Sauvy, the First World comprised the bloc formed by the US and Western allies, the Second World consisted of the Soviet Union and its allies, and the Third World comprised countries that did not align with either bloc. But after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the definition of a Third World country became countries that are economically disadvantaged or developing. The countries referred to as third world experienced ongoing political and economic instability, high mortality rates, and high levels of poverty.

In current terms, the term third world countries is referred to as least developed countries.

List of Third World Countries in 2025

Contemporary speakers and writers often eschew the term ‘Third World’ in favour of more precise and considerate expressions such as 'developing countries' and 'least-developed countries,' as determined by the United Nations Human Development Index, or 'low-income countries,' as per World Bank data.

The 44 nations classified as Least Developed Countries by UNCTAD are categorised across four regions. Below is the complete list of third countries:

Monaco, Nauru, North Korea, and Somalia, all United Nations Member States, are typically excluded from the Human Development Index. The inclusion of these nations would likely result in all but Monaco being categorised as developing or least-developed countries.

The list presented here is derived from the UN list of least-developed countries and is not arranged in any particular order. Presently, there are 45 economies recognised by the United Nations as least-developed countries (LDCs). This designation grants them access to preferential market opportunities, aid, specialised technical assistance, and capacity-building in technology, among other concessions.

The list of LDCs undergoes a comprehensive review every three years by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), an assembly of independent experts reporting to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. After the triennial evaluation, the CDP may propose, in its report to ECOSOC, the addition of countries to the list or their graduation from LDC status. The forthcoming triennial review is slated for March 2025, and pertinent data will be promptly updated upon its availability.

Largest Economies in the World [Updated October 2025]

Criteria For LDC Inclusion

Income Criterion:

1. The threshold for Inclusion $1,088 or below
2. The threshold for Graduation is $1,306 or above
3. Measurement: Three-year average estimate of the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita in United States dollars.

Human Assets Index (HAI)

Health Sub-Index

Indicators

1. Under-five mortality rate

2. Maternal mortality ratio

3. Prevalence of stunting

Thresholds for Inclusion and Graduation:

60 or below and 66 or above, respectively.

Education Sub-Index

Indicators:

1. Lower secondary school completion rate
2. Adult literacy rate
3. Gender parity index for lower secondary school completion

Thresholds for Inclusion and Graduation: 60 or below and 66 or above, respectively.

What is Human Development Index, How is HDI Measured? Check Here

Economic and Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI):

Economic Vulnerability Sub-Index:

Indicators:

1. Share of agriculture, forestry, and fishing in GDP
2. Remoteness and landlocked 
3. Merchandise export concentration
4. Instability of exports of goods and services

Thresholds for Inclusion and Graduation: 36 or above and 32 or below, respectively.

Environmental Vulnerability Sub-Index:

Indicators:

1. Share of population in low-elevation coastal zones
2. Share of the population living in drylands
3. Instability of agricultural production
4. Victims of disasters

Thresholds for Inclusion and Graduation: 36 or above and 32 or below, respectively.

General Note: All indices are constructed using established methodologies with an equal weight for the included indicators.

HDI Report 2025: Check Highest and Lowest Human Development Index Scored Countries; India’s Position May Surprise You

Is India a Third World Country?

India is not a third-world country; instead, India is considered a developing country as per the modern definition of third-world countries. Moreover, according to IMF data, India is the fifth-largest economy in the world; hence, it cannot be classified as a third-world country. If we consider the historical definition, India could have been considered a third-world country as it had no clear alignment with any of the two blocs that existed during the period of the Cold War.

Moreover, if we clearly look at the list of Least Developed Countries or LDCs released by UN, we see India not being listed, hence it cannot be considered a third-world country.

To conclude, this article was all about the third world countries in the world, which is based on the classification released by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. This list is reviewed every three years.

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