NOTES:

Countries or areas with a population of less than 100,000 in 2009 are indicated by an asterisk (*).

The designations employed and the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The designation "more developed" and "less developed" regions are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. The term "country" as used in this publication also refers, as appropriate, to territories or areas.

More developed regions: They comprise all regions of Europe plus Northern America, Australia/New Zealand and Japan (see definition of regions).

Less developed regions: They comprise all regions of Africa, Asia (excluding Japan), Latin America and the Caribbean plus Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia (see definition of regions).

Least developed countries: The group of least developed countries, as defined by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolutions (59/209, 59/210 and 60/33) in 2007, comprises 49 countries, of which 33 are in Africa, 10 in Asia, 1 in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 5 in Oceania.
The group includes 49 countries - Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia. These countries are also included in the less developed regions.

[1] Including the islands of Agalega, Rodrigues, and Saint Brandon.
[2] Including the islands of Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha.
[3] For statistical purposes, the data for China do not include Hong Kong and Macao, Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China.
[4] As of 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.
[5] As of 20 December 1999, Macao became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.
[6] The regions Southern Asia and Central Asia are combined into South-central Asia.
[7] Refers to Guernsey, and Jersey.
[8] Including Åland Islands.
[9] Including Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands.
[10] Also referred to as United Kingdom.
[11] Refers to the Vatican City State.
[12] Also referred to as TFYR Macedonia.
[13] Including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island.