The given statements state the differences between economic development and economic growth. Which of the following statement is correct?  I. Economic growth is single-dimensional whereas economic development is multi-dimensional. II. Economic growth is measurable, but economic development cannot be precisely measured. 

The given statements state the differences between economic development and economic growth. Which of the following statement is correct?  I. Economic growth is single-dimensional whereas economic development is multi-dimensional. II. Economic growth is measurable, but economic development cannot be precisely measured.  Correct Answer Both I and II

People often confuse and interchangeably use the terms economic growth and development because both sound synonymous. However, growth and development mean different things.

Important PointsThe differences between Growth and development are:

  • Economic growth is single-dimensional whereas economic development is multi-dimensional.
  • Economic growth is measurable, but economic development cannot be precisely measured. 
  • Growth shows quantitative changes in the form of national and per capita income while development is qualitative and is shown through composition and distribution of national income.
  • Economic growth faces discontinuous, spontaneous changes while development sees Continuous, steady, planned changes.
  • Focus on economic growth by a government is a solution for the developed countries. For developing countries, the focus should be on economic development. 
  • Growth includes only monetary and profit-oriented factors while development focuses on the health index, human resource development index and other forms of non-monetary factors.
  • Growth is a prerequisite to economic development. 

​Hence both statements I (single-dimensional and multi-dimensional) and II (measurable and non-measurable) are correct differences between Economic growth and development.

Related Questions

In each question below is given a statement numbered I, II and III. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted. You have to consider the following assumption and decide which of the assumption is implicit in the statement. Statement: The June 2018 quarter results of Infosys reflect that the investors waiting for the company to perform as good, if not better, than its largest peer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) may have to wait a little longer. Infosys, the country’s second-largest software exporter reported slower sequential growth in revenue and profit than TCS for the June quarter (Q1). It also lagged on the fronts of employee attrition and growth in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) vertical.  Assumptions: I. On the positive side, Infosys continued to add large clients – four in the above $100-million billing category compared with the previous quarter. It continued to retain guidance of 6-8% revenue growth for FY19 while retaining the operating margin band of 22-24%. II. In the near term, the stock performance of TCS is likely to overshadow Infosys given the difference in their growth trajectories. III. The growth momentum of Infosys has slowed relative to TCS. The year-on-year growth in trailing 12-month (TTM) revenue of Infosys in each of the four quarters up to the June 2018 quarter has lagged TCS after leading in the previous five quarters.