The phrase “third world countries” is outdated and is not used in any official international classification today. Instead, organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank talk about “developing countries,” “least developed countries (LDCs),” and “low-income countries.”
What “third world” originally meant
- The term started in the Cold War to describe countries that were not aligned with either the US‑led (First World) or Soviet‑led (Second World) blocs.
- Some non‑aligned but now wealthy countries (for example, Sweden or Switzerland) would have counted as “third world” in that original political sense, which shows how different the old meaning was from how people use it now.
How people use it today
- In everyday speech, many people use “third world” to mean very poor or underdeveloped countries, but this modern use is vague and considered disrespectful.
- Because of this, experts and international bodies avoid the term and instead classify countries by development level or income, such as “developing,” “least developed,” or “low-income.”
Closest official category (LDCs)
If someone says “third world” today and means the poorest countries, the closest formal category is “Least Developed Countries” (LDCs) as defined by the United Nations.
- There are currently 44 LDCs. They include 32 in Africa (such as Niger, Chad, Malawi, and Ethiopia), 8 in Asia (such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Yemen), 1 in the Caribbean (Haiti), and 3 in the Pacific (Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu).
- These countries are identified based on low income, weak human assets (like health and education), and high economic vulnerability.
Better terms to use
- For accuracy and respect, it is better to say “developing countries,” “least developed countries (LDCs),” or “low-income countries,” depending on what you mean.
- The word “third world” is now widely viewed as derogatory and imprecise, so it is generally avoided in academic, policy, and diplomatic contexts.
