Asia is a vast and diverse continent comprising over 4.5 billion people across 48 countries. It includes advanced economies like Japan and Singapore as well as developing countries like Laos and Afghanistan. With such variation, it is difficult to categorize all of Asia as either “first world” or not. Generally, the term “first world” refers to advanced capitalist countries that aligned with the United States during the Cold War. By this definition, only a handful of Asian nations like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore would qualify as first world. However, using broader criteria like economic development, quality of life, infrastructure, and access to technology, parts of Asia exhibit characteristics of first world nations. Ultimately, classifying such a heterogeneous region into binary categories is an oversimplification. Asia contains both prosperity and poverty, modern metropolises and rural villages. Passing judgement on Asia’s “world” status necessitates a nuanced, country-by-country analysis.
What is the “first world”?
The term “first world” originated during the Cold War to describe capitalist democracies allied with NATO and the United States. These included Western European nations, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Japan. The “second world” referred to communist countries allied with the Soviet Union, like China, Cuba, and Eastern Europe. Unaligned and often underdeveloped countries were considered the “third world.” While the Cold War ended decades ago, this three-world model persists in common parlance. However, the binary divisions of this framework often obscure more than they illuminate in our complex, globalized world. Furthermore, the terminology carries biased undertones, with “first world” conveying prestige and “third world” carrying a stigma of poverty or lack of advancement. Still, the terms can serve as shorthand for a country’s economic and developmental status when used critically.
Asia’s tremendous diversity
Home to 60% of the global population, Asia contains tremendous ethnic, religious, linguistic, and economic diversity. The continent spans prosperous democracies like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan but also includes authoritarian states like North Korea and Turkmenistan. Singapore and Hong Kong are banking and technology hubs rivaling Western cities, while Afghanistan and Myanmar face instability and underdevelopment. Even within countries, development varies greatly between urban centers and rural hinterlands. Generalizing conditions across Asia thus fails to capture realities on the ground.
This diversity stems from colonization, conflicts, geography, resources, systems of government, and global integration, among other factors. Consider Japan and Laos – the former is a technology and manufacturing powerhouse with the world’s third largest economy and longest life expectancy. The latter is landlocked, dependent on subsistence agriculture, and ranks among the least developed Asian nations. Lumping the two together as “third world” or “first world” overlooks their vastly different trajectories. Appreciating Asia’s heterogeneity is crucial.
Characteristics of “first world” countries
While the Cold War origins focus on political alignments, several key features help further define first world or developed countries:
- High-income economy – Per capita GDP over $25,000 and economic productivity to support high wages.
- Post-industrialization – Shift from manufacturing to service economy. Automation and technology advances drive development.
- Political stability and democracy – Functional and accountable governance. Freedom of speech and transparent elections.
- Developed infrastructure – Extensive transport networks, universal electricity and sanitation access.
- High education and healthcare standards – Nearly universal literacy. Advanced hospitals, medications, and procedures.
- High life expectancy – Over 70 years on average.
- Consumer economy – Majority middle class with discretionary spending power. Access to cars, electronics, leisure activities.
This captures the overall prosperity and modernization typical of places labeled “first world.” However, countries may excel in some areas but fall short in others. Let’s examine where parts of Asia stand.
Asia’s advanced economies
By measures of development like wealth, infrastructure, technology access, education, healthcare, and life expectancy, certain Asian nations achieve first world standards:
Japan
- Per capita income – $40,850 (Top 20 globally)
- Life expectancy – 84.7 years (Top 5 globally)
- Healthcare – Universal coverage with advanced care
- Infrastructure – High speed rail, 5G wireless networks
- Literacy – 99%
- Democracy – Longstanding multiparty system
As a technology and manufacturing leader, major exporter, and ally of the West during the Cold War, Japan is typically considered a first world nation.
Singapore
- Per capita income – $94,100 (Top 5 globally)
- Life expectancy – 83.7 years
- Infrastructure – Global air travel and shipping hub
- Healthcare – Comprehensive public/private system
- Literacy – 97%
- Democracy – Multi-party elected government
One of the “Asian Tiger” economies, Singapore’s advanced development and strategic importance as a financial hub merits its first world status.
South Korea
- Per capita income – $33,200
- Life expectancy – 83.5 years
- Infrastructure – World leader in broadband and mobile networks
- Literacy – 98%
- Healthcare – Universal coverage, advanced medicine
- Democracy – Free elections after decades of autocracy ended in the 1980s
South Korea’s rapid economic ascent after the Korean War, technological expertise, and close ties with Western powers make it a first world country.
Taiwan
- Per capita income – $29,000
- Life expectancy – 80.9 years
- Infrastructure – Extensive high speed rail network
- Literacy – 98.5%
- Healthcare – Comprehensive nationally-run system
- Democracy – Multiparty democracy after single party rule ended in 1990s
Taiwan meets most first world criteria despite diplomatic isolation imposed by China. It ranks as a developed, high-income economy.
Asia’s rising economies
Rapid growth in countries like China, Thailand, and Malaysia show parts of developing Asia converging with first world standards:
China
- Per capita income – $12,000 (Upper middle income)
- Infrastructure – Massive networks of highspeed rail, airports, and modern urban centers
- Literacy – 96%
- Healthcare – Broad basic healthcare access
- Life expectancy – 77 years
- Single party authoritarian governance
With the world’s second largest economy and increasing prosperity, China exhibits some first world characteristics. Political repression and low per capita income relative to developed nations still place it as a transitioning upper-middle income country.
Malaysia
- Per capita income – $29,100 (Developed economy threshold)
- Infrastructure – Extensive highways, airports, electricity, sanitation
- Literacy – 93%
- Healthcare – Broad access with public and private options
- Life expectancy – 77 years
- Democracy – Regular elections but dominated by single coalition
Malaysia qualifies as a newly developed economy but lags in healthcare, democratic governance, and life expectancy.
Thailand
- Per capita income – $7,800 (Upper middle)
- Infrastructure – Decent highways and electrification
- Literacy – 93%
- Healthcare – Universal coverage, access challenges remain
- Life expectancy – 77 years
- Democracy – Constitutional monarchy with military influence
Thailand exhibits substantial development but lower incomes, health metrics, and democratic maturity prevent its classification as first world currently.
Asia’s least developed economies
Many Asian nations remain severely underdeveloped and impoverished:
Afghanistan
- Per capita income – $500 (Low income)
- Literacy – 43%
- Infrastructure – Decades of war leave infrastructure in ruins
- Healthcare – Very limited care and facilities
- Life expectancy – 64 years
- Democracy – Fledgling democracy amid ongoing conflict
After twenty years of US occupation ended in 2021, Afghanistan remains unstable with extremely low development indicators. Poverty and poor infrastructure make it one of Asia’s least developed nations.
Myanmar
- Per capita income – $1,400 (Low income)
- Literacy – 75%
- Infrastructure – Limited electricity and paved roads outside cities
- Healthcare – Very basic care and facilities
- Life expectancy – 67 years
- Democracy – Reversed to military rule in 2021 coup
Myanmar faces low levels of development, poor infrastructure, limited healthcare, and unstable governance.
Nepal
- Per capita income – $1,100 (Low income)
- Literacy – 65%
- Infrastructure – Mainly unpaved roads, limited electricity
- Healthcare – Very basic care and facilities
- Life expectancy – 71 years
- Democracy – Recent history of monarchy and instability
As one of Asia’s poorest countries, Nepal exhibits extremely underdeveloped infrastructure, healthcare, incomes, and education. This places it firmly in the third world.
The complex picture in Asia’s giants – India and China
The contradictions between poverty and plenty are most apparent in Asia’s massive and diverse emerging powers, India and China.
India
India has an immense population of 1.4 billion people. This includes an educated urban elite working in high-tech sectors as well as impoverished peasants and slum dwellers lacking basic amenities. Wealth and advancement sharply concentrate in certain cities and regions like Bangalore and Maharashtra.
| Per capita income | $2,100 (Lower middle income) |
| Literacy | 74% nationwide, over 90% in top states |
| Infrastructure | Varies tremendously. World class assets in tech hubs but limited rurally. |
| Healthcare | Access and quality varies hugely between public and private care. |
| Life expectancy | 70 years but 63 in lowest income states |
| Democracy | Free elections but significant governance issues |
Overall, India’s development metrics remain well below first world norms. However, parts of India like Bangalore or Mumbai approach first world standards while rural Bihar lives in poverty. Generalizing India as a whole is difficult given these extremes.
China
Similar to India, China’s development split sharply between prosperous urban zones and underdeveloped countryside. Overall:
| Per capita income | $12,000 (Upper middle income) |
| Literacy | Over 96% among youth |
| Infrastructure | Extensive networks but overcrowding strains resources |
| Healthcare | Broad basic access, lack of doctors and clinics persist in rural areas |
| Life expectancy | 77 years |
| Democracy | Authoritarian single party system |
China averages upper middle income but contains a wealthy urban populace and world class infrastructure along with a rural populace living under modest conditions and constrained political rights. This variance makes system-wide classification difficult.
The role of economic and political systems
A country’s overall wealth offers only one perspective. Economic and political models matter as well. For example, the egalitarian socialism of one-party states like China and Vietnam delivers basic standards of living, literacy, sanitation, and healthcare to most citizens. However, restrictions on speech, assembly, and political participation contradict Western-style pluralism. Wealth concentrates in an elite communist party cadre. Similarly, Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE boast ultramodern infrastructure rivaling any global city due to petroleum revenues. But authoritarian monarchies allow limited civil liberties. Accounting for these dynamics provides a nuanced picture of development progress in Asia relative to ideals like democracy and equity.
Conclusion
In summary, the binary Cold War paradigm of first and third worlds inadequately captures Asia’s diversity today. The region spans authoritarian regimes and thriving democracies, impoverished villagers and billionaire tycoons, crumbling and cutting-edge infrastructure. Simple categorization fails. Zooming in to analyze specific countries and sub-regions within the Asian continent offers more meaningful insight into the varied developmental realities in this pivotal part of the world. While parts of Asia clearly qualify as developed first world countries, huge swaths remain underdeveloped with high poverty. Even emerging giants like India and China exhibit deep internal contrasts between their wealthy cities and countryside. Given this complexity, whether Asia as a whole fits the “first world” designation depends entirely on which parts of Asia come into focus. The only constant is Asia’s heterogeneity itself.