Quick answer
First world countries were originally the US and its Cold War allies, such as Western Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia. Today the term means rich, highly developed countries, measured by World Bank income groups and the UN Human Development Index.
Updated 18 October 2026
First world countries originally meant the United States and its allies during the Cold War: the countries of Western Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and others aligned with the US and NATO. The “Second World” was the Soviet Union and its communist allies, and the “Third World” was the countries, including much of Africa, Asia and Latin America, that belonged to neither bloc. Today people use “first world” loosely to mean rich, highly developed countries, and organisations such as the World Bank and the United Nations measure this with income and human development data instead.
Where the term “first world” came from
The three-worlds idea grew out of the Cold War after the Second World War. French demographer Alfred Sauvy is credited with coining “Third World” (tiers monde) in a 1952 article, comparing poorer, non-aligned countries to the “third estate” of pre-revolutionary France. “First World” and “Second World” were then used for the two rival blocs. The labels were political, not economic: a country was “first world” because of its alliance, not because of its income.
After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Second World disappeared as a bloc, and the terms shifted meaning. “First world” came to stand for wealth and development, and “third world” for poverty. Many development organisations now avoid both terms because they are outdated and can sound dismissive. They prefer “high-income”, “developed” or “advanced economies” and “low- and middle-income” or “developing” countries.
Classic list of first world countries
The countries usually described as first world, in either the Cold War or the modern sense, include:
| Region | Countries usually called first world |
|---|---|
| North America | United States, Canada |
| Western and Northern Europe | United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland |
| Asia | Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |
Some of these, such as Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Austria, were officially neutral in the Cold War but are grouped with the first world because of their political systems and level of development. Countries such as Singapore and South Korea are included today because they became rich after the Cold War labels were set.
How “first world” is measured today
World Bank income groups
The World Bank sorts countries by gross national income (GNI) per person. For its 2026 fiscal year, which ran from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, a country was high income if its GNI per person in 2024 was above US$13,935. Upper-middle income was US$4,496 to US$13,935, lower-middle income was US$1,136 to US$4,495, and low income was US$1,135 or less. The thresholds are updated every July. High-income countries are the closest modern match to “first world”, though the group also includes oil-rich states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Human Development Index
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranks countries on its Human Development Index (HDI), which combines life expectancy, years of schooling and income per person. In the 2025 Human Development Report, Iceland ranked first with a score of 0.972, followed by Norway and Switzerland at 0.970. Countries scoring 0.800 or more are classed as having very high human development, which is often what people mean by first world. Kenya ranked 143rd with an HDI of 0.628, in the medium human development group.
Key characteristics of first world countries
- High income per person and large, diversified economies built on services, technology and advanced manufacturing.
- Long life expectancy and low infant and maternal mortality, backed by strong health systems.
- High levels of education, with near-universal literacy and wide access to universities.
- Good infrastructure, including reliable electricity, water, roads, public transport and internet.
- Stable institutions, such as independent courts, regular elections and low levels of corruption.
- Strong social safety nets, such as pensions, unemployment support and public health insurance.
- Low population growth and ageing populations, which is why many of these countries recruit foreign workers.
First world, second world and third world compared
| Term | Cold War meaning | How it is used today |
|---|---|---|
| First world | US, NATO members and allies | Rich, highly developed countries |
| Second world | Soviet Union and communist allies | Rarely used; sometimes for former communist countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia |
| Third world | Non-aligned countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America | Poorer, developing countries; now considered outdated |
What this means for Kenyans
Kenya was classed as a lower-middle income country by the World Bank in fiscal 2026. For many Kenyans, first world countries matter mainly as study and work destinations. If you are thinking of studying abroad, compare costs carefully; for example, see our guide to the best universities in Luxembourg for international students. To compare world economies another way, see our list of the top oil-producing countries. Local and international openings are posted on Job in Kenya.
Frequently asked questions
What is a first world country?
Originally, a country allied with the United States during the Cold War. Today the term usually means a rich, highly developed country with high incomes, long life expectancy and strong institutions.
Is Kenya a first world country?
No. Kenya is classed by the World Bank as lower-middle income and by the UNDP as having medium human development, ranked 143rd in the 2025 report.
Which country is the most developed in the world?
On the UNDP’s Human Development Index, Iceland ranked first in the 2025 report, followed by Norway and Switzerland.
Who coined the term third world?
French demographer Alfred Sauvy is credited with coining “Third World” in 1952.
Are there first world countries in Africa?
No African country is usually described as first world. Some, such as Mauritius and Seychelles, have high human development scores, and Seychelles is classed as high income by the World Bank.
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