Edinburgh Napier University

  Nations have developed at different rates and this differential development is manifested on the wellbeing of their populations. The reasons for different rates of development can not fully be explained by different initial economic states, political regime nor by geography. In this paper social cohesion, social homogeneity and social contact with other societies are explored to determine if this offers and additional explanation. UNDP data is modelled using a panel data approach to explain the rate of development as reflected by declines in total fertility rates in terms of variables such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, literacy rates and infant mortality rates. A created measure of social similarity between nations is added to the model network analysis are applied to examine the cohesion within clusters and the degree of connectedness between nations using additional information on the similarity between nations. The inspection of sociograms and multivariate statistical models suggest that social affinity does indeed offer some explanation to differences in rates of development.