In this the first in an eight-part series covering the causes of economic growth and development, I provide an introduction to the key concepts of absolute and relative poverty, different theories of development, and how GDP is defined and measured. I also discuss the differences between rural and urban poverty, give an overview of the different levels of development of various countries around the world, and outline some of the major methodological challenges in studying causes of economic growth around the world. Recommended pre-listening is Episode 16: The Price System, and Episode 56: The Gains from Trade.