Global Firepower (GFP) provides a unique analytical display of data concerning today's world military powers. Over 100 world powers are considering in the ranking which allows for a broad spectrum of comparisons to be achieved concerning relative military strengths. The Global Firepower ranking is based strictly on each nations potential conventional war-making capabilities across land, sea and air. The nuclear...

(24 August 2021) As of July 2021, global container freight rates, as measured by the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), increased fourfold over the last year due to the faster than expected recovery of consumer demand, container shortages, and the shift of consumer spending from services to goods. The global container throughput index by the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics, which monitors activity in 82...

Starting in 2001, the Global Information Technology Report series published by the World Economic Forum in partnership with Cornell University and INSEAD measured the drivers of the information and communications technology (ICT) revolution using the Networked Readiness Index (NRI). In 2019, the NRI was redesigned by Portulans Institute and its name updated to Network Readiness Index. The 2020 NRI, the second...

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According to the history countries that had a lof of natural resources were more developed than others. However, with evolution of the science not only new opportunities to earn money were found but also created new ways of extraction and usage of natural resources. Therefore, the impcat of natural resources on economy was not reduce. The differences in geographical location is one of the most important reason...

(13 March 2019) Consumer confidence in the world's biggest economy, the United States, rebounded in February after a sharp drop in January, according to the University of Michigan. January’s decrease was the single sharpest drop in consumer sentiment since 2012 and was at least partially spurred by the partial US government shutdown. In February, the Federal Reserve signaled that it will hold off on further interest...

The Networked Readiness Index (NRI), developed by the World Economic Forum in the frame of Global Information Technology Report, which is considered as the most comprehensive and authoritative international assessment of its kind, depicts the current stage of progress made in the world towards leveraging ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) to boost productivity, economic growth, employment creation and,...

(13 May 2021) Brent crude oil prices will average $62.26 per barrel in 2021 and $60.74 per barrel in 2022 according to the forecast in the most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). This represents a rebound from the 2020 average of $41.69 per barrel, but it is still lower than pre-COVID levels. The International Monetary Fund, in its latest release of the World...

(Oct 2018) Global oil prices have fallen by more than 30 percent since the summer of 2014, affecting oil producers and consumers alike. This dashboard presents oil price dynamics and the breakeven oil prices—minimum oil price to cover general government expenditures—over the past decade as well as a snapshot of the marginal cost of oil production by country in 2014. A world oil price in the range of $55 to $60 per...

(15 June 2021) The US natural gas spot price at Henry Hub, Louisiana — the benchmark price reference for the US natural gas market and an important price reference in global gas trading — will average $3.07 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2021, a 51% increase from the 2020 average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The agency attributes this year's price growth to rising...

In this dashboard, we have integrated the most recent medium and long-term forecasts of key economic indicators for G20 countries from major international organizations, namely, the World Bank, IMF, United Nations, OECD, European Commission and the Economist Intelligence Unit. The data presented covers projections of real GDP growth, characterizing each country's output of final goods and services; consumer price...

Since India was under British rule, the rupee was pegged to the British pound. From 1927 to 1966, 13 rupees = 1 pound. The peg was maintained until 1966 when the rupee was devalued and pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 7.5 rupees = 1 dollar. This peg lasted until the U.S. dollar was devalued in 1971.

The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. The IEA was initially dedicated to responding to physical disruptions in the supply of oil, as well as serving as an information source on statistics about the international oil market and other energy sectors. IEA member countries (excluding crude oil net exporters) are...

(29 March 2021) Today Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 32,938 retail locations as of the first quarter of 2021, followed distantly by coffee shop chains such as Dunkin Donuts with about 10,000 restaurants, Tim Hortons with 4,300 outlets, and Costa Coffee with nearly 1,700 stores worldwide. Starbucks was founded in 1971 in Seattle, Washington, and incorporated on November 4, 1985, to...

Gen-Z has overtaken Millennials by nearly 4 million to become the largest generation in the United States. Baby Boomers are the third-largest generation with the population of 69 million persons in 2020. With a current population of around 86 million, the Gen-Z generation is expected to grow to 88 million over the next 20 years because of migration, according to the United Nations' latest World Population...

(23 May 2021) Copper prices reached an all-time high of $10,512 per metric ton on May 9, marking a 130% growth since March 22, 2020. The consensus forecast from three leading sources (IMF, World Bank, and the Australian Government) for 2021 is $8,357. The average year-to-date price as of May 20 was $8,915, which means the forecasts do not reflect an expectation of further increases over the second half of the...

According to the latest BP Statistical Review of World Energy, total global reserves, by fossil fuel, are now: Coal - 1,139 billion tonnes Natural Gas - 187 trillion cubic meters Crude Oil - 1,707 billion barrels While these volumes may seem large at a glance, at today's level of extraction and production rates, BP's estimated proved reserves*, by fossil fuel, would be exhausted as follows: Coal - year...

(9 June 2021) The aluminum price reached the value of $2,534 per metric ton on May 7th of this year, the highest price since the two-year high in April 2018. The consensus forecast for 2021 from three leading sources (the IMF, the World Bank, and Innovation and Science Australia, an advisory board to the Australian government) is $2,072 per metric ton. The rise in aluminum prices is a result of high demand in...

According to the 2019 Forbes Billionaires List, the aggregate wealth of the world's 1,810 billionaires is approximately $8.9 trillion, exceeding the GDP of Japan, the world's third-largest economy with a GDP of $4.4 trillion. In other words, the wealth of 0.00002% of the world's population accounts for 9 percent of the world's GDP of about $74 trillion. How do we measure the net worth of a billionaire? The estimate...

According to the American Time Use Survey, Americans spend an average of 15 minutes daily playing games. That’s more time than Americans spend walking, grocery shopping, or managing their finances. The gaming industry is evolving rapidly. Every producer wants to involve as many users as possible and offers realistic graphics, new opportunities, and tasks to take advantage of the explosive growth in gaming...

Which is the world's largest economy, China or the United States? As is usual in the field of economics, “It depends.” It depends on the methods used to estimate the size of an economy and to compare one economy to another. Despite modern discussions on refining the calculation of gross domestic product (GDP), the standard measure of an economy’s size and performance, to be more inclusive of economic factors that...

Now, after more than three decades, the Chinese government is ending its controversial one-child policy. Originally implemented in 1980 to curb its rapid population growth, China’s one-child policy has witnessed a fertility rate decline from 2.7 births per woman in 1981 to 1.6 births in 2015. Those who backed the one-child policy claimed it led to 300 million fewer births and lifted 200-400 million people out of...

(14 June 2021) In 2020, the US unemployment rate averaged 8.1%, the highest annual rate since 2012. In January and February of last year, the unemployment rate in the United States stood at a 50-year low of 3.5%, but unemployment soared to 14.7% in April 2020 due to mass layoffs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. US unemployment declined steadily in the second half of last year and has continued a gradual...

(28 June 2021) Zinc prices showed 50% growth year-over-year in May 2021, an increase to $2,965 per metric ton from $1,975 in May 2020. The increase followed a two-year decline of 45% from the ten-year high of $3,500 in 2018. The price is currently 11.5% above the 5-year moving average — a figure analysts were not expecting, since zinc demand is declining in the era of COVID-19. Several key supply and demand...

Bitcoin is one of the world's most popular digital currencies, meaning that it is exclusively created and held electronically. But, what do we actually know about digital currencies and the potential of these currencies to replace conventional money? Like conventional money, the major function of a digital currency is to serve as a means of payment, whether that is in exchange for goods or real currency, such as...

Over the last three years, car sales in the US market have set new all-time records and included a collection of manufacturers that extends well beyond the American classics. In 2015, vehicle sales in the US reached nearly 17.5 million units, a growth of 5.7 percent from 2014 and 25,000 more vehicles than the record setting sales in 2005. The year 2000 marked a turning point in the US auto industry: it was the...

The Big Mac Index invented by The Economist is an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies. The calculation of PPPs is based on the assumption that the dollar cost for a Big Mac in a particular country would be the same as in the United States. The indicator is chosen by The Economist magazine, as a measure of PPP, is based on the fact that the ingredients used in the...

The population of China currently exceeds the population of India by approximately 70 million, according to estimates from the United Nations. The UN's World Population Prospects report puts the population of China at 1.38 billion, compared to 1.31 billion for India. Other sources' estimates of current population range from 1.37 to 1.40 billion for China and from 1.28 to 1.31 billion for India. Just as current...

McDonald's and Subway are two of the world's largest international fast food restaurant chains. Each company possesses a strong brand and is an established name in the casual eating restaurant industry. With 40,953 locations worldwide, Subway beats out McDonald's as the largest global chain. McDonald's currently has 37,855 locations globally. So, what's behind this difference in global positioning? And, are the...

12 Sept - On Friday, Goldman Sachs slashed its oil price forecast for 2016 from $62/bbl to $49.5/bbl for the international benchmark Brent crude oil and from $57/bbl to $45/bbl for WTI crude, allowing for a short-term price decline to 20 US$/bbl. The sharp revision has attracted considerable media attention, however, Goldman's outlook for 2017 remained unchanged. According to Goldman Sachs Commodities Research, oil...

1) Norway Ranks 1 in Human development Index (HDI). HDI is considered a better measure of a country's progress than income growth. On the positive side, India's HDI has risen by 1.7% annually since 1980. The report lauds India's contribution by way of its spillover development effect on other countries. For instance, it points out that Indian firms have been supplying affordable medicines, medical equipment and...

There are 2,193 billionaires in the Forbes World's Billionaires ranking this year. They are the wealthiest of the wealthy. But only 71 members of this elite list are under 40 years old, with that exciting combination of money and youth.

Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise centered on a film series created by George Lucas. It chronicles the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." The Force Awakens remains on course to beat box office records worldwide after posting $14.1 million on Wednesday when it opened in Europe, coupled with an estimated record $50 million on Thursday in showings in...

New York with more then 8 million people (according to 2010 Census) is the largest city in the United States. Besides New York there are 8 US cities which population exceed 1 million persons: Los Angeles (CA), Chicago (IL), Houston (TX), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), San Antonio (TX), San Diego (CA) and Dallas (TX). Over 160 milion people live in 5000 largest cities of the US.

(Updated: 09 June 2021) How does the composition of people's daily diets vary across countries? Ideally, food intake should be balanced, which requires access to fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, proteins (meats and beans), dairy products, and healthy oils while minimizing or reducing consumption of alcohol, salt, and sugar. For a variety of reasons, income being paramount, disparities in access to quality food...

(12 May 2021) In 2020, worldwide motor vehicle production fell sharply, dropping 15.4% from the previous year, because of travel restriction measures and an overall decline in economic activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Passenger cars experienced a more significant drop in production than commercial vehicles, with decreases of 16.9% and 11.6%, respectively. This marks the third consecutive year with negative...

(29 April 2021) The volume of electricity consumed by bitcoin mining continues to grow globally, approaching the levels of energy consumption of some of the world's larger economies and bringing the environmental sustainability of the cryptocurrency into question. Tesla, which bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin in January, causing the price to surge to more than $55,000, became a target of bitcoin critics who say...

Along with its cultural, leisure and recreational functions tourism contributes significantly (both directly and indirectly) to the world's economy and employment. It contributes to GDP even more than the automotive industry in all the regions throughout the globe: three times as much in Americas and two times as much in Europe, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council's 2017 research. In many countries...

Personal safety, as a basic human need, is encapsulated globally in national legislation and international accords, all with the aim of maintaining public order and safety. While definitions of law and order may vary by country—and with it the tasks assigned to security forces—the source of funding is nearly universally taxpayers. Every taxpayer thereby has the right to know whether these public expenditures are...

According to the 2016 Forbes World's Billionaires List, the total number of billionaires worldwide expanded to 1,810. The aggregate net worth of the list's members exceeded $6 trillion, while the average net worth was $3.6 billion. Source: Forbes World's Billionaires

People in Honduras, Salvador, Jamaica, Venezuela, and Guatemala have the highest probability to be shot and killed. A comparison between the rate of homicide by firearms and socio-economic indicators shows a correlation between high rates of income inequality and higher rates of homicide by firearms. Countries with GINI coefficients exceeding 0.45 are at higher risk of homicide by firearm.

Since the 1950s, the BP Statistical Review of World Energy has delivered objective and globally consistent data on world energy markets. The publication has become a widely respected and authoritative publication in the field of energy economics, relied on by media outlets, academia, world governments, and energy companies alike. BP publishes a new edition each June and typically conducts a road show to launch the...

(10 December 2021) During the first quarter of 2019 (Apple’s second fiscal quarter), sales of the Apple iPhone decreased by 17 percent compared to the same quarter last year. Since announcing its results for the second fiscal quarter, Apple's share price has also dropped six percent. The iPhone first quarter results were neither unexpected nor the steepest decreases in iPhone revenues the company has faced. Apple...

Every two years, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) through its Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) publishes the United Nations E-Government Survey. The Survey provides a snapshot with relative rankings of e-government development of all Member States of the United Nations. By ranking the performance of countries on a relative scale, the Survey...

Approximately one third of all victims - about 77,000 people - were claimed in the war in Syria alone during the period. An additional 40,000 casualties are attributable to a conflict minimally discussed by Western media - the civil war that erupted in December 2013 in South Sudan, the world's youngest country. The war in Ukraine, which began in 2014, had already taken at least 4,843 lives. Some ongoing...

(3 February 2020) As the World Health Organization has elevated the global public health threat level posed by the coronavirus to 'very high' (China) and 'high' (rest of the world), global economic health is also beginning to suffer. The number of people affected by the coronavirus globally may seem relatively small — just over 14,632 deaths and 335,953 people infected — yet without containment, especially to avoid...

Corporate growth strategies typically include some combination of deepening existing market penetration and new product and market development. New market entry through acquisitions, greenfield investment, joint venture or other forms are considered generally to be the most controllable ways to drive business growth. And, many emerging markets, such as Brazil, India, Argentina, with their growing middle-classes are...

For the first time during the post World War II era, the global economy is expected to shrink due to measures in force worldwide to suppress the coronavirus, according to the IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) released on April 14, 2020. In this edition of the WEO, the IMF shortened the forecast horizon to 2021 instead of the expected 2025 horizon and limited the number of indicators available in its statistical...

(7 April 2021) With its extensive business network, the Sweden-based multinational clothing retailer H&M has become one of the world's leading fashion companies. After a decade of continuous expansion, adding around 320 stores per year on average, the company's net increase in number of stores (opens minus closures) was only 108 in 2019, and in 2020 it turned negative. H&M had a total of 5,018 stores, in 74...