PoliticAli Speaking

As a subscriber to “The Economist”, a conservative British weekly publication (Sarah Palin, after not naming any publications she reads during the Katie Couric interview later listed a few including The Economist.) I get an annual booklet entitled “Pocket World in Figures, a compilation of international statistics. We often hear qualitative statements and slogans, which arouse emotions but have no basis in fact. The booklet contains 250 pages containing 229 tables of statistics and a summary of 68 countries and regions. I have selected a number of statistics based on what I consider may be ones that we are generally uninformed about, ones that are important or ones I find just plain interesting. As to countries, I list the top few in a category and if they do not appear there then data relative to our country, Russia which under the Soviet regime was our existential enemy; China in many peoples minds has replaced Russia as the existential threat; Japan was the economic threat toward the end of last century; Indonesia is the largest predominantly Muslim country and Islam is portrayed by the extreme right as the next existential threat; Sweden because conservatives often cite it as an example of socialism, Brazil is large and up and coming; Cuba, one of the last communist states and next door neighbor; and France just because we like to pick on it.
Note: If I don’t list a country and value in a category it is because it is of the chart.
I apologize for the length but hope you find it interesting

Countries: the largest in ‘000 sq km; 1 Russia – 17,075, 2 Canada – 9,971, 3 China – 9561, 4 United states – 9373, 5 Brazil –8512, 16 Indonesia – 1,904, 48 France – 544, 55, Sweden – 450, 60 listed

Largest Populations in millions; 1 China – 1.336.3, 2 India – 1,186.2, 3 United States – 308.8, 4 Indonesia – 234.3, 5 Brazil – 194.2, 9 Russia – 141.8, 10 Japan – 127.9, 21 France – 61.9, 66 listed

Biggest economies GDP in $bn (2008); 1 United States – 14,093; 2 Japan – 4,911; 3 China – 4,327; 4 Germany – 3,649; 5 France – 2,857; 8 Russia – 1,679; 10 Brazil – 1,575; 22 Sweden – 479; 46 listed

Highest GDP per head; 1 Luxembourg – 109,900; 2 Bermuda – 100,190; 3 Norway – 94,760; 4 Qatar – 88,900; 14 Sweden – 51,950; 20 United States –46,350; 22 France – 44,510; 29 Japan – 38,460; 70 listed

City Living - Quality of Living Index (New York is 100) based on 39 factors including political stability and natural environment; 1 Vienna, Austria, 2 Zurich, Switzerland, 3 Geneva, Switzerland, 4 Auckland, New Zealand, 4 Vancouver, Canada, 20 Stockholm, Sweden, 31 Honolulu, US, 31 listed

Quality of Life – Human development index. Developed by the UN it includes adult literacy, life expectancy, income levels; 1 Norway – 97.1; 2 Australia – 97; 3 Iceland – 96.9; 4 Canada – 96.6; 5 Ireland – 96.5; 7 Sweden – 96.3; 8 France - 96.1; 9 Japan - 96.0;
13 United States – 95.6; 49 Cuba – 86.3; 60 listed

Asylum applications in industrialized countries ‘000; 1 United States – 49.0; 2 Canada – 36.9; 3 France – 35.4; 4 United Kingdom – 31.3; 6 Sweden – 24.4; 18 listed

Economic freedom index. Ranks countries on basis of how government intervention can restrict economic relations. Published by the Heritage Foundation; 1 Hong Kong - 89.7; 2 Singapore – 86.1; 3 Australia – 82.6; 4 New Zealand – 82.1; 5 Ireland – 81.3; 8 United States – 78.0; 19 Japan – 72.9; 21 Sweden – 72.4; 38 listed

Government debt as % of GDP 2009; 1 Japan – 189.3; 2 Italy – 123.6; 3 Iceland – 117.6; 4 Greece – 114.9; 7 France 84.5; 8 United States – 83.9; 20 Sweden – 52.7; 29 listed

Government Spending as % of GDP 2009; 1 Denmark – 57.7; 2 Finland – 56.2; 2 Sweden – 56.2; 4 Iceland – 55.9; 5 France – 55.5; 24 Japan – 41.6; 25 United States – 41.5; 29 listed

Tax Revenue as % of GDP 2009; 1 Denmark – 48.3; 2 Sweden – 47.1; 3 Belgium – 44.3; 4 Italy – 43.2; 5 France – 43.1; 26 listed

Tax Wedge as % of total labor cost, 2009. (gap between labor cost and net take-home pay)l 1 Hungary – 43.7; 2 France – 41.7; 2 Greece – 41.7; 4 Belgium – 38.8; 5 Sweden – 37.5; 17 Japan – 23.7; 25 United States – 13.7

Aid - Largest Bilateral and multilateral donors % of GDP 2008; 1 Saudi Arabia – 1.19; 2 Sweden - 0.99; 3 Norway - 0.88; 4 Denmark - 0.82; 14 France - 0.38; 22 Japan – 0.20; 24 United States – 0.19

Largest industrial output $bn 2008; 1 United States – 3,073; 2 China – 2104; 3 Japan – 1282; 6 Russia – 625; 8 France – 584; 10 Brazil – 440; 16 Indonesia – 246; 21 Sweden – 134; 43 listed

Largest Manufacturing Output $bn 2008; 1 China – 1850; 2 United States – 1,831; 3 Japan 1,011; 4 Germany – 855; 7 France – 341; 8 Russia – 293; 9 Brazil – 281; 15; Indonesia – 140; 22 Sweden 93; 39 listed

Largest service output $bn 2008; 1 United States – 10,562; 2 Japan – 3,036; 3 Germany – 2,517; 4 France – 2,215; 6 China – 1,734; 9 Brazil – 1,029; 10 Russia – 970; 15 Sweden – 338; 50 listed

Largest Agricultural output $bn 2008; 1 China – 489; 2 India – 202; 3 United States – 183; 4 Brazil – 106; 5 Russia – 84; 6 Indonesia – 74; 8 Japan – 63; 9 France – 57

Energy – Largest Producer (all sources hydro, oil, coal, nuc etc.) million tons oil equivalent;
1 China – 1,814; 2 United States – 1.665; 3 Russia – 1231; 4 Saudi Arabia – 551; 8; Indonesia – 331; 13 Brazil – 216; 23 France – 135; 29 Japan – 90; 30 listed

Global Competitiveness - Overall based on 246 criterion; 1 Singapore; 2 Hong Kong; 3 United States; 4 Switzerland; 6 Sweden; 18 China; 24 France; 27 Japan; 38 Brazil; 44 listed

Global Competitiveness - government efficiency – public finance, fiscal policy, institutional and social frameworks, business legislation; 1 Hong Kong; 2 Singapore; 3 Switzerland; 4 Australia; 13 Sweden; 24 Franc; 27 Japan; 35 Indonesia; 38 Brazil; 44 listed

Global Competitiveness – Infrastructure; 1 United States; 2 Sweden; 3 Switzerland; 4 Canada; 13 Japan; 14 France; 31 China; 38 Russia

Business Environment – Hindrances to and opportunities to conduct of business; 1 Singapore – 8.7; 2 Switzerland – 8.44; 3 Finland – 8.43; 4 Canada 8.4; 4 Hong Kong 8.4; 8 Sweden – 8.2; 13 United States - 8.01; 19 France - 7.73; 26 Japan – 7.35; 40 Brazil – 6.62; 46 China – 6.36; 46 listed

Innovation Index – adoption of new technology and interaction between business and the science community; 1 United States - 5.77; 2 Switzerland – 5.56; 3 Finland – 5.53; 4 Japan – 5.51; 5 Sweden – 5.39; 18 France - 4.5; 24 listed

Technological readiness index – Ability of economy to adapt new technologies; 1 Sweden – 6.15; 2 Netherlands – 6.02; 3 Switzerland – 6.01; 4 Denmark – 5.92; 13 United States – 5.61; 23 France – 5.23; 24 listed

Total Expenditure on R&D as a % of GDP 2007; 1 Israel – 4.68; 2 Sweden – 3.64; 3 Finland – 3.47; 4 Japan – 3.40; 5 South Korea – 3.01; 7 United States – 2.67; 14 France – 2.08; 23 China – 1.4; 24 listed

Highest car ownership number of cars per 1000 of population; 1 Iceland – 669; 2 Luxembourg – 664; 3 New Zealand – 656; 4 Italy – 609; 12 France – 496; 19 Sweden - 468; 23 Japan – 446; 47 Russia – 193; 50 listed

Car Production – ‘000, 2008; 1 Japan – 10,108; 2 China – 6,712; 3 Germany –5,527; 4 South Korea – 3,804; 5 United States – 3,750; 6 Brazil – 2,427; 7 France – 2,145; 12 Russia – 1,309; 25 Indonesia – 314; 29 Sweden – 252; 40 listed

Largest tourist receipts, $m, 2008; 1 United States – 110,090; 2 Spain – 61,826;
3 France – 55,595; 4 Italy – 27,956; 5 China – 40,843; 20 Sweden – 12,490; 22 Russia – 11,943; 24 listed

Education – Highest tertiary enrolment. (post secondary school), % of relevant age group;
1 Cuba – 122; 2 South Korea; 96; 3 Finland – 94; 4 Greece – 91; 5 Slovenia – 85; 6 United States – 82; 13 Russia – 75; 13 Sweden – 75; 20 listed

Life Expectancy, years; Japan – 83.7; Hong Kong – 82.8; 3 Andorra – 82.5; 3 Switzerland – 82.5; 5 Iceland – 82.3; 7 France – 81.9; 8 Sweden 81.6; 32 United States – 79.9; 40 Cuba 79.1; 48 listed

Women who use modern methods of contraception (excluding rhythm); 1 China, 2 Norway, 3 United Kingdom, 7 France, 17 Cuba, 17 listed

Lowest infant mortality – number of deaths per 1000 live births; 1 Bermuda – 2.5; 2 Iceland – 2.8; 3 Sweden – 2.9; 4 Singapore – 3.0; 5 Japan – 3.1; 12 France – 3.8; 22 listed

Highest health spending – as % of GDP; 1 United States – 15.7; 2 Burundi – 13.9; 3 Timor – Leste – 13.6; 4 France – 11.0; 7 Cuba – 10.6; 23 Sweden – 9.3; 30 listed

Lowest population per doctor; 1 Cuba – 156; 2 Greece – 187; 3 Belarus – 205; 4 Georgia – 220, 5 Russia – 232; 17 France – 268; 17 listed

Most hospital beds, beds per 1000 of population; 1 Japan – 14.0; 2 Belarus – 11.2; 3 Russia – 9.7; 4 Ukraine – 8.7; 15 France – 7.2

Highest cost of living – US is 100; 1 France – 150; 2 Japan – 146; 3 Norway – 144; 4 Denmark – 138; 22 Sweden – 104; 24 United States 100; 25 Listed

Telephones – telephone lines per 100* people; 1 Bermuda – 89; 2 British Virgin Islands – 82.9; 13 Sweden – 57.8; 14 France – 56.4; 23 United States – 49.6; 38 listed

Mobile phones subscribers per 100* people; 1 United Arab Emirates – 208.7; 2 Estonia – 188.2; 3 Bahrain – 185.8; 13 Russia - 142.8; 33 Sweden – 118.3; 58 listed

Computers per 100* people; 1 Israel – 122; Switzerland 96.2; 3 Canada – 94.2; 4 Netherlands – 91.2; 5 Sweden – 88.1; 6 United States – 80.6; 12 Japan – 67.6; 14 France – 65.2; 44 Russia – 14.3; 50 listed

Broadband Subscribers per 100* people; 1 Sweden 41.1; 2 Denmark – 36.9; 3 Netherlands – 35.3; 4 Switzerland – 33.7; 9 France – 28.4; 14 United States 24.1; 17 Japan 23.6; 40 listed

* I believe there was a typo and it should have been per 1000 as was with other data

Beer Drinkers – retail sales in liters per head of population; 1 Czech Republic – 82.2; 2 Venezuela – 74.4; 3 Russia – 73.0; 4 Poland – 71.5; 11 United States – 61.0; 22 listed

Wine Drinkers; 1 Portugal 28.8; 2 Switzerland – 28.4; 3 France – 27.7; 4 Italy – 27.1; 13 Sweden – 18.1; 21 listed

Alcohol drinkers; 1 Finland – 99.8; 2 Australia – 99.7; 3 Czech Republic – 98.3; 4 Russia – 97.2; 15 United States – 73.2; 20 Sweden – 66.3

Robberies per 100,000 of population; 1 Belgium – 1,837; 2 Spain – 1,067; 3 Maldives – 196; 4 Chile – 180; 5 Russia – 173; 6 France – 172; 8 United States – 142; 11 Sweden –97; 20 listed

Prisoners per 100,000 of population; 1 United States – 753; 2 Russia – 660; 3 Rwanda – 593; 4 Virgin Islands (US) 561; 5 Cuba – 531; 24 listed