With 5G, we’re on the cusp of a similar transition in the global communications system. Total connectivity could soon be at our fingertips. Today’s infographic breaks down the potential that 5G promises, and the immense opportunities stemming from its implications for smart tech and the Internet of Things (IoT). A Timeline of Wireless Generations The world’s appetite for wireless speed has been insatiable. We’ve powered through five generations of wireless connectivity in just 40 years....

These last two are theoretical because they have yet to be directly measured—but even without a full understanding of these mysterious pieces to the puzzle, scientists can infer that the universe’s composition can be broken down as follows: Let’s look at each component in more detail. Dark Energy Dark energy is the theoretical substance that counteracts gravity and causes the rapid expansion of the universe. It is the largest part of the universe’s composition, permeating every corner of the cosmos and dictating how it behaves and how it will eventually end....

To get a better sense of their massive scale, this chart compiles financial data from some of the largest Fortune 500 companies, and includes U.S. military spending as an additional point of comparison. To determine each company’s total cost of operations, we combined its selling, general & administrative expense (SG&A) and its cost of goods sold (COGS). SG&A covers all of the costs associated with selling products and services, as well as managing day-to-day operations....

Born from the frustration of mass-produced beer made from cheap ingredients, entrepreneurs went head-to-head with global brewery giants to showcase local and independent craftsmanship. Suddenly, drinking beer became less about the alcoholic content and more about the quality and experience. Craft beer allowed for constantly changing flavors, recipes, and stories. With sales accounting for 24% of U.S. beer market worth over $114 billion, the global craft beer movement has been historic....

In this graphic sponsored by Roundhill Investments, we show how these bets have grown over the last 10 years. Annual Legal Bets on the Big Game From 2013 through 2018, sports betting was only legal in Nevada and year-over-year growth was low. However, when the federal sports betting ban was lifted in May 2018, more states started allowing bets. By 2022, 33 states plus Washington, DC were legally able to bet on the game....

From the Rockies to the Canadian Shield, and from the Plains and to the North, the variety of geology that exists in the country is immense – and this has created a large and unique opportunity for groundbreaking mineral discoveries. As a result, Canada is one of the world’s largest exporters of minerals and metals, supplying approximately 60 different mineral commodities to over 100 countries. An Intro to Canadian Mining Today’s infographic comes to us from Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan and it highlights an industry that has given Canada a competitive advantage in the global economy....

This resulted in 36,096 deaths over the year—an awful statistic to say the least—but one that would be much worse if it weren’t for seatbelts, airbags, and other modern safety devices. In this infographic, we’ve visualized data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation to show how breakthroughs in car safety have drastically reduced the number of motor vehicle fatalities. Measuring Safety Improvements The data shows the number of fatalities for every 100 million miles driven....

Today’s infographic comes to us from Publicis Health, and it demonstrates how electronic health records are an important piece in the puzzle to improve experiences for patients and providers alike. At a Crossroads As it stands, the current healthcare industry faces several challenges. Patients today have more complex needs and wants, while physicians are struggling to keep up. 25% of Americans have multiple chronic conditions. 63% of patients forget to adhere to medications....

Today’s infographic comes to us from HowMuch.net and it visualizes data on S&P 500 companies to see if there is any relationship between CEO pay and stock performance. For Richer or Poorer To begin, let’s look at the highest and lowest paid CEOs on the S&P 500, and their associated performance levels. Data here comes from a report by the Wall Street Journal. Below are the five CEOs with the most pay in 2018: Last year, David Zaslav led top CEOs by taking home $129....

In this visual we’ve ranked the economic output of the top 15 U.S. cities from New York City to Minneapolis, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data covers 2021, which is the most recent release from BEA. It’s important to note that the data considers entire surrounding metropolitan areas, so as an example, New York City includes neighboring population centers such as Newark, NJ, as well as Jersey City⁠—reaching a GDP of nearly $2 trillion....

This map uses data from the Wealth-X Billionaire Census to visualize where the world’s billionaires live and breaks down their collective wealth. Note on methodology: The report uses proprietary data from Wealth-X. Billionaire status is determined by assessing an individual’s total net worth, including publicly and privately held businesses and investable assets. To determine a billionaire’s location, Wealth-X used their primary business address. Billionaires by Region We’ll begin by zooming out to look at how various continents and world regions rank in terms of their billionaire population....

After all, these decisions have a direct effect on the personal wealth of these insiders, which can say plenty about their convictions with respect to the future direction of the companies they run. Considering that Big Tech stocks are some of the most popular holdings in today’s portfolios, and are backed by a collective $5.3 trillion in institutional investment, how do the CEOs of these organizations rank by their insider selling?...

But while Earth’s atmosphere stretches for about 10,000 km (6,200 miles) above the planet’s surface, only a thin layer is actually habitable. This graphic, inspired by Andrew Winter, shows just how small Earth’s “habitable zone” is, using the state of Florida as a point of reference. Earth’s Like an Onion: It Has Layers Our planet’s atmosphere is made up of a unique cocktail of gases—roughly 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with trace amounts of water, argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases....

But today’s key decision makers and investors don’t want to receive more information, they want to achieve more understanding. Signals from Noise This month, Visual Capitalist is excited to announce our newest book endeavor, “Signals: Charting the New Direction of the Global Economy” We envision “Signals” as a beautiful hardcover book that will be built from scratch with one specific aim: using our data-driven approach to show simple and clear takeaways on the trends that will define the next decade of the global economy....

Based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this infographic by SolarPower.Guide shows the top 50 greenest companies, based on the highest proportion of green energy used in their overall consumption mix. Leaders in Green Energy Use As green energy becomes more affordable, some major businesses like Google, Wells Fargo, and Apple are embracing it in a big way. It also helps that institutional investors are nudging companies in that direction anyways, especially as they become more focused on incorporating environment, social and governance (ESG) into their portfolios....

Finding the right mix of affordability, style, and features has meant that different manufacturers have been in the market lead during different decades. This infographic from Alan’s Factory Outlet shows the most-purchased cars in the U.S. since 1978, not including trucks and SUVs. What Is The Best-Selling Car in America By Year? From 1978 to 2020, over 348 million cars were sold in the U.S., or an average of 8....

In 2021, a handful of companies stood out from the pack, dominating the conversation and influencing society in both positive and negative ways. After vigorous internal debate, here is Visual Capitalist’s list of companies that defined 2021: Robinhood Pfizer Coinbase Tesla TikTok Facebook/Meta We looked at a number of metrics to select these companies, including Google search and news volume, performance relative to competitors, industry-specific indicators, and more. Many of these are digital companies, and all have massive reach, scale, and influence....

Yet, while the emergence of e-books dates back to the early 1970s, they didn’t hit the mainstream until the 2000s, when big companies began launching their own e-book readers, and digital libraries started to become more accessible to the public. Around this time, sales for e-books started to soar, and by 2013, e-book sales made up 20% of all books sales in America. Many wondered if this was the end for print books....

Today, modern Russia still holds all of those distinctions. Though no longer a designated superpower, the Russian Federation has recovered from the fall of the Soviet Union and has become the world’s 11th-largest economy. Even after being expelled from the G7 over its annexation of Crimea, Russia’s membership as one of the principal emerging economies in BRICS (alongside Brazil, India, China, and South Africa), the G20, and the United Nations Security Council solidifies its important position in the modern world....

This Colossal Clash is Disrupting the Digital Health Landscape Healthcare is a dinosaur industry and there’s no question about it. It makes sense: tight regulations, people’s lives at stake, and its inherent conservative nature have made it the oldest of dinosaurs in many ways. There is a confluence of disruption closing in on the healthcare industry that could leave the next Chicxulub crater. This infographic highlights the merger of two trends:...