We rely on smartphones every waking minute to stay connected. However, the various products and services—also known as the smartphone multiplier market—that allow us to use these devices in the first place can often be an afterthought. The Smartphone Plateau There are over 3.3 billion smartphone users in the world today. The smartphone economy—estimated to pull in $944 billion in total revenue in 2020—is so massive that it rivals the GDP of countries like Indonesia and the Netherlands....

So, how many nuclear weapons are there, and what exactly is happening right now? Let’s launch into it. Who has Access to Nuclear Weapons? As the map above demonstrates, the United States and Russia still maintain the world’s largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons, holding 92% of the world’s estimated 15,000 nuclear warheads. While today’s arsenals seem quite excessive, they are actually quite modest compared to historical totals such as those during the Cold War....

Over a million lives were lost in the pandemic, oil prices turned negative, and protests swept the streets. At the same time, 10 years of technology advancements seemed to happen in mere months—and now vaccinations are rolling out at a record speed. Below, we round up some of the year’s biggest news events with charts and visualizations. The Year in Review: 2020 in 20 Visualizations Australian Bushfires For some in the Southern Hemisphere who ushered in the new year first, it started on fire....

In just 48 years, the world population has doubled in size, jumping from four to eight billion. Of course, humans are not equally spread throughout the planet, and countries take all shapes and sizes. The visualizations in this article aim to build context on how the eight billion people are distributed around the world. For extended coverage of this moment and what it means to the world, you can get access to our full report and webinar by signing up to VC+, our premium newsletter....

Today’s graphic is inspired by a classic USGS diagram that tracks the scale and frequency of earthquakes. Shifting Foundations Earthquakes occur because the crust of the Earth is made up of several plates. The boundaries of these plates create faults that can run into one another. Earthquakes describe both the mechanism that causes a sudden stress release along plate boundaries and also the ensuing ground shaking. They occur when stress builds up along a tectonic fault....

At the time, such valuations were so rare that they deserved a special name – but since then, it’s fair to say that the landscape has shifted dramatically. The startup boom intensified, and capital flowed into private companies at an unprecedented pace. In recent times, unicorns have multiplied more like rabbits, and investors have propped up the combined value of the world’s 326 unicorns to the tune of $1.1 trillion....

But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist, all while helping support the work we do? More Visuals. More Insight. More Understanding. VC+ is our members program that gives you exclusive access to extra visual content and insightful special features. It also gets you access to The Trendline, our twice a week members-only newsletter that features the very best visualizations and data releases....

But while banks on each side of the border perform many similar functions, and have comparable economic impacts, the fact is that the U.S. and Canadian banking systems are very different. Comparing Canadian and U.S. Banks Today’s infographic comes to us from RBC Global Asset Management and it compares Canadian and U.S. banks directly based on a variety of factors. The histories of both banking sectors are contrasted, but subjects such as the regulatory environments, market forces, the number and size of banks, and post-crisis landscapes are also compared....

A Year’s Extraction of Metal Shown Next to Landmarks and Cities “One death is a tragedy. One million is a statistic.” – Joseph Stalin For thousands of years of development as a species, humans never really needed to understand the real meaning behind big, unreachable numbers such as billions or trillions. As a result, even today we have difficulty imaging what these seemingly abstract numbers represent. This is why visualization can be such a powerful tool....

In the late 1700s, it was the start of the battle of stock exchanges: in 1773, the London Stock Exchange was formed, and the New York Stock Exchange was formed just 19 years later. And while London was a preferred destination for international finance at the time, England also had laws that restricted the formation of new joint-stock companies. The law was repealed in 1825, but by then it was already too late....

It’s arguable that energy is the single most important driver of human progress – it’s a multi-trillion dollar industry that powers our daily lives, technological advancements, and even the economic development of entire countries. At the same time, our choices around energy can have significant consequences. How we decide to generate energy can decimate the environment, fuel political conflicts, and even cause human deaths as unwelcome side effects. The outcomes from our choices around energy are so vivid, that we’ve developed strong and polarized associations with the subject at hand....

This graphic provides context into the consumer debt situation using data from the end of 2021. Housing Vs. Non-Housing Debt The following table includes the data used in the above graphic. Housing debt covers mortgages, while non-housing debt covers auto loans, student loans, and credit card balances. Source: Federal Reserve Trends in Housing Debt Home prices have experienced upward pressure since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is evidenced by the Case-Shiller U....

Copper is one of the most widely used metals on the planet, and has been for more than 10,000 years. It’s history is rich and distinctive as its unique colour, and it is now indispensable in modern society. What Makes Copper Different? Pure copper is ductile – it can be easily stretched and shaped into different forms Highly conductive – copper conducts heat and electricity more effectively than all other metals save one: silver....

Tension in the South China Sea reached a potential inflection point this week. Days ago, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, dismissing China’s sweeping territorial claims to the hotly contested waters in the South China Sea. Since then, it has become clear that China plans to ignore the ruling, while Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin has threatened to declare an air defense identification zone over the waters to help protect the country’s interests....

For those of us living in North America or Europe, we generally take the near-universal access we have to financial services for granted. Sure, there are many people that have questions or concerns about the way central banks and currencies operate, but even the most skeptical of these people likely keep some money in a bank or investment account. It’s convenient, easy, and it facilitates other economic transactions. But, there are billions of people in the world that do not have such an opportunity....

Breaking Down 21 Apple Product Flops from 1980 – 2014 “Fail fast, fail often” is a common mantra that has circulated around Silicon Valley for years. However, there has been an outrage about its validity lately, especially as full-fledged funeral services mourn the remnants of startups past. Despite this ongoing debate, Apple serves as an example of a company that has taken big product risks with their fair share of failure....

It’s the tallest skyscraper in the world at 828m (2,717 ft), and it was completed in 2009. The price tag was a whopping $1.5 billion, making it one of the most expensive buildings of all time. For these bold projects to get the go ahead, global financial conditions have to be just right. Record-breaking skyscrapers can take multiple years to build, and things can change drastically from start to finish....

Unfortunately, a familiar property of helium prevents this from happening. Helium gas is lighter than air and literally rises into space, depleting the Earth of almost all valuable helium resources over time. Where do we get helium? So how do we actually obtain new helium gas, which is necessary for important technological applications such as MRI machines, superconductors, and even the Large Hadron Collider? Today’s infographic from Helium One shows everything you need to know on helium, including where we can find it on Earth, as well as the most important uses of the gas....

Whether you are acting on your wanderlust to explore new and exotic destinations, hopping to a familiar island for a well-deserved vacation, or jetsetting to London in the comfort of business class, the modern airline industry can get you almost anywhere you need to go. But while flying allows us to have unique experiences, it’s often the case that we are all coming and going from many of the same popular destinations....

But like any other area of personal finance expertise, real estate investing boils down to some simple basics. With the right strategies, patience, and a willingness to learn, it’s a discipline that can help you make strides on the path to financial independence. Strategies For Real Estate Investing Today’s infographic comes to us from Offer Climb and it dives into four timeless real estate investing strategies worth knowing. Whether you aim to do a quick “lipstick” flip or you’d prefer to generate passive income over time, here are the details and resources needed to execute on each strategy....