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In order to help with this difficult situation, global governments have had to increase their expenditures to deal with higher healthcare costs, unemployment, food insecurity, and to help businesses to survive. Countries have taken on new debt to provide financial support for these measures, which has resulted in the highest global debt levels in half a century. To analyze the extent of global debt, we’ve compiled debt-to-GDP data by country from the most recent World Economic Outlook report by the IMF....

Did you know that hydroelectricity is the world’s biggest source of renewable energy? According to recent figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), it represents 40% of total capacity, ahead of solar (28%) and wind (27%). This type of energy is generated by hydroelectric power stations, which are essentially large dams that use the water flow to spin a turbine. They can also serve secondary functions such as flow monitoring and flood control....

Bill Gates. Warren Buffett. Mark Zuckerberg. George Soros. Charles and David Koch. On an individual level, the people that make the definitive list of the Top 50 Wealthiest Billionaires are interesting, divisive, and envied around the globe. Together, they are a real force to be reckoned with: their combined fortunes tally to $1.46 trillion, which is more money than the GDP of entire countries such as Australia or Spain. Today’s data visualization, using the latest information from Wealth-X, takes an in-depth look at the world’s wealthiest billionaires by breaking down important data on age, location, and the source of their fortunes....

International trade was equal to 65% of Ukraine’s GDP in 2020, totaling to $102.9 billion of goods exchanged with countries around the world. In 2014, Russia’s annexation of Crimea contributed to a 30% year-over-year drop in Ukraine’s 2015 trade value ($75.6B). Now, Ukraine’s international trade has been irreversibly disrupted since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022. The current conflict continues to reshape geopolitical relations and international trade—and to give context to the situation, we’ve created this graphic using IMF and UN Comtrade data to showcase Ukraine’s largest trading partners and goods traded in 2020....

But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist? The Trends Shaping the World. Right in Your Inbox In today’s fast-paced world, keeping up is a challenge. But if you sign up for VC+, our members program, we do all the hard work for you. Through featured dispatches and a specially curated newsletter, we find the most important visualizations, reports, and data, and deliver them straight to your inbox....

Which Smartphone Maker is Winning the Patent War? Ever since the dawn of the smartphone era, hardware makers such as Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, LG, and Nokia have been engaged in a costly patents arms race. Every new patent on file furthers the case for the manufacturer’s legitimacy. Without any of this ammo, a manufacturer must capitulate against the crushing legal forces touted by the big boys. The legal battles have costed manufacturers billions and there are no shortage of examples of companies posturing in the patent arena....

Popular video conferencing company, Zoom Communications, is a prime example of an organization benefiting from this transition. Today’s graphic, inspired by Lennart Dobravsky at Lufthansa Innovation Hub, is a dramatic look at how much Zoom’s valuation has shot up during this unusual period in history. The Zoom Boom, in Perspective As of May 15, 2020, Zoom’s market capitalization has skyrocketed to $48.8 billion, despite posting revenues of only $623 million over the past year....

While there are a number of reasons that contribute towards job dissatisfaction, a toxic work environment can have a significant impact on an employee’s performance, not to mention their physical and mental health. But identifying red flags before accepting a job offer can be difficult; companies often sell themselves as a model workplace, when in reality, their inner workings are hugely problematic. How to Identify a Toxic Work Environment Today’s graphic comes to us from resume....

All About Pre-Market Trading In today’s environment, traders must be willing to watch the markets around the clock. The combination of globalization and new communication technologies mean that markets can be affected by any event in the world at any time. Therefore, it is important for most active investors to know how pre-market trading works. Using ECNs (Electronic Communications Networks), investors are able to match buy and sell orders in extended hours trading without a middleman....

They’ll write about the battle between nationalism and globalism, soaring global debt, a dysfunctional healthcare system, societal concerns around automation and AI, and pushback on immigration. They will also note the growing number of populist leaders in Western democracies, ranging from Marine Le Pen to Donald Trump. However, these historians will not view these ideas and events in isolation. Instead, they will link them all, at least partially, to an overarching trend that is intimately connected to today’s biggest problems: the “hollowing out” of the middle class....

Take this kind of spending power and combine it with the recent legalization of recreational cannabis, and it’s fair to say that the Golden State is primed to become the Holy Grail of cannabis opportunities. But while the market is home to immense potential, this doesn’t mean that the California cannabis business isn’t without its own unique challenges and obstacles to navigate. Navigating California Cannabis Today’s infographic comes to us from High Hampton Holdings and it helps set the stage for the boom in California, as well as listing the regulatory hurdles that companies must be prepared to deal with in the jurisdiction....

Global Stock Markets Off to Worst Start in History [Chart] The first four trading days show optimism for 2016 is in short supply. The Chart of the Week is a weekly Visual Capitalist feature on Fridays. In our review of the economic events of 2015, we noted that the simple turning of a calendar page does not rectify the problems of the previous year. The first week of trading on major exchanges has made this even more clear....

Tech has already conquered the stock market and the realm of digital advertising. Now the technology sector also has a strangle hold on another measure: the value of consumer brands. The massive scale and reach of tech companies has helped their brand values to skyrocket over the last decade. In fact, even just adding Google and Apple’s most recent numbers together gives a figure that rivals the GDP of Sweden....

The company is not only America’s most valuable automaker, it’s now worth more than Ford and GM combined. Tesla’s valuation has already surpassed the $100 billion mark – a significant milestone for a company that produces a fraction of the vehicles of its direct competitors. Here’s a comparison of the top selling models in the U.S. for Ford, GM, and Tesla. A quick glance at this list is revealing. Though Tesla’s Model 3 put up strong sales numbers, it’s still only a small percentage of vehicles sold by U....

The NYSE and NASDAQ are the two largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalization. However, what is their relation to major indices such as the S&P 500, S&P 100, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Today’s chart breaks down the composition of the 4,500+ large cap stocks that are traded on the NYSE and NASDAQ, showing how the indices are currently derived. (For another refresher, check out our post on the difference between the Dow, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ....

World’s Largest Economies in 2030 The Chart of the Week is a weekly Visual Capitalist feature on Fridays. Today’s emerging markets are tomorrow’s powerhouses, according to a recent forecast from Standard Chartered, a multinational bank headquartered in London. The bank sees developing economies like Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, and Egypt all moving up the ladder – and by 2030, it estimates that seven of the world’s largest 10 economies by GDP (PPP) will be located in emerging markets....

Today’s visualization uses data primarily from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) to rank the world’s countries by their share of Earth’s surface. Breakdown of Countries Share of Earth’s Surface The largest countries by surface area are Russia (3.35%), Canada (1.96%), and China (1.88%). Together they occupy roughly 7.2% of Earth’s surface. Russia is so big that even if we divided the country between its Asian and European sections, those new regions would still be the largest in their respective continents....

But as we all know, what we major in has consequences that extend far beyond the foundation of knowledge we build in our early years. Any program we choose to enroll in also sets up a track to meet future friends, career opportunities, and connections. Even further, the college degree you choose will partially dictate your future earning potential – especially in the first decade after school. If jobs in your field are in high demand, it can even set you up for long-term financial success, enabling you to pay off costly student loans and build up savings potential....

However, the consumer base for these cars isn’t going away any time soon. EVs are becoming increasingly popular thanks to higher environmental awareness, falling costs, and ever-improving infrastructure. Demand for Metals on the Rise Demand from the EV industry for key metals is on a swift upward trajectory. Copper, nickel, and lithium are some of the key metals required for EV battery production. As a result, demand growth for nickel from EVs is expected to increase 14 times between 2019-2030....

Although democracy was starting to show signs of growth in some parts of the world, it was more of an idea, rather than an established or accepted system of government. Even at the start of the 19th century, for example, it’s estimated that the vast majority of the global population — roughly 84% of all people — still lived under in autocratic regimes or colonies that lacked the authority to self-govern their own affairs....