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Mapped: Investment Risk, by Country
Mapped: Investment Risk, by Country
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This was originally posted on Advisor Channel. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on financial markets that help advisors and their clients.
What is the risk of investing in another country?
Given the rapid growth of emerging economies, and the opportunities this may present to investors, it raises the question: does investment exposure abroad come with risk, and how can that risk be analyzed?
To help answer this question, this graphic shows country risk around the world, based on analysis from Aswath Damodaran at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
The Methodology
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For many reasons, there are variations in risk across different countries. These can be influenced by geopolitical factors, such as political risk, whether they are in a stage of early growth, or have stable property rights.
To get a clearer picture of country risk, Damodaran analyzed the following broad factors:
Political risk: Type of regime, corruption, level of conflictLegal risk: Property rights protections, contract rightsEconomic risk: Diversification of economyIn addition, a nation’s default risk was analyzed, which is a common measure used in financial markets. When a nation defaults on its debt, it often leads to market turbulence, and other negative effects that can last for many years.
Together, these factors, along with others, estimate a country risk premium, which is the extra risk in a given market. The U.S. served as baseline for measuring the extra risk of each country.
Investment Risk in 2023
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Below, we show country risk around the world, from highest to lowest risk as of July, 2023:
As the table above shows, five countries share the highest risk: Belarus, Lebanon, Venezuela, Sudan, and Syria. In Belarus, Russian military forces continue to operate. Venezuela has faced hyperinflation and endemic corruption for many years.
On the other hand, 13 countries had the lowest risk, including several European nations, Singapore, and New Zealand. This is due to factors such as their AAA-rated government bonds, low corruption, and strong property right protections.
What Does This Mean for Investors?
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Mapped: Investment Risk, by Country
This was originally posted on Advisor Channel. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on financial markets that help advisors and their clients. What is the risk of investing in another country? Given the rapid growth of emerging economies, and the opportunities this may present to investors, it raises the question: does investment exposure abroad come with risk, and how can that risk be analyzed? To help answer this question, this graphic shows country risk around the world, based…
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The 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index
The 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index
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This was originally posted on the Decarbonization Channel. Subscribe to the free mailing list to be the first to see graphics related to decarbonization with a focus on the U.S. energy sector.
Electric utilities and the power sector have a pivotal role to play in decarbonizing the U.S. economy, especially with the electrification of sectors such as transportation.
So, where do the country’s largest electricity producers stand on the path to decarbonization?
In collaboration with our sponsor National Public Utilities Council, we present the 2023 edition of our Annual Utility Decarbonization Index. The index uses 2021 data (the latest available at the time of data collection) to track the comparative decarbonization progress of the 47 largest investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in the United States.
In the graphic above, we give a preview of the top 10 rankers.
Methodology of the Utility Decarbonization Index
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The Utility Decarbonization Index uses the following six metrics to track decarbonization progress:
Fuel Mix
The share of low-carbon sources in a utility’s owned net electricity generation.CO2 Emissions Intensity
The amount of CO2 emitted per megawatt-hour of owned and purchased net electricity generation.Total CO2 Emissions
The absolute amount of CO2 emitted from owned and purchased net electricity generation.CO2 Emissions Per Customer
The amount of CO2 emitted per retail, commercial, and industrial customer served.Decarbonization Goals
An evaluation of the company’s interim greenhouse gas reduction and net-zero targets, with a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050 as baseline targets.Low-Carbon investment
The share of planned capital expenditure for electricity generation dedicated to low-carbon sources.All 47 IOUs in the Decarbonization Index are scored on a scale of one (lowest) to five (highest) for each of the six metrics, indicating whether they are trailing or leading compared to their peers. A utility’s final decarbonization score is an average of its scores across the six metrics.
The data for these metrics comes from company sustainability reports, quantitative ESG reporting templates from the Edison Electric Institute, and the Climate Disclosure Project’s Climate Change Questionnaire filings.
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The 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index
This was originally posted on the Decarbonization Channel. Subscribe to the free mailing list to be the first to see graphics related to decarbonization with a focus on the U.S. energy sector. Electric utilities and the power sector have a pivotal role to play in decarbonizing the U.S. economy, especially with the electrification of sectors such as transportation. So, where do the country’s largest electricity producers stand on the path to decarbonization? In collaboration with our sponsor National Public…
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Charted: The U.S. Mortgage Rate vs. Existing Home Sales
The U.S. Mortgage Rate vs. Existing Home Sales
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The U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has reached its highest level since 2002.
Coupled with rising home prices and a constrained housing inventory, U.S. housing affordability is now at its lowest point in history, according to the National Association of Realtors.
In the graphic above, we take a closer look at how the U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has evolved since 2013 against the backdrop of existing home sales, using data from both Freddie Mac and Trading Economics.
A Decade in Review: U.S. 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages
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Due to the stability and predictability they offer, fixed-rate mortgages remain very popular among American homebuyers. In 2021, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages made up 70% of all issued mortgages in the country.
Let’s take a look at how U.S. 30-year mortgage rates have evolved through the years.
In the last few years alone, Americans have seen 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hit their lowest point in U.S. history—2.65% in January 2021—as well as skyrocket to their current rate of 7.31% (as of October 3, 2023.)
Naturally, this surge may leave many people wondering about the reasons behind this drastic change and whether they will drop any time soon.
Why Do Mortgage Rates Rise?
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Mortgage rates rise in response to various economic indicators and policy changes.
Over the years, factors such as shifts in the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, inflation concerns, the state of the bond market, and fluctuations in economic growth have all played roles in influencing mortgage rates.
2023 is no different, with many different economic and global events at play. It’s also notable that these high mortgage rates are affecting home sales in the U.S., specifically with existing home sales taking a dip while new home sales subtly rise.
This change in dynamics is occurring as homeowners with low mortgage rates hesitate to sell their homes and get back in the market amidst high mortgage rates. In turn, demand from buyers is increasing new home sales and pushing prices even higher.
What’s In Store for U.S. Mortgage Rates?
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U.S. mortgage rates remain above 7% for the time being.
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Charted: The U.S. Mortgage Rate vs. Existing Home Sales
The U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has reached its highest level since 2002. Coupled with rising home prices and a constrained housing inventory, U.S. housing affordability is now at its lowest point in history, according to the National Association of Realtors. In the graphic above, we take a closer look at how the U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has evolved since 2013 against the backdrop of existing home sales, using data from both Freddie Mac and Trading Economics.
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Visualized: Air Quality and Pollution in 50 Capital Cities
Comparing Air Quality and Pollution in 50 Capital Cities
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We know bad air quality when we breathe it in—but how does it measure and compare across different cities?
To assess air quality, agencies measure the amount of particulate matter in an area to arrive at a number the resident population is breathing in over a period of time.
Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a complex mix of solids and aerosols and is defined by diameter for regulatory purposes. Particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10) are inhalable and can induce adverse health effects.In this case, Planet Anomaly visualized the concentration of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) in 50 select capital cities across the globe, using data from IQAir’s 2022 World Air Quality Report.
The report applied population-based adjustments to standardize its results and calculated an annual average of the data. If a city exceeded the WHO safety guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) for annual average PM2.5 levels, it implied potential health risks for its residents.
Ranked: Capital Cities With the Best and Worst Air Quality
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At the top of the list with the best air quality, Canberra, the capital of Australia, had an average PM2.5 level of 2.8 μg/m³ in 2022. Vehicle emissions and dust storms are the few sources of air pollutants in the city.
However, while Canberra did well in 2022, it had some of the worst air quality in 2020 when bushfire smoke blackened the skies.
Here’s the full list of all 116 capital cities measured by IQAir’s report, ranked by air quality from best to worst.
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And share your thoughts 👇
Visualized: Air Quality and Pollution in 50 Capital Cities
We know bad air quality when we breathe it in—but how does it measure and compare across different cities? To assess air quality, agencies measure the amount of particulate matter in an area to arrive at a number the resident population is breathing in over a period of time.
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Visualizing All Attempted and Successful Moon Landings
Visualizing All Attempted and Successful Moon Landings
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Since before Ancient Greece and the first Chinese Dynasties, people have sought to understand and learn more about the moon.
Curiosity and centuries of study culminated in the first moon landing in the 1960s. But there have been many other attempted moon landings, both before and after.
This chart by Preyash Shah illustrates all the moon landings using NASA data since 1966 when Soviet lander Luna 9 touched down.
Race to the Moon
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The 1960s and 1970s marked an era of intense competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union as they raced to conquer the moon.
During the Cold War, space became a priority as each side sought to prove the superiority of its technology, its military firepower, and its political-economic system.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set a national goal to have a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.
After several failed attempts from both sides, on July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission was successful and astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon.
After the Apollo missions, the fervor of lunar exploration waned. From 1976 to 2013, no moon landing attempts occurred due to budget constraints, shifting priorities, and advances in robotic missions.
However, a new chapter in space exploration has unfolded in recent years, with emerging players entering the cosmic arena. With its Chang’e missions, China has made significant strides, landing rovers on the moon and exploring the far side of the moon.
India, too, has asserted its presence with the Chandrayaan missions. In 2023, the country became the 4th nation to reach the moon as an unmanned spacecraft landed near the lunar south pole, advancing the country’s space ambitions to learn more about the lunar ice, potentially one of the moon’s most valuable resources.
Exploring Lunar Water
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Since the 1960s, even before the historic Apollo landing, scientists had theorized the potential existence of water on the moon.
In 2008, Brown University researchers employed advanced technology to reexamine lunar samples, discovering hydrogen within beads of volcanic glass. And in 2009, a NASA instrument aboard the India’s Chandrayaan-1 probe confirmed the presence of water on the moon’s surface.
Read details below
And share your thoughts 👇
Visualizing All Attempted and Successful Moon Landings
Since before Ancient Greece and the first Chinese Dynasties, people have sought to understand and learn more about the moon. Curiosity and centuries of study culminated in the first moon landing in the 1960s. But there have been many other attempted moon landings, both before and after. This chart by Preyash Shah illustrates all the moon landings using NASA data since 1966 when Soviet lander Luna 9 touched down.
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What’s New on VC+ in October
If you’re a regular visitor to Visual Capitalist, you know that we’re your home base for data-driven, visual storytelling that helps explain a complex world.
But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist, all while helping support the work we do?
VC+ is our members program that gives you exclusive access to the weekly visual insights that leaders at Fortune 500 companies use to stay ahead.
Along with The Trendline newsletter twice a week and our monthly special dispatches, you’ll also get access to our new VC+ Archive—unlocking hundreds of our in-depth briefings and insights in one place.
Sign Up Now Here’s what VC+ members can look forward to for the rest of this month:
New to VC+ in October 2023
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### “Exploring the Growth of Economic Complexity in Europe”
SPECIAL DISPATCH: An Exploration of Export Complexity in European Countries
Economic complexity of exports is a useful metric that underscores the technological and economic development of countries.
This dispatch dives into the economic complexity of European countries, from top ranking nations like Switzerland to the steady improvement of various smaller countries of the continent.
Coming Tuesday, October 17th, 2023 (Get VC+ to access)
### ”Markets This Month: October Edition”
SPECIAL DISPATCH: Everything You Need to Know for This Month in the Markets
This Special Dispatch exclusive to VC+ subscribers provides a high-level summary of the month’s key events and most important market trends. It’s our way of cutting through the noise and sending you the data that matters most for the markets this month.
October’s edition will include:
An economic calendar of the biggest data and earnings releases to be aware ofA handful of essential charts diving into the state of the marketsAnd a collection of insightful links worth reading, watching, and listening toComing Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 (Get VC+ to access)
### The Trendline
PREMIUM NEWSLETTER: Our Bi-Weekly Newsletter for VC+ Members
The Sunday Edition The Midweek Edition
The Best Visualizations Each Week The Best Data and Reports Each Week
>> View free sample >> View free sample
*The Trendline* is our premium newsletter sent to members twice a week.
Read details below
And share your thoughts 👇
What’s New on VC+ in October
If you’re a regular visitor to Visual Capitalist, you know that we’re your home base for data-driven, visual storytelling that helps explain a complex world. But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist, all while helping support the work we do? VC+ is our members program that gives you exclusive access to the weekly visual insights that leaders at Fortune 500 companies use to stay ahead. Along with The Trendline newsletter twice a week and our monthly special dispatches, you’ll…
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Mapped: The Age of U.S. Senators, by State
Mapped: The Age of U.S. Senators, by State
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The passing of California Senator Dianne Feinstein at the age of 90 is throwing a spotlight on America’s political establishment, not only with the government narrowly escaping shutdown, but on questions of ageism, representation, and fitness for office.
Feinstein had a noteworthy career. As the longest-running woman in the Senate’s history, she served the nation’s most populous state.
Yet Feinstein’s growing health complications along with two incidents of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell freezing while speaking this year highlight the growing trend of America’s aging leadership.
The above graphic shows the age of U.S. senators, by state as of October 5, 2023.
How the Age of U.S. Senators Breaks Down
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Today, 66% of senators are over the age of 60.
While senators have historically been older than the American population, consider how the median age in the U.S. is 39 according to the 2020 U.S. Census, and the median age of the Senate prior to Feinstein’s passing was 65.
We can see in the below table how the Senate has become growingly older, influenced by longer lifespans and the increased likelihood of members running for re-election (and winning). In addition, members in the Baby Boomer generation, ages 58 to 77 years old, often have more resources and wealth to help secure their seat.
On the other end of the spectrum are nine senators under the age of 50, including Democrat Jon Ossoff of Georgia, at 36, and Republican senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, at 39. Laphonza Butler, 44, the newly appointed senator to replace Feinstein, also falls within this camp.
This trend of an older Senate may have policy ramifications.
Studies show that lawmakers’ identities can influence legislative behavior. Older members of Congress have been shown to have a higher likelihood of introducing legislation on prescription drugs and long-term care, and other issues affecting seniors.
Other studies show that racial minorities, women, and veterans are more likely to intervene in Congress in the interest of these groups.
Top U.S. Senators, by Time in Office
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Along with the trend of an older Congress, the average number of years served has also increased.
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Mapped: The Age of U.S. Senators, by State
The passing of California Senator Dianne Feinstein at the age of 90 is throwing a spotlight on America’s political establishment, not only with the government narrowly escaping shutdown, but on questions of ageism, representation, and fitness for office. Feinstein had a noteworthy career. As the longest-running woman in the Senate’s history, she served the nation’s most populous state. Yet Feinstein’s growing health complications along with two incidents of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell freezing…
How AI and the Metaverse Will Impact the Datasphere
How AI and the Metaverse Will Impact the Datasphere
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The datasphere—the infrastructure that stores and processes our data—is critical to many of the advanced technologies on which we rely.
So we partnered with HIVE Digital on this infographic to take a deep dive on how it could evolve to meet the twin challenges of AI and the metaverse.
The Rise and Rise of Large Language Models
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If the second decade of the 21st century is remembered for anything, it will probably be the leaps and bounds made in the field of AI. Large language models (LLMs) have pushed AI performance to near-human levels, and in some cases beyond. But to get there, it is taking more and more computational resources to train and operate them.
The Large-Scale Era is often considered to have started in late 2015 with the release of DeepMind’s AlphaGo Fan, the first computer to defeat a professional Go player.
That LLM required a training compute of 380 quintillion FLOP/s, or floating-point operations per second, a measure of computer performance. In 2023, OpenAI’s GPT-4 had a training compute 55 thousand times greater, at 21 septillion FLOP/s.
At this rate of growth—essentially doubling every 9.9 months—future AI systems will need exponentially larger computers to train and operate them.
Building the Metaverse
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The metaverse, an immersive and frictionless web accessed through augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), will only add to these demands. One way to quantify this demand is to compare bitrates across applications, which measures the amount of data (i.e. bits) transmitted.
On the low end: music streaming, web browsing, and gaming all have relatively low bitrate requirements. Only streaming gaming breaks the one Mbps (megabits per second) threshold. Things go up from there, and fast. AR, VR, and holograms, all technologies that will be integral for the metaverse, top out at 300 Mbps.
Consider also that VR and AR require incredibly low latency—less than five milliseconds—to avoid motion sickness. So not only will the metaverse contribute increase the amount of data that needs to be moved—644 GB per household per day—but it will also need to move it very quickly.
Read details below
And share your thoughts 👇
How AI and the Metaverse Will Impact the Datasphere
The datasphere—the infrastructure that stores and processes our data—is critical to many of the advanced technologies on which we rely. So we partnered with HIVE Digital on this infographic to take a deep dive on how it could evolve to meet the twin challenges of AI and the metaverse.
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Why Do People Start Businesses in Every U.S. State?
Why Do People Start Businesses in Every U.S. State?
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People have various motivations for starting their businesses.
Some seek higher income. Others are looking for a balance between family life and career. In some situations, entrepreneurship may be the only way to fight unemployment.
In this infographic, OnDeck uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Annual Business Survey to highlight the most unique reasons for why people start businesses in each U.S. state.
Editor’s note: The map tracks the most popular unique reasons to start a business. In this case, “unique” is defined by how much a particular reason stands out from the U.S. average across all states. For example, in Delaware, more respondents said they started businesses because they “couldn’t find jobs” (11.6%) than in any other state (U.S. average: 7.3%). So, even though it’s not numerically the most popular reason overall, it is the unique reason that stands out the most for that state.
The Most Popular Unique Reasons to Start a Business
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According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, entrepreneurship rates in the U.S. have been trending upward over the past two decades.
In fact, despite multi-billion dollar companies getting the spotlight, 99.9% of businesses across the U.S. are small businesses, employing over 60 million people.
Wanting to make more income is the biggest unique factor in starting a business in 14 states, including some of the states with the highest unemployment rates, like New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Alabama.
In Utah, a higher percentage (65.4%) of entrepreneurs start businesses to achieve a work-life balance than in any other state. Notably, Utah is known for having the largest average family size, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, and has a strong religious presence.
On the other hand, in Florida, more business founders (69.2%) start their businesses to become their own bosses than anywhere else.
New York and California are states where entrepreneurs mentioned that they couldn’t find a job as a key unique reason to start a business. In fact, both states lead as the worst for job seekers, as shown in another Visual Capitalist graphic.
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Why Do People Start Businesses in Every U.S. State?
People have various motivations for starting their businesses. Some seek higher income. Others are looking for a balance between family life and career. In some situations, entrepreneurship may be the only way to fight unemployment. In this infographic, OnDeck uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Annual Business Survey to highlight the most unique reasons for why people start businesses in each U.S. state. Editor’s note: The map tracks the most popular unique reasons to start a business. In this case…
All of the World’s Exports by Country, in One Chart
All of the World’s Exports by Country, in One Chart
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In 2022, the total export value of global goods reached nearly $25 trillion.
With the evolution of international trade, the effects of globalization, and progress in technology, global trade has increased by around 300% over the last 20 years.
This visualization by Truman Du uses data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to chart the world’s top exporters by country.
China is Still the “World’s Factory”
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The world’s largest 11 exporters shipped out $12.8 trillion of goods in 2022, more than the rest of the world combined ($12.1 trillion).
The list is headed by China, with $3.6 trillion or 14% of total exports. The country has been the largest exporter of goods in the world since 2009.
Top 11CountryExports (USD)1 China$3.6T2 U.S.$2.1T3 Germany$1.7T4 Netherlands$965.5B5 Japan$746.9B6 South Korea$683.6B7 Italy$656.9B8 Belgium$632.9B9 France$617.8B10 Hong Kong$609.9B11 United Arab Emirates $598.5BIn 2022, the top products exported from China by value were phones (including smartphones), computers, optical readers, integrated circuits, solar power diodes, and semiconductors.
Two of China’s primary trading partners are neighboring countries Japan and South Korea.
Mexico Surpasses China as America’s Largest Trading Partner
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China has built up significant trade relations with the European Union and the United States, two of the world’s largest markets for goods.
However, recent trade tensions have led to China losing its status as the United States’ biggest trading partner in 2023.
Mexico has now overtaken China as the largest seller to the United States. This shift in trade dynamics is part of a broader effort by the U.S. to import goods from closer to home and reduce its dependence on geopolitical rivals.
The U.S. itself is the world’s second largest goods exporter, with over $2 trillion annually.
Canada was the largest purchaser of U.S. exports in 2022, accounting for 17% of total exports, followed by Mexico, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
The top exports of the United States are refined petroleum, petroleum gas, crude petroleum, cars, and integrated circuits.
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All of the World’s Exports by Country, in One Chart
In 2022, the total export value of global goods reached nearly $25 trillion. With the evolution of international trade, the effects of globalization, and progress in technology, global trade has increased by around 300% over the last 20 years. This visualization by Truman Du uses data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to chart the world’s top exporters by country.