Visual Capitalist

Mapped: Investment Risk, by Country ​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 on analysis from Aswath Damodaran at New York University’s Stern School of Business. The Methodology --------------- 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 ----------------------- 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? Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

The 2023 Utility Decarbonization Index ​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 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 ------------------------------------------------ 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. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: The U.S. Mortgage Rate vs. Existing Home Sales ​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. A Decade in Review: U.S. 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages ----------------------------------------------------- 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? --------------------------- 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? ---------------------------------------- U.S. mortgage rates remain above 7% for the time being. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Visualized: Air Quality and Pollution in 50 Capital Cities Comparing 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. 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 ---------------------------------------------------------- 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. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Visualizing All Attempted and Successful Moon Landings ​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. Race to the Moon ---------------- 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 --------------------- 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 👇

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 -------------------------- ### “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 👇

Mapped: The Age of U.S. Senators, by State ​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 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 ---------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------ Along with the trend of an older Congress, the average number of years served has also increased. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

How AI and the Metaverse Will Impact the Datasphere ​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. The Rise and Rise of Large Language Models ------------------------------------------ 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 ---------------------- 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 👇

Why Do People Start Businesses in Every U.S. State? 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, “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 --------------------------------------------------- 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. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

All of the World’s Exports by Country, in One Chart 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. China is Still the “World’s Factory” ------------------------------------ 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 ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Will the U.S. Get Hit With a Recession in 2024? ​Will the U.S. Get Hit With a Recession in 2024? ----------------------------------------------- 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. For much of the last year, recession fears have been building against a sharp rise in interest rates and market uncertainty. Only recently has there been a shift in sentiment. Given the resilience of the U.S. economy, a growing amount of investors are seeing an increasing likelihood of a soft landing—where the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to combat inflation without triggering a recession. However, many still remain cautious. This graphic shows U.S. economic forecasts across Wall Street, Main Street, and C-Suite for 2024. The Probability of a Recession in 2024 -------------------------------------- Here’s what key players are projecting for the economy: Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Wolters Kluwer, The Conference Board, Goldman Sachs Investment Research, Bank of America. Data based on surveys and projections conducted August-September. \*Based on a New York Fed model estimating recession probabilities using 10-year minus 3-month Treasury yield spreads, based on data from 1959-2009. \*\*Conference Board Q3 CEO survey probability of a recession over the next 12-18 months. In July, the Federal Reserve staff announced that they were no longer forecasting a recession in 2024, marking a sharp departure from earlier projections. While the Fed staff continue to share a brighter outlook, the yield curve spread between 10-year and 3-month Treasury rates suggests there is a 61% change of a recession in the 12 months ahead. Historically, the yield curve has been a reliable predictor of recessions, based on a New York Fed model which uses data from 1959-2009. Meanwhile, a survey of economists by Wolters Kluwer shows that they’re split, with 48% calling for a recession over the next 12 months. Across Main Street, consumers share a more cautious sentiment, with over 69% saying that a recession is likely in the next year, based on a Conference Board survey. Yet corners of America’s C-suite have grown more positive. Goldman Sachs recently dropped its recession forecast to a 15% likelihood while Bank of America gives it a 35-40% odds. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: Retirement Age by Country ​Charted: Retirement Age by Country ---------------------------------- The retirement landscape can look completely different depending on what country you’re in. And charting the retirement age by country reveals a lot of differences in the the makeup of a labor force, both for economic and cultural reasons. This graphic delves into the current and effective retirement ages across 45 nations in 2020, based on comprehensive data from the OECD 2021 report. Defining Retirement Ages ------------------------ Before we dive into the numbers, let’s clarify the measurements used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): The current retirement age is the age at which individuals can retire without penalty to pension after completing a full career starting from age 22.The effective retirement age refers to the average age of exit from the labor force for workers aged 40 years or more.Many countries have seen workers effectively retire earlier or later than the current retirement age. This variance can arise due to a multitude in factors including differences in career start ages, some industries offering earlier retirements or benefits for later commitments, or countries facilitating different workforce exits due to market demands and policies. Some people also choose to retire early due to personal reasons or a lack of available work, receiving a smaller pension or in some cases forgoing it entirely. Likewise, some people choose to stay employed if they are able to find work. Retirement Age by Country in 2020 --------------------------------- Here’s a snapshot of the current and effective retirement ages by country in 2020: Three countries had the highest current retirement age at 67 years, Iceland, Israel, and Norway, but all had slightly lower effective retirement ages on average. On the flip side, Saudi Arabia had the lowest current retirement age at only 47 years with full pension benefits. Only Türkiye at 52 years was close, and notably both had much higher effective retirement ages on average. Discrepancies between different regions are clear across the board. Many Asian countries including China, India, and South Korea have official minimum retirement ages in the early 60s and late 50s, but see workers stay in the workforce well into their late 60s. Meanwhile, most European countries as well as the U.S. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: The Most Carbon-Intensive Sectors in the World ​Ranked: The Most Carbon-Intensive Sectors in the World ------------------------------------------------------ This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on real assets and resource megatrends each week. Ever wonder which sectors contribute the most to CO2 emissions around the world? In this graphic, we explore the answers to that question by comparing average Scope 1 emission intensities by sector, according to an analysis done by S&P Global Inc. Defining Scope 1 Emissions -------------------------- Before diving into the data, it may be useful to understand what Scope 1 emissions entail. Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by a company, such as their facilities and vehicles. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Scope 1 emissions can do a good job of highlighting a company’s environmental footprint because they represent the direct emissions related to manufacturing or creating a company’s products, whether they are tangible goods, digital software, or services. Scope 2 and 3 emissions, on the other hand, encompass the indirect emissions associated with a company’s activities, including those from a company’s purchased electricity, leased assets, or investments. Ranking the Carbon Giants ------------------------- According to S&P Global’s analysis of 2019-2020 average emissions intensity by sector, utilities is the most carbon-intensive sector in the world, emitting a staggering 2,634 tonnes of CO2 per $1 million of revenue. Materials and energy sectors follow behind, with 918 tonnes and 571 tonnes of CO2 emitted, respectively. S&P Global also reveals some interesting insights when it comes to various industries within the materials sector, including: Cement manufacturing exhibits an extremely high level of Scope 1 emissions, emitting more than double the emissions from the utilities sector (5,415 tonnes of CO2 per $1M of revenue)Aluminum and steel production are also quite emission-intensive, emitting 1,421 and 1,390 tonnes respectively in 2019-2020Relatively lower-emission materials such as gold, glass, metals and paper products bring down the average emissions of the materials sectorGiven these trends, a closer look at emission-intensive industries and sectors is necessary for our urgent need to decarbonize the global economy. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters (2000-2022) ​Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters ----------------------------------------------- According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, over 85 million motor vehicles were built around the world in 2022. In this graphic, we add context to this massive figure by ranking the world’s 10 largest automotive exporters. The list is based on data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and includes countries from nearly every corner of the world, highlighting the global nature of the industry. Top 10 Exporting Countries -------------------------- The data we used to create this graphic is included in the table below. It represents each country’s share of the total export value of global automotive products in both 2000 and 2022. “Automotive products” are defined by the WTO as motor vehicles, parts and accessories for motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines for propelling said vehicles. This grouping excludes motorcycles and trailers. From this list we can identify which countries have experienced the most growth or decline over the past 22 years. Countries With the Most Growth Since 2000 ----------------------------------------- The automotive exporters that grew their share of global value the most since 2000 are China (+7.7 pp), Mexico (+3.2 pp), and South Korea (+2.5 pp). There are clear drivers behind each of these growth stories. For example, China became the world’s largest car market back in 2009, which accelerated the growth of its domestic automakers. China is also home to some of the world’s biggest automotive suppliers, including Weichai (diesel engines), Hasco Automotive (drivetrain and air conditioning systems), and CATL (EV batteries). Mexico, on the other hand, has grown its auto industry by enticing global brands to construct their factories there. The country’s competitive edge includes cheaper labor and a land border to the United States. Finally there’s South Korea, whose growth is largely attributed to Hyundai Motor Company. The Seoul-based automaker recently became the third largest on a global basis, trailing only Toyota and Volkswagen. Countries With the Biggest Decline Since 2000 --------------------------------------------- The automotive exporters that declined the most since 2000 are Canada (-7.2 pp), Japan (-6.4 pp), and the U.S. (-2.6 pp). Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: The World’s Top Diamond Mining Countries, by Carats and Value ​Ranked: World Diamond Mining By Country, Carat, and Value --------------------------------------------------------- Only 22 countries in the world engage in rough diamond production—also known as uncut, raw or natural diamonds—mining for them from deposits within their territories. This chart, by Sam Parker illustrates the leaders in rough diamond production by weight and value. It uses data from Kimberly Process (an international certification organization) along with estimates by Dr. Ashok Damarupurshad, a precious metals and diamond specialist in South Africa. Rough Diamond Production, By Weight ----------------------------------- Russia takes the top spot as the world’s largest rough diamond producer, mining close to 42 million carats in 2022, well ahead of its peers. Carat is the unit of measurement for the physical weight of diamonds. One carat equals 0.200 grams, which means it takes over 2,265 carats to equal 1 pound.Russia’s large lead over second-place Botswana (24.8 million carats) and third-ranked Canada (16.2 million carats) indicates that the country’s diamond production is circumventing sanctions due to the difficulties in tracing a diamond’s origin. Here’s a quick breakdown of rough diamond production in the world. Note: South Africa’s figures are estimated.As with most other resources, (oil, gold, uranium), rough diamond production is distributed unequally. The top 10 rough diamond producing countries by weight account for 99.2% of all rough diamonds mined in 2022. Diamond Mining, by Country -------------------------- However, higher carat mined doesn’t necessarily mean better value for the diamond. Other factors like the cut, color, and clarity also influence a diamond’s value. Here’s a quick breakdown of diamond production by value (USD) in 2022. Note: South Africa’s figures are estimated. Furthermore, numbers have been rounded and may not sum to the total.Thus, even though Botswana only produced 59% of Russia’s diamond weight in 2022, it had a trade value of nearly $5 billion, approximately 1.5 times higher than Russia’s for the same year. Another example is Angola, which is ranked 6th in diamond production, but 3rd in diamond value. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Visualizing the Most Sought-After Entry Level Jobs in 2023 ​The Most Sought-After Entry Level Jobs of 2023 ---------------------------------------------- In the fast-paced realm of job hunting, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. And if you are an entry-level job applicant, the pressure is a notch higher. New entrants in any job market today compete with groundbreaking technology like ChatGPT in addition to their peers. In the United States, these applicants have to also wade through an uncertain labor market, inflation, and long lists of job requirements. Indeed.com has identified the most sought-after entry level positions for applicants both with and without a degree in the U.S., and the year-on-year growth of these job postings. Most Sought-After Entry-Level Jobs With a Degree ------------------------------------------------ As the U.S. job market recovers from its pandemic slump, some careers are now booming. This in turn has opened up numerous opportunities for entry-level job applicants. The demand for sales jobs multiplied this year as customer-facing businesses slowly returned to their pre-pandemic levels. At the top of this list is the job for an Outside Sales Representative. Paying upwards of $60,000, postings for this job have grown by over 250% in a year, making it the most sought-after position for applicants with a degree. The healthcare industry has secured its place in the top ranks too. Careers including mental health case managers, speech pathologists, behavioral therapists, and patient access managers dominate the Top 20 list. Let’s not forget about the tech sector. While entry-level network technicians can earn upwards of $85,000 on average, while IT engineers are paid an entry package of over $90,000. Most Sought-After Entry-Level Jobs Without a Degree --------------------------------------------------- Nearly 65% of the U.S. working population does not have a four-year degree. However, millions of these workers continue to be highly skilled across professions and have a shot at some of the most sought-after entry level jobs in the country. One example of this job is that of an Inventory Manager. The demand for skilled inventory managers in warehouses and companies post-pandemic has doubled the position’s job share in a year. One of the highest paying non-degree jobs in this list—Auto Body Technician—can fetch highly-skilled entry-level workers a salary of $82,000 per year. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: 15 of the World’s Least Affordable Housing Markets ​Ranked: 15 of the World’s Least Affordable Housing Markets ---------------------------------------------------------- When considering where to live, big cities are attractive to people for a number of reasons, but affordability is usually not one of them. This map, using data from Demographia, highlights the major cities ranked the worst for housing market affordability on a global basis. Unaffordable Housing Markets ---------------------------- Demographia’s report looks at middle-income housing affordability in 94 cities in eight countries, many of which are known for having pricy housing markets: Australia Canada China (Hong Kong) Ireland New Zealand Singapore United Kingdom United StatesFor the 2023 report, it uses 2022 Q3 prices and income levels for evaluation, dividing the median house price by the gross median household income to find the median multiple for housing. And for the first time in the history of Demographia’s reporting, not a single of the 94 cities scored below 3.0, the cutoff to be deemed “affordable.” Here’s a closer look at the least affordable markets in 2023: For well over a decade now, Hong Kong has taken the top spot as the least affordable market globally. The only city to become even less affordable year over year was Los Angeles. On the flip side, the most affordable city in the U.S. was Pittsburgh, with the median multiple sitting at 3.1. As people start to get priced out of certain markets, they may start to move to these more affordable cities. Zooming out farther, here are the housing market affordability scores for all eight jurisdictions covered in this report: Again, none of these countries are considered affordable, but within each there is a wide range of scores. Hong Kong is significantly less affordable than the second-place New Zealand and third-place Australia. Scores across Canada, Singapore, the UK, Ireland and the U.S., however, are quite similar. Better Cities for Housing Market Affordability ---------------------------------------------- While many people flock to big cities, evidenced by the fact that many of the least affordable places are also among the most populous, others are opting to live somewhere more in their price range. Here’s a glance at some of the most affordable housing markets worldwide: All of the top 18 most affordable cities covered in the report are located in North America. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: Top Countries for Foreign Direct Investment Flows ​One of the most significant phenomena in 21st-century globalization, driven by the ascent of multinational corporations and the removal of investing barriers, is the vast cross-border flow of foreign capital. To analyze recent trends, Samidha Nayak utilized World Bank data spanning 2012–2022, charting the top 10 destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI) and the leading investing countries annually. Countries With the Most FDI Inflows (2012–2022) ----------------------------------------------- In 2012, the United States had the highest FDI inflow, attracting about $250 billion in investment from the rest of the world. Foreign direct investment is when a resident in one economy has 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock of a resident enterprise in a different economy.At second place, China’s FDI inflows stood about $9 billion lower at $241 billion. The middle ranks have representatives from Europe (Netherlands, Cyprus), from Asia (Hong Kong) and from South America (Brazil). Towards the bottom, three OECD countries—Germany, Ireland, and Australia—all attracted an average of $60 billion in foreign investment. Unexpectedly, the British Virgin Islands came in 8th. Their lack of corporate tax makes it a popular place for companies to headquarter, in turn attracting FDI inflows. Ten years later however, the top 10 saw a shuffle. The U.S. and China retained their top spots, but the difference grew much larger—with the U.S. attracting nearly 50% more foreign investment ($388 billion) than China ($180 billion). Singapore, which first appeared in the rankings in 2014, took third place with $141 billion. Meanwhile the bottom half changed almost entirely with France, Canada, Sweden, and India replacing Cyprus, Germany, the British Virgin Islands, and Ireland. Countries With the Most FDI Outflows (2012–2022) ------------------------------------------------ Unlike the ranks of net inflows, the top 10 countries with the highest FDI outflows have stayed essentially the same. The U.S. topped the list in both ends of the decade, despite briefly falling out of the top 10 entirely in 2018. There were only three new entrants (France, Australia, and the UK) in 2022 compared to 10 years prior, with Cyprus, Switzerland, and the British Virgin Islands dropping out of top spots. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Visualized: An Investor’s Carbon Footprint, by Sector Visualized: An Investor’s Carbon Footprint, by Sector ----------------------------------------------------- In the quest for a sustainable future, investors can play a crucial role in shaping our planet’s destiny. Understanding the carbon emissions in different sectors is a key way to make environmentally and financially conscious decisions and help make a positive impact on the planet. This infographic, sponsored by MSCI, looks at carbon emissions by sector. Types of Carbon Emissions ------------------------- Unsurprisingly, industries heavily reliant on fossil fuels and energy-intensive processes, like energy, materials, and industrials, have significant carbon footprints. In contrast, service-based and technology industries are traditionally less carbon-intensive. To get an accurate picture of a sector/industry’s carbon footprint, it’s important to look up and down their value chain. Here is how policymakers categorize carbon emissions: Scope 1: Generated directly by the organization and within its control e.g., on-site fuel combustion and internal industrial processes.Scope 2: Indirect emissions from energy use, such as purchased electricity, heat, or cooling.Scope 3: Indirect emissions, but different from Scope 2 emissions. These are emissions that the company does not directly control such as the emissions produced from a supplier or emissions generated from the use of its sold product.Only looking at all three scopes of emissions can we arrive at a complete picture of a sector’s carbon footprint. Volume of Carbon Emissions, by Sector ------------------------------------- The following table breaks down the greenhouse gas emissions for each sector by scope. A sector’s carbon footprint is expressed in metric tons of CO2 equivalent for every $1 million in financing. In other words, here’s how much of a climate impact a one million dollar investment has in each of the following sectors. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

The $109 Trillion Global Stock Market in One Chart ​The $109 Trillion Global Stock Market in One Chart -------------------------------------------------- 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. Global equity markets have nearly tripled in size since 2003, climbing to $109 trillion in total market capitalization. Over the last several decades, the growth in money supply and ultra-low interest rates have underpinned rising asset values across economies. Given this backdrop, the above graphic shows the size of the global stock market in 2023, based on data from the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). The Global Stock Market, by Share --------------------------------- With the world’s deepest capital markets, the U.S. makes up 42.5% of global equity market capitalization, outpacing the next closest economy, the European Union by a significant margin. Here are the world’s major equity markets based on global market cap share as of Q2 2023: Data as of Q2 2023. Numbers may not total 100 due to rounding.. Today, U.S. equity markets total over $46.2 trillion in market capitalization. Compared to other rich nations, U.S. stocks have often outperformed over the last several decades. If an investor put $100 in the S&P 500 in 1990 this investment would have grown to about $2,000 in 2023, or four-fold the returns seen in other developed countries. The second-largest equity market is the European Union at 11.1% of global share, followed by China, at 10.6%. In the last 20 years, China’s economy has increased by roughly 12-fold, reaching $19.4 trillion this year. China’s equity markets have also grown considerably, fueled by the incorporation of Chinese domestic stocks into the MSCI Emerging Market Index in 2018, and earlier, with the internationalization of its equity markets in 2002. Japan’s equity markets account for 5.4% of the global share, followed by Hong Kong, at 4%. The Future Investment Landscape ------------------------------- Goldman Sachs projects that U.S. equity market capitalization will fall to 35% of the overall global market by 2030. Meanwhile, emerging markets, including China and India, are collectively forecast to reach the 35% mark in the same timeframe. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

What’s Driving U.S. Stock Market Returns? What’s Driving U.S. Stock Market Returns? ----------------------------------------- In many ways, U.S. stock market returns in 2023 have defied expectations. Strong U.S. economic activity, a robust labor market, and consumer spending have helped spur investor optimism. Year-to-date, the S&P 500 is up roughly 12%. Given this unexpected strength, the above graphic, sponsored by New York Life Investments, explores key factors fueling stock market returns in 2023. Market Breadth -------------- Generally speaking, the concept of market breadth shows how many stocks are participating in the rise or fall of an index. Wider Breadth: More stocks are rising, often indicating lower risk as gains are widespread. Narrower Breadth: Fewer stocks are rising, potentially presenting higher risk as gains have a steep impact on the index. Earlier in 2023, just seven stocks drove virtually all of the S&P 500’s returns. By July, the top 10 companies made up 34% of its gains. Here’s how S&P 500 market breadth compares to historical trends: YearPercent of Stocks Outperforming theS&P 500 Index2023\*25%202257%202148%202033%201946%201845%201743%201651%201547%201452%201352%201247%201148%201058%200959%200849%200745%200649%200551%200457%200354%200261%200167%200063%199931%199829%199742%199642%199540%Source: Bloomberg Finance LP, 06/20/2023. \*Data as of June 12, 2023. While market breadth has been very narrow so far this year, the good news is that it has improved with gains spreading across a growing number of sectors. Top S&P 500 Sectors ------------------- In 2023, the following sectors are driving market returns. Number have been rounded: S&P 500 SectorYTD Return5-Year Annualized ReturnCommunication Services+44%+8%Information Technology+43%+19%Consumer Discretionary+33%+8%Industrials+10%+7%S&P 500 Index+18%+9%Source: S&P Global, 08/31/2023. Big tech stocks have powered the market’s rise, supported by the AI frenzy. Additionally, strong consumer spending has helped lift the Consumer Discretionary sector. Overall, we can see the top three performing sectors are cyclical, meaning they rise and fall with the business cycle. Corporate Earnings ------------------ Even with many companies beating earnings expectations, year-over-year S&P 500 profits declined 5.2% in Q2 2023, its worst performance since 2020. Below, we show how earnings growth breaks down by sector. Numbers have been rounded. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: What are Retail Investors Interested in Buying in 2023? ​Charted: Retail Investors’ Top Picks for 2023 --------------------------------------------- U.S. retail investors, enticed by a brief pause in the interest rate cycle, came roaring back in the early summer. But what are their investment priorities for the second half of 2023? We visualized the data from Public’s 2023 Retail Investor Report, which surveyed 1,005 retail investors on their platform, asking “which investment strategy or themes are you interested in as part of your overall investment strategy?” Survey respondents ticked all the options that applied to them, thus their response percentages do not sum to 100%. Where Are Retail Investors Putting Their Money? ----------------------------------------------- By far the most popular strategy for retail investors is dividend investing with 50% of the respondents selecting it as something they’re interested in. Dividends can help supplement incomes and come with tax benefits (especially for lower income investors or if the dividend is paid out into a tax-deferred account), and can be a popular choice during more inflationary times. Meanwhile, the hype around AI hasn’t faded, with 36% of the respondents saying they’d be interested in investing in the theme—including juggernaut chipmaker Nvidia. This is tied for second place with Total Stock Market Index investing. Treasury Bills (30%) represent the safety anchoring of the portfolio but the ongoing climate crisis is also on investors’ minds with Renewable Energy (33%) and EVs (27%) scoring fairly high on the interest list. Commodities and Inflation-Protection stocks on the other hand have fallen out of favor. Come on Barbie, Let’s Go Party… ------------------------------- Another interesting takeaway pulled from the survey is how conversations about prevailing companies—or the buzz around them—are influencing trades. The platform found that public investors in Mattel increased 6.6 times after the success of the ‘Barbie’ movie. Bud Light also saw a 1.5x increase in retail investors, despite receiving negative attention from their fans after the company did a beer promotion campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Given the origin story of a large chunk of American retail investors revolves around GameStop and AMC, these insights aren’t new, but they do reveal a persisting trend. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Mapped: How Much Does it Take to be the Top 1% in Each U.S. State? ​How Much Does it Take to be the Top 1% in Each U.S. State? ---------------------------------------------------------- There’s an old saying: everyone thinks that they’re middle-class. But how many people think, or know, that they really belong to the top 1% in the country? Data from personal finance advisory services company, SmartAsset, reveals the annual income threshold at which a household can be considered part of the top 1% in their state. Some states demand a much higher yearly earnings from their residents to be a part of the rarefied league, but which ones are they, and how much does one need to earn to make it to the very top echelon of income? Ranking U.S. States By Income to Be in the Top 1% ------------------------------------------------- At the top of the list, a household in Connecticut needs to earn nearly $953,000 annually to be part of the one-percenters. This is the highest minimum threshold across the country. In the same region, Massachusetts requires a minimum annual earnings of $903,401 from its top 1% residents. Here’s the list of all 50 U.S. states along with the annual income needed to be in the 1%. California ($844,266), New Jersey ($817,346), and Washington ($804,853) round out the top five states with the highest minimum thresholds to make it to their exclusive rich club. On the other end of the spectrum, the top one-percenters in West Virginia make a minimum of $367,582 a year, the lowest of all the states, and about one-third of the threshold in Connecticut. And just down southwest of the Mountain State, Mississippi’s one-percenters need to make at least $381,919 a year to qualify for the 1%. A quick glance at the map above also reveals some regional insights. The Northeast and West Coast, with their large urban and economic hubs, have higher income entry requirements for the top 1% than states in the American South. This also correlates to the median income by state, a measure showing Massachusetts households make nearly $90,000 a year, compared to Mississippians who take home $49,000 annually. How Much Do the Top 1% Pay in Taxes? ------------------------------------ Meanwhile, if one does make it to the top 1% in states like Connecticut and Massachusetts, expect to pay more in taxes than other states, according to SmartAsset’s analysis. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

200 Years of Global Gold Production, by Country ​Visualizing Global Gold Production Over 200 Years ------------------------------------------------- This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week. Although the practice of gold mining has been around for thousands of years, it’s estimated that roughly 86% of all above-ground gold was extracted in the last 200 years. With modern mining techniques making large-scale production possible, global gold production has grown exponentially since the 1800s. The above infographic uses data from Our World in Data to visualize global gold production by country from 1820 to 2022, showing how gold mining has evolved to become increasingly global over time. A Brief History of Gold Mining ------------------------------ The best-known gold rush in modern history occurred in California in 1848, when James Marshall discovered gold in the Sacramento Valley. As word spread, thousands of migrants flocked to California in search of gold, and by 1855, miners had extracted around $2 billion worth of gold. The United States, Australia, and Russia were (interchangeably) the three largest gold producers until the 1890s. Then, South Africa took the helm thanks to the massive discovery in the Witwatersrand Basin, now regarded today as one of the world’s greatest ever goldfields. South Africa’s annual gold production peaked in 1970 at 1,002 tonnes—by far the largest amount of gold produced by any country in a year. With the price of gold rising since the 1980s, global gold production has become increasingly widespread. By 2007, China was the world’s largest gold-producing nation, and today a significant quantity of gold is being mined in over 40 countries. The Top Gold-Producing Countries in 2022 ---------------------------------------- Around 31% of the world’s gold production in 2022 came from three countries—China, Russia, and Australia, with each producing over 300 tonnes of the precious metal. North American countries Canada, the U.S., and Mexico round out the top six gold producers, collectively making up 16% of the global total. The state of Nevada alone accounted for 72% of U.S. production, hosting the world’s largest gold mining complex (including six mines) owned by Nevada Gold Mines. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Mapped: Most Searched-For Electric Vehicles by Country ​The Most Searched-For Electric Vehicles By Country -------------------------------------------------- The EV revolution has been in full swing over the last few years, with new electric vehicles reaching milestones in range and affordability. But as with traditional automobiles, countries around the world have different favorite models. So which electric vehicle is each country’s inhabitants interested in? GRIDSERVE pulled together a database of the most searched-for electric vehicles by country in 2022. Using Google Keyword Planner, they gathered the volume of online searches for 317 EVs across more than 200 countries and mapped the most popular results in each location. The Most Googled Electric Vehicles By Country in 2022 ----------------------------------------------------- Lexus’ first fully electric car, the Lexus RZ, was the most searched-for model in a whopping 47 countries, more than one-fifth of the entire dataset. The car’s unusual steering—a yoke that isn’t physically connected to the tires—could certainly make it worth a quick Google to see what all the fuss is about. The Tesla Model 3 came in strong at second place as the top search in 35 countries, with the Kia EV6 ranked third. Here’s the full database of the most searched for EV in each country, along with the search volume. Aside from popular global brands, GRIDSERVE’s database also highlights regional automakers. For example, Croatian manufacturer Rimac Automobili’s Nevera was the most highly searched-for electric vehicle in multiple Balkan countries. In India, the country’s own Tata Nexon dominated search volume. And Vietnamese brand VinFast’s electric vehicles were the top EVs of interest in neighboring Cambodia and 12 other countries across the world (though not Vietnam itself, which searched more for the Lexus RZ). In China, where Google isn’t the most-used search engine, results favored the Tesla Model 3. But Tesla was distinctly outsold by Chinese automaker BYD in 2022. It’s also worth noting that most of the top searches were for a sedan or crossover SUV, but not all. In the British crown dependencies Guernsey and Isle of Man, the most searched EVs were an electric minivan (Guernsey) and van (Isle of Man). The Most Googled Electric Vehicle In the U.S. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Who Owns the Most Satellites? ​Who Owns the Most Satellites? ----------------------------- Nearly 7,000 satellites orbit the Earth, serving vital functions such as communication, navigation, and scientific research. In 2022 alone, more than 150 launches took place, sending new instruments into space, with many more expected over the next decade. But who owns these objects? In this graphic, we utilize data from the Union of Concerned Scientists to highlight the leaders in satellite technology. SpaceX’s Dominance in Space --------------------------- SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is unquestionably the industry leader, currently operating the largest fleet of satellites in orbit—about 50% of the global total. The company has already completed 62 missions this year, surpassing any other company or nation, and operates thousands of internet-beaming Starlink spacecraft that provide global internet connectivity. Starlink customers receive a small satellite dish that self-orients itself to align with Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellites. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.In second place is a lesser-known company, British OneWeb Satellites. The company, headquartered in London, counts the UK government among its investors and provides high-speed internet services to governments, businesses, and communities. Like many other satellite operators, OneWeb relies on SpaceX to launch its satellites. Despite Starlink’s dominance in the industry, the company is set to face intense competition in the coming years. Amazon’s Project Kuiper plans to deploy 3,236 satellites by 2029 to compete with SpaceX’s network. The first of the fleet could launch as early as 2024. The Rise of China’s Space Program --------------------------------- After the top private companies, governments also own a significant portion of satellites orbiting the Earth. The U.S. remains the leader in total satellites, when adding those owned by both companies and government agencies together. American expenditures on space programs reached $62 billion in 2022, five times more than the second one, China. China, however, has sped up its space program over the last 20 years and currently has the highest number of satellites in orbit belonging directly to government agencies. Most of these are used for Earth observation, communications, defense, and technology development. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charting the Depths: The World of Subsea Cables ​Charting the Depths: The World of Subsea Cables ----------------------------------------------- Data may be stored in the “cloud,” but when it comes to sending and receiving data, a lot of that action is actually happening along the depths of the ocean floor. Hidden beneath the waves, these subsea cables account for approximately 95% of international data transmission. These maps, by Adam Symington, use information from TeleGeography to show the distribution of subsea cables around the planet. Wired for Connectivity ---------------------- It’s estimated that there are nearly 1.4 million kilometers (0.9 miles) of submarine cables in service globally. They ensure emails, content, and calls find their way, linking colossal data centers and facilitating worldwide communication. Currently, there are 552 active and planned submarine cables: Submarine cables harness fiber-optic technology, transmitting information via rapid light pulses through glass fibers. These fibers, thinner than human hair, are protected by plastic or even steel wire layers. Cables usually have the diameter of a garden hose, but often with added armor near the shore. Coastal cables are buried under the seabed, hidden from view on the beach, while deep-sea ones rest on the ocean floor. Length varies widely, from the 131-kilometer CeltixConnect cable, connecting Dublin, Ireland, and Holyhead, UK, to the sprawling 20,000-kilometer Asia America Gateway cable, connecting San Luis Obispo, California, to Hawaii and Southeast Asia: Asia America Gateway. Image: TeleGeography With the current technology, cables are designed to last 25 years at least but are often replaced because of damage. Nearly two-thirds of cable damage is caused by fishing vessels and ships dragging anchors. The Bottom Line --------------- Traditionally dominated by telecom carriers, the makeup of the subsea cable market has shifted over more recent decades. Tech giants like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon now heavily invest in new cables. With data demand surging, at least $10 billion is expected to be invested in subsea cables worldwide between 2022 and 2024, driven by cloud service providers and content streaming platforms. Even with the growth of satellites in telecom, cables still can carry far more data at a much lower cost than satellites. In fact, according to TeleGeography, satellites account for less than 1% of all U.S. international capacity. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: The World’s Biggest Oil Producers in 2022 ​Charted: The World’s Biggest Oil Producers in 2022 -------------------------------------------------- In 2022 oil prices peaked at more than $100 per barrel, hitting an eight-year high, after a full year of turmoil in the energy markets in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Oil companies doubled their profits and the economies of the biggest oil producers in the world got a major boost. But which countries are responsible for most of the world’s oil supply? Using data from the Statistical Review of World Energy by the Energy Institute, we’ve visualized and ranked the world’s biggest oil producers. Ranked: Oil Production By Country, in 2022 ------------------------------------------ The U.S. has been the world’s biggest oil producer since 2018 and continued its dominance in 2022 by producing close to 18 million barrels per day (B/D). This accounted for nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Almost three-fourths of the country’s oil production is centered around five states: Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Alaska, and Colorado. We rank the other major oil producers in the world below. Behind America’s considerable lead in oil production, Saudi Arabia (ranked 2nd) produced 12 million B/D, accounting for about 13% of global supply. Russia came in third with 11 million B/D in 2022. Together, these top three oil producing behemoths, along with Canada (4th) and Iraq (5th), make up more than half of the entire world’s oil supply. Meanwhile, the top 10 oil producers, including those ranked 6th to 10th—China, UAE, Iran, Brazil, and Kuwait—are responsible for more than 70% of the world’s oil production. Notably, all top 10 oil giants increased their production between 2021–2022, and as a result, global output rose 4.2% year-on-year. Major Oil Producing Regions in 2022 ----------------------------------- The Middle East accounts for one-third of global oil production and North America makes up almost another one-third of production. The Commonwealth of Independent States—an organization of post-Soviet Union countries—is another major regional producer of oil, with a 15% share of world production. What’s starkly apparent in the data however is Europe’s declining share of oil production, now at 3% of the world’s supply. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: The World’s 50 Top Countries by GDP, by Sector Breakdown ​Visualized: The Three Pillars of GDP, by Country ------------------------------------------------ Over the last several decades, the service sector has fueled the economic activity of the world’s largest countries. Driving this trend has been changes in consumption, the easing of trade barriers, and rapid advancements in tech. We can see this in the gross domestic product (GDP) breakdown of each country, which gets divided into three broad sectors: services, industry, and agriculture. The above graphic from Pranav Gavali shows GDP by country, and how each sector contributes to an economy’s output, with data from the World Bank. Drivers of GDP, by Country -------------------------- As the most important and fastest growing component of GDP, services make up almost 60% of GDP in the world’s 50 largest countries. Following this is the industrial sector which includes the production of raw goods. Below, we show how each sector contributes to GDP by country as of 2021: Industrial sector includes construction. Agriculture sector includes forestry and fishing. \*Data as of 2019. In the U.S., services make up nearly 78% of GDP. Apart from Hong Kong, it comprises the highest share of GDP across the world’s largest economies. Roughly 80% of American jobs in the private sector are in services, spanning from healthcare and entertainment to finance and logistics. Like America, a growing share of China’s GDP is from services, contributing to almost 54% of total economic output, up from 44% in 2010. This can be attributed to rising incomes and higher productivity in the sector as the economy has grown and matured, among other factors. In a departure from the top 10 biggest countries globally, agriculture continues to drive a large portion of India’s GDP. India is the world’s second largest producer of wheat and rice, with agriculture accounting for 44% of the country’s employment. While the services sector has grown in India, it makes up a greater share in other emerging economies such as Brazil (58%), Mexico (59%), and the Philippines (61%). Growth Dynamics --------------- Services-led growth has risen faster than manufacturing across many developing nations, underpinned by productivity growth. This structural shift is seen across economies. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Mapped: The Migration of the World’s Millionaires in 2023 ​Mapping the Migration of the World’s Millionaires 2023 ------------------------------------------------------ Just like everyone else, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) traveled less than usual during the pandemic, and as a result their migration numbers trended downwards. But millionaires and billionaires are on the move again and it is anticipated that 122,000 HNWIs will move to a new country by the end of the year. Henley & Partners’ Private Wealth Migration Report has tracked the countries HNWIs have moved from and to over the last 10 years; this map showcases the 2023 forecasts. In this context, HNWIs are defined as individuals with a net worth of at least $1 million USD. The Countries Welcoming New Millionaires ---------------------------------------- The top 10 countries which are likely to become home to the highest number of millionaires and billionaires in 2023 are scattered across the globe, with Australia reclaiming its top spot this year from the UAE. Here’s a closer look at the data: Only two Asian countries make the top 10, with the rest spread across Europe, North America, and Oceania. Despite historic economic challenges, Greece is projected to gain 1,200 High Net Worth Individuals this year. One reason could be the country’s golden visa program, wherein wealthy individuals can easily obtain residence and eventually EU passports for the right price—currently a minimum real estate investment cost of 250,000 euros is all that’s required. Many of the leading millionaire destinations are attractive for wealthy individuals because of higher levels of economic freedom, allowing for laxer tax burdens or ease of investment. Singapore, which expects to gain 3,200 millionaires, is the most economically free market in the world. The Countries Losing the Most Millionaires ------------------------------------------ China is anticipated to lose 13,500 High Net Worth Individuals this year, more than double as many as the second place country, India (6,500). Here’s a closer look at the bottom 10: In a number of these countries, strict regulatory bodies and corrupt governments can hinder the ease with which HNWIs can manage their own money. In Russia, many wealthy individuals are facing personal tariffs and trade restrictions from Western countries due to the war in Ukraine. China’s crackdowns on Hong Kong have made it a less attractive place for business. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: Market Volatility at its Lowest Point Since 2020 ​Market Volatility at its Lowest Point Since 2020 ------------------------------------------------ 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. Market volatility has been remarkably low in 2023, apart from the brief shock following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this year. In fact, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX)—a primary gauge for measuring U.S. equity volatility—has fallen to lows not seen since before the pandemic. This graphic shows how today’s market volatility compares to the last two decades, and the factors that may explain its steadiness, based on data from CBOE. How is Market Volatility Measured? ---------------------------------- The most widely used index to track market volatility is the VIX. In short, it measures the market’s expectation for price changes in the S&P 500. When investor uncertainty is high, the VIX spikes. For this reason, it serves as a barometer of fear in the market and often has a negative correlation to returns. For instance, when the VIX hit a peak on March 16, 2020, the S&P 500 fell 12% in one day. Market Volatility: All-Time Highs and Lows ------------------------------------------ To put today’s market volatility in context, here are the market’s peak periods of volatility, through highs and lows: We can see in the above chart that the VIX skyrocketed in 2020 and 2008 at the height of recession fears. By contrast market volatility hit all-time lows during 2017, when corporate profitability was high and the S&P 500 was in the middle of the second-longest bull run in history: When investors have muted reactions to the market’s outlook, often market volatility is lower—reflecting mixed reactions to the market instead of a unanimous, surprise reaction to economic data or other factors that could sway investor behavior. 2023’s Volatility in Context ---------------------------- In June, the VIX declined to 12.9, the lowest point since January 2020. Since then, it has hovered near these levels as investors scale back recession fears, and factor in the likelihood of the U.S. economy achieving a soft landing. To date, the S&P 500 is up almost 17%. Many factors are influencing the market’s relative calmness. Inflation has been moderating, falling at 3.7% in August, down from a peak of 9.1% seen in June last year. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: The Highest Paid CEOs in the S&P 500 ​Ranked: The Highest Paid CEOs in the S&P 500 -------------------------------------------- Many of the world’s most valuable companies are listed on the S&P 500, the benchmark index for the U.S. stock market. For this reason, it is no surprise to see that CEOs of these key companies have multi-million dollar compensation packages. But what do these pay packages comprise? And do these CEOs always receive the compensation they are awarded? Or does it increase and decrease with stock market fluctuations? In today’s infographic, we use data published by The Wall Street Journal to show the highest paid CEOs of S&P 500 companies in 2022, and delve into what their compensation includes. The 20 Highest Paid CEOs ------------------------ The compensation packages of CEOs of S&P 500 companies comprise not just salaries, but bonuses, stock awards, and other incentives. Here are the CEOs of S&P 500 companies that were awarded the highest pay packages last year, and the sectors they belong to. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, topped the list with an awarded pay package valued at around $226 million, which was over 800 times Google’s median employee compensation. His pay package included his annual salary of $2 million, a sum of $6 million for his personal security and stock awards valued at $218 million. Meanwhile, Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino’s awarded pay package shot up to $139 million in 2022 from almost $14 million the previous year. This included stock awards initially valued at $116 million. Tech companies Apple and Broadcom were not far behind. While Apple CEO Tim Cook’s compensation package was valued at $99 million in 2022, Broadcom’s president and CEO Hock Tan was awarded $61 million. Other CEOs that made it to the list include global insurance giant AIG’s CEO, Peter Zaffino, and Netflix’s co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings. While Hastings received a $10 million hike last year, he stepped down from this role in January 2023. Rising Median CEO Income Hits a Wall ------------------------------------ Over the last decade, the median pay awarded to CEOs across S&P 500 companies has doubled. In 2021, this number hit a high of $14.7 million. However, in 2022, the median CEO compensation package hit a wall for the first time in a decade as it slightly fell to $14.5 million. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Ranked: The 20 Best Franchises to Open in the U.S. ​Ranked: The 20 Best Franchises in the U.S. ------------------------------------------ The U.S. is famous for chain restaurants, franchised shops, and brand name hotels. One thing these franchises aim for is consistency in store feel, customer service, product offerings, and prices, no matter which state you’re in. This visualization uses Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 Ranking to showcase the best franchises in the U.S. worth owning, from Dunkin’ Donuts to Snap-on Tools. The Best and How They Were Selected ----------------------------------- The report assessed five broad categories to score the country’s famous chains: Costs & fees: including franchise fee, total investment needed to open one store, and royalty feesSupport: including training times, marketing support, operational support, franchisor infrastructure, financing infrastructure, and litigationSize & growth: including open & operating units, growth rate, and closuresBrand strength: including social media, system size, years in business, years franchisingFinancial strength & stability: including franchisor’s audited financial statementsA franchise was only considered if it was actively seeking new franchisees and must have already had at least 10 units operating. Here’s a closer look at the top 20: The number one franchise, Taco Bell, has been in business since 1964 and has 7,900 locations as of 2022, spanning beyond the U.S. to Canada, Australia, Europe, and other regions of the world. The average cost of investment to be a franchisee is between $576,000 to $3.4 million. While most of the top 20 are in the food service industry, there is also one hotel, one shipping company, and a few hardware and home goods stores that make the list. Ace Hardware (#7), for example, which specializes in home improvement goods, is actually an international franchise with close to 6,000 units. Kumon (#6) is an education center and is the only non-U.S. franchise on the list. The Feasibility of Being a Franchisee ------------------------------------- To get a better sense of the costs needed to start a franchise, let’s take a look at one of the most famous convenience stores in the world. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: The Exponential Growth in AI Computation ​Charted: The Exponential Growth in AI Computation ------------------------------------------------- Electronic computers had barely been around for a decade in the 1940s, before experiments with AI began. Now we have AI models that can write poetry and generate images from textual prompts. But what’s led to such exponential growth in such a short time? This chart from Our World in Data tracks the history of AI through the amount of computation power used to train an AI model, using data from Epoch AI. The Three Eras of AI Computation -------------------------------- In the 1950s, American mathematician Claude Shannon trained a robotic mouse called Theseus to navigate a maze and remember its course—the first apparent artificial learning of any kind. Theseus was built on 40 floating point operations (FLOPs), a unit of measurement used to count the number of basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) that a computer or processor can perform in one second. FLOPs are often used as a metric to measure the computational performance of computer hardware. The higher the FLOP count, the higher computation, the more powerful the system.Computation power, availability of training data, and algorithms are the three main ingredients to AI progress. And for the first few decades of AI advances, compute, which is the computational power needed to train an AI model, grew according to Moore’s Law. Source: “Compute Trends Across Three Eras of Machine Learning” by Sevilla et. al, 2022. However, at the start of the Deep Learning Era, heralded by AlexNet (an image recognition AI) in 2012, that doubling timeframe shortened considerably to six months, as researchers invested more in computation and processors. With the emergence of AlphaGo in 2015—a computer program that beat a human professional Go player—researchers have identified a third era: that of the large-scale AI models whose computation needs dwarf all previous AI systems. Predicting AI Computation Progress ---------------------------------- Looking back at the only the last decade itself, compute has grown so tremendously it’s difficult to comprehend. For example, the compute used to train Minerva, an AI which can solve complex math problems, is nearly 6 million times that which was used to train AlexNet 10 years ago. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

What’s New on VC+ in September 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 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 September 2023 ---------------------------- ### “Markets This Month: September 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. September’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, September 19th, 2023 (Get VC+ to access) ### “Breaking Down BRICS” SPECIAL DISPATCH: A Deep Dive Into BRICS’ History and Its Growing Future With the BRICS group announcing its addition of six new member nations, this special dispatch dives into the origins of the group and breaks down the implications of the expanded membership. From the group’s dominance in natural resources to how it seeks to reshape international trade, the visuals in this dispatch explore BRICS’ future impact on the world’s economic and political landscapes. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

The Incredible Historical Map That Changed Cartography ​The Incredible Historical Map That Changed Cartography ------------------------------------------------------ This map is the latest in our Vintage Viz series, which presents historical visualizations along with the context needed to understand them. In a one-paragraph story called On Exactitude in Science (Del Rigor en la Ciencia), Jorge Luis Borges imagined an empire where cartography had reached such an exact science that only a map on the same scale of the empire would suffice. The Fra Mauro Mappa Mundi (c. 1450s), named for the lay Camaldolite monk and cartographer whose Venetian workshop created it, is not nearly as large, at a paltry 77 inches in diameter (196 cm). But its impact and significance as a bridge between Middle Age and Renaissance thought certainly rivaled Borges’ imagined map. One of ‘the Wonders of Venice’ ------------------------------ Venice was the undisputed commercial power in the Mediterranean, whose trade routes connected east and west, stretching to Flanders, London, Algeria, and beyond. This network was protected by fleets of warships built at the famous Arsenale di Venezia, the largest production facility in the West, whose workforce of thousands of arsenalotti built ships on an assembly line, centuries before Henry Ford. The lion of St Mark guards the land gate to the Arsenale di Venezia, except instead of the usual open bible in its hands offering peace, this book is closed, reflecting its martial purpose. Source: Wikipedia The Mappa Mundi (literally “map of the world”) was considered one of the wonders of Venice with a reputation that reached the Holy Land. It is a circular planisphere drawn on four sheets of parchment, mounted onto three poplar panels and reinforced by vertical battens. The map is painted in rich reds, golds, and blues; this last pigment was obtained from rare lapis lazuli, imported from mines in Afghanistan. At its corners are four spheres showing the celestial and sublunar worlds, the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water), and an illumination of the Garden of Eden by Leonardo Bellini (active 1443-1490). Japan (on the left edge, called the Isola de Cimpagu) appears here for the first time in a Western map. And contradicting Ptolemaic tradition, it also shows that it was possible to circumnavigate Africa, presaging the first European journey around the Cape of Good Hope by the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

World Risk Poll: How Long Can People Survive Without Income? ​How Long Can People Survive Without Income? ----------------------------------------------- In the wake of natural disasters or economic shocks, a person could quickly be left without income, which is why financial security is such an important aspect of resilience.  In this graphic, sponsored by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, we explore their latest survey, World Risk Poll 2021: A Resilient World? to see how financially secure people from country to country really are.  Assessing Financial Security -------------------------------- In 2021, Lloyd’s Register Foundation partnered with Gallup and polled 125,000 people from 121 countries, asking how long people could cover their basic needs without income. Responses were classified by those who could survive for more than a month, a month or less, less than a week, and those who didn’t know or refused to say.  Here is a ranking of those who could cover their needs for the longest length of time without income:  And the shortest length of time: A Cause for Alarm --------------------- The study found that generally, those who could cover their needs the longest came from developed economies, and those who could cover their needs for the shortest length of time came from developing economies where financial security is more tenuous.  With all that said, the volume of people around the globe who struggle financially is the true cause for alarm. The study found that a staggering 2.7 billion people could only cover their basic needs for a month or less without income, and of that number, 946 million could survive for a week at most. Tackling Financial Insecurity --------------------------------- Urgent action is needed to tackle this disparity in income and lack of financial security, especially in developing economies. If left unchecked, this undermines global resilience in the face of climate change, natural disasters, and any number of other shocks.  In the fourth and final part of this series, we’ll explore the World Risk Poll 2021: A Changed World? Perceptions and Experiences of Risk in the COVID Age and learn how the world views climate change. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Charted: How Long Does it Take Unicorns to Exit? ​How Long Does it Take For Unicorns to Exit? ------------------------------------------- For most unicorns—startups with a $1 billion valuation or more—it can take years to see a liquidity event. Take Twitter, which went public seven years after its 2006 founding. Or Uber, which had an IPO after a decade of operation in 2019. After all, companies first have to succeed and build up their valuation in order to not go bankrupt or dissolve. Few are able to succeed and capitalize in a quick and tidy manner. So when do unicorns exit, either successfully through an IPO or acquisition, or unsuccessfully through bankruptcy or liquidation? The above visualization from Ilya Strebulaev breaks down the time it took for 595 unicorns to exit from 1997 to 2022. Unicorns: From Founding to Exit ------------------------------- Here’s how unicorn exits broke down over the last 25 years. Data was collected by Strebulaev at the Venture Capital Initiative in Stanford and covers exits up to October 2022: Overall, unicorns exited after a median of eight years in business. Companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Indeed are among the unicorns that exited in exactly eight years, which in total made up 10% of tracked exits. Another major example is Zoom, which launched in 2011 and went public in 2019 at a $9.2 billion valuation. There were also many earlier exits, such as YouTube’s one-year turnaround from 2005 founding to 2006 acquisition by Google. Groupon also had an early exit just three years after its founding in 2008, after turning down an even earlier acquisition exit (also through Google). In total, unicorn exits within 11 years or less accounted for just over three-quarters of tracked exits from 1997 to 2022. Many of the companies that took longer to exit also took longer to reach unicorn status, including website company Squarespace, which was founded in 2003 but didn’t reach a billion-dollar valuation until 2017 (and listed on the NYSE in 2021). Unicorns, by Exit Strategy -------------------------- Broadly speaking, there are three main types of exits: going public through an IPO, SPAC, or direct listing, being acquired, or liquidation/bankruptcy. The most well-known are IPOs, or initial public offerings. These are the most common types of unicorn exits in strong market conditions, with 2021 seeing 79 unicorn IPOs globally, with $83 billion in proceeds. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Visualized: How Long Does it Take to Double Your Money? ​Visualized: How Long Does it Take to Double Your Money? ------------------------------------------------------- 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. At first glance, a 7% return on your investment may not seem that impressive. Yet what if you heard that your money could double in roughly 10 years? The above graphic takes the rule of 72 shortcut and uses the more precise logarithmic formula to show how long it takes to grow your money at different annualized returns. Why it Pays to Know the Math ---------------------------- Using the classic rule of 72, an investor can estimate how long it takes to double their money. At 7% annual returns, an investor would see $10,000 grow to $20,000 in about a decade by taking 72 and dividing it by 7%, the rate of return. While the rule of 72 serves as a guide to estimating when your money will double, the more accurate way to arrive at this number is through a logarithmic equation. In short, it divides the natural log of 2 by the natural log of 1 and adds this to the rate of return. We can see in the table below how leads to different results from the rule of 72: Consider if an investor put their money in the S&P 500. Historically, it has averaged 11.5% returns between 1928 and 2022. In 6.4 years, their money would double, assuming these average returns. If they were to put this money in a savings account, where the average savings rate is 0.6%, it would take 120 more years for their money to reach this potential. In real terms, which takes inflation into account, an investor would see their money lose value if they parked it in a savings account. Historically, inflation has averaged 3.3% over the last century. Historical Asset Returns ------------------------ Here’s how often different assets double, based on historical returns between 1928 and 2022: Source: NYU Stern. \*Represents Baa corporate bonds, which are considered investment grade. \*\*Includes reinvested dividends. We can see that 3-month T-Bills, often considered among the safest assets, doubled about every 21 years. Often, investors consider this a place to put cash that is low-risk and highly liquid. Interestingly, real estate assets had returns of 4.4%, doubling roughly every 16 years. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇

Video Game Engagement, by Generation ​Video Game Engagement, by Generation ------------------------------------ By 2025, the number of gamers is estimated to reach 3.6 billion and generate a whopping $211 billion in revenue. The video game industry’s success is fueled by enthusiasts who engage with gaming by playing, viewing, creating, and making gaming a part of their social life. So who are these gaming enthusiasts? This infographic, sponsored by Roundhill Investments, illustrates how players from different generations around the world engage with video games. Let’s get into it. The Methodology ------------------- For transparency, the data we used in the graphic above pulls from a survey conducted by Newzoo between February and May 2023 with 74,295 respondents across 36 countries. Here are the age ranges for each demographic according to Newzoo for reference.  Gen Alpha (born 2010 or later / 10-13 years old)Gen Z (born 1995-2009 / 14-28 years old)Millennials (born 1981-1994 / 29-42 years old)Gen X (born 1965-1980 / 43-58 years old)Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964 / 59-65 years old)Generational Insights ------------------------- Gaming is the most popular form of video game engagement across all generations surveyed. However, when you dive in to each cohort, some interesting insights emerge. ### Gen Alpha & Gen Z Of the Gen Alphas surveyed, 93% are video game players. However, both Gen Alpha and Gen Z are also the most likely groups to engage in video gaming in other ways, such as following gaming channels, and participating in online communities. This isn’t surprising, as they have grown up with technology as an integral part of their lives.  ### Millennials, Gen X, & Baby Boomers Interestingly, the percentage of people engaging with these other forms seems to drop with age. So even though just under half of  baby boomers with access to the internet consider themselves to be gaming enthusiasts, that refers mostly to playing games, with just 5% of them engaging in other ways. The Future of Gamingis Diverse ---------------------------------- With younger generations driving the future of gaming, new business models and technologies will continue to emerge to appease these audiences across a multitude of touchpoints and of course, continue to attract attention from brands outside of the industry. Read details below And share your thoughts 👇