One of our visitors asked us if we had statistics on condom imports so we started looking through our trade section and found the data somewhat hidden under the category “sheath contraceptives of vulcanised rubber”. Anyway, the graph below shows the top 25 countries ranked by the value of their condom imports. You may also want to check our data on condom exports. Are you surprised by the rankings?
It has been said, that if women participated in the workforce more actively, like their male counterparts, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of those countries would be higher.
However, most countries, including some developed nations do not have policies in place that support women’s participation in the workforce, such as access to education, credit, employment, paid maternity leave or child care.
Countries with the highest economic success for women (measured in terms of equality of pay, degree of inclusion in the workforce, and career advancement), that offer the best policies for supporting women in the workforce include Norway, Australia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium, and Iceland.
Countries with the lowest degree of economic success that have few policies (or none) that support women in the workplace include Chad, Sudan, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, among others.
Some interesting facts about the success of women in the workplace and the policies in place to support them in certain countries can be seen in the graphic above.
Source: Harvard Business Review: Vision Statement: Women and the Economics of Equality
The Organization for the Proliferation of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was created to oversee the elimination of existing chemical weapons and monitor the chemical industry to prevent the production of additional chemical weapons. The OPCW was created in 1997 in The Hague, Netherlands, with support from the United Nations (UN).
The OPCW has 188 members states, signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Nations that did not sign the CWC include Syria, Egypt, South Sudan, Somalia, Angola, and North Korea. Myanmar signed it, but it has not ratified it to date.
As of 2012, 71% of global stockpiles of chemical weapons have been destroyed, 46% of the total amount of chemical munitions have been eliminated, and 100% of the chemical plants producing chemical weapons have been decommissioned.
Source: Ria Novosti News Agency: Infographics – Elimination of Chemical Weapons in the World
Vast quantities of crude oil are exported and imported each year. Some countries are net exporters (their oil exports are larger than their oil imports), and some are net importers (their oil imports are larger than their exports).
In this visualization by Data Driven Consulting, we can see that the United States was the largest net importer of crude oil in 2009. Other net importer countries include China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Belgium, Italy, UK, Spain, Singapore, and Australia.
Among the net exporters of crude oil we find Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Norway, Venezuela, Mexico, and Canada.
For the full-size interactive dashboard, visit: Tableau Public: Exporters and Importers
North Korea possesses a variety of missiles with different range capabilities. On one hand, there is the Scud-V with a range of less than 1,000 Km. that will easily reach South Korea, on the other there is the Taepodong-3 with a range of 10,000 Km. that could potentially reach the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe.
In terms of balance in the conflict zone, North Korea outnumbers South Korea and the US forces combined in number of troops, tanks, aircraft and navy vessels.
Source: News Agency Ria Novosti
Suggested reading: The Brookings Institution: North Korea and Nuclear-Armed Missiles: Calming the Hyperbole
According to Statista.com, gun shops in the United States outnumber supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and coffee shops.
With a total of 51,438 outlets as of 2012, the number of gun shops in the U.S. is larger than the number of stores of Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Subway combined (a total of 50,439 stores).
According to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, Norway has the highest gasoline price among European countries, with a price of 1.90 Euro per liter ( or US $9.475 per gallon at the current exchange rate of 1 Euro = US $1.31). Norway is followed by Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and Greece.
The lowest gasoline prices are found in Belarus and Kazakhstan, 0.68 Euros and 0.70 Euros per liter, respectively. The average gasoline price for European nations is 1.39 Euros per liter.
According to the the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol consumption by adults on a per-capita basis is highest primarily in Eastern Europe. The Global Status Status Report on Alcohol and Health ranks Moldova, Hungary, and Russia at the top of the list. In Moldova, adults consume 18.22 liters of alcohol per year through a combination of beer, wine and spirits. How much alcohol is consumed in your country?
This chart by The Economist shows the latest forecast from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic growth prospects worldwide.
Emerging economies such as China, Peru, Paraguay and several African nations, will enjoy GDP growth rates of 6% or higher. In contrast, several developed economies such as the United States, Canada, and several countries in Western and Southern Europe will experience GDP growth rates of 2% or lower, and in many cases even negative.
The Guardian has published this interactive map pinpointing the location of terrorist attacks in the United States since 1970.
A total of 2,455 incidents have occurred between 1970 and 2011. Most of the attacks have happened in the Northeast, and the largest number of casualties is also concentrated in that region (large-size circles).
Source: The Guardian: Data Blog – Four decades of US terror attacks listed and detailed