Tag Archives: wealth

Wealth Comparison for the Years 1500 and 2015

wealth year 1500

wealth year 2015Comparing the levels of wealth per person for the years 1500 and 2015, as shown in these two maps, it is interesting to see how economic power has shifted from some nations to others.

Back in the 1500s, economic power was held by a majority of European nations leaded by Italy. China ranked number 23, India 53, and Japan 61. North America’s wealth was negligible compared to Europe’s, but the African region enjoyed more wealth than they do today.

A forecast for the year 2015 places Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore at the top in GDP per capita. Some European nations are still wealthy, such is the case of Malta, Luxembourg, Norway, and Ireland, but Italy is not in the lead anymore. Japan’s wealth per capita has increased, and so has the United States’, but the wealth of African countries has become the lowest worldwide.

Source: Global Finance: Wealth Distribution and Income Inequality by Country

 

Billionaires and their Wealth by Country

This map of the world’s wealthiest citizens was created by Forbes. A total of 1,426 billionaires were found across the globe, worth $5.4 trillion combined.

The wealth of billionaires in the U.S. alone, 1,872.5 trillion, is larger than the combined wealth of billionaires in each continent. The wealth of the world’s richest in the Americas is an outstanding $2.4 trillion thanks to the contributions of billionaires mainly from the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.

The Americas are followed by Europe, where the wealth of its billionaires combined is valued at $1.55 trillion. Europe is followed by Asia with the wealth of its billionaires estimated at $1.16 trillion. Africa and the Middle East come at last, where the total net worth of its richest citizens is valued at $279 billion.

 

Income Distribution by Religious Belief Groups

Click to enlarge

This infographic by GOOD shows the income distribution according to different religious belief groups. It is interesting to notice that 43% of people with Hindu beliefs earn an average income of 100K or more. For people with Jewish beliefs the percentage is 46%, compared to 21% for people with Christian beliefs (mainline), and 8% for people with Christian beliefs (Black churches). Click on the image for more detail.