Category Archives: Population

The Best and Worst Places to be Born in 2013

Back in 1988, the United States was ranked first as the best country to be born. Twenty five years later, the U.S. is ranked number 16.

The Economist Intelligence Unit compiled the where-to-be-born index which measures which country will provide the best opportunities to someone born in 2013. It links the results of life satisfaction surveys to indicators that affect the quality of life in those countries, such as geography, demographics, culture, government policies, the economy, etc.

Based on those factors, the best places to be born are Switzerland, Australia followed by Norway, Sweden Denmark, and Singapore. At the bottom of the list you will find Nigeria, Kenya, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Angola, Pakistan, among others.

 

The United States as Mapped by Starbucks Locations

click to enlarge

In a thought-provoking article, James Davenport from the blog IfWeAssume.com, mentions interesting facts about the location of Starbucks coffee shops in different cities in the U.S. For example, the closer you live to a Starbucks, the more likely your rent is going to be higher. Another interesting fact is that Starbucks locations are clustered around major cities and highways, as shown in the map. He concludes that more than 80% of the U.S. population, about 250 million people, live within 20 miles of a Starbucks.

 

How Does Your Country Compare to U.S. States?

These interactive maps from the Economist provide an interesting comparison between different countries and US states.

Using the criteria of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the economy of California is approximately the size of Italy, Texas the size of Russia, Florida the size of the Netherlands, and Alabama the size of Nigeria.

Using the criteria of Population, California is approximately the size of Poland, Washington  the size of Lebanon, Arizona the size of Libya, and Minnesota the size of Finland, to name a few.

 

Animated Map Visualizations

You can now explore 11 years worth of changes in the demographic characteristics of all U.S. counties through our animated map visualizations. Try the following indicators:

World Population Day – July 11, 2012

  1. World Population Day | 2012 Theme: Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services (United Nations)
  2. Family planning in South Asia: Improving equity of access – Julie McLaughlin (World Bank)
  3. Population Of The World Tops 7 Billion Ahead Of World Population Day 2012 (Huffington Post)
  4. Nine population strategies to stop short of 9 billion – (PeakOil.com)
  5. World Population Day 2012 – Michael Evans – (Earth Times)