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Handout A: Comparative Data

Handout A: Comparative Data

Per capita real GDP

This is a measure of the total dollar value of goods and services produced within a country in a year divided by that country’s population, adjusted for inflation. Although it is a highly imperfect measure, it does give a general idea of the relative incomes of countries on a per-person basis.

Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/real-gdp-per-capita/country-comparison

Real per capital GDP in US$/international rank (1=best)

  • Chile: $19,100/74
  • China: $9,800/120
  • Cuba: $10,200/117
  • Korea, North: $1,800/197
  • Korea, South: $33,200/42
  • Mauritius: $16,100/86
  • Nigeria: $2,800/180
  • Singapore: $62,400/7
  • Switzerland: $46,000/15
  • USA: $52,800/14

Index of Economic Freedom ranking

This is an index published annually by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal newspaper that attempts to demonstrate the link between human freedoms in several areas and national prosperity. Using statistics from several respected international organizations, the index rates states on 10 broad factors of economic freedom, such as business freedom, property rights, and freedom from corruption.

Source: http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking

Economic freedom score (higher=freer)/international rank (1=best)

  • Chile: 78.7/7
  • China: 52.5/137
  • Cuba: 28.7/177
  • Korea, North: 1.0/178
  • Korea, South: 71.2/31
  • Mauritius: 76.5/8
  • Nigeria: 54.3/129
  • Singapore: 89.4/2
  • Switzerland: 81.6/4
  • USA: 75.5/12

Human Development Index

The Human Development Index, published by the United Nations Development Programme, is a composite measure of state-level achievement in three broad areas: health, income, and education. Its authors claim that the analysis is intellectually independent and empirically grounded.

Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi

Human development index score (1.0 = highest)/international ranking

  • Chile: 0.819/40
  • China: 0.690/101
  • Cuba: 0.78/59
  • Korea, North: No ranking
  • Korea, South: 0.909/12
  • Mauritius: 0.737/80
  • Nigeria: 0.471/153
  • Singapore: 0.895/18
  • Switzerland: 0.913/9
  • USA: 0.937/3

Global Competitiveness Report index

Published annually by the World Economic Forum, the Global Competitiveness Report uses 110 variables to “assess the ability of countries to provide high levels of prosperity to their citizens. This in turn depends on how productively a country uses available resources.”

Source: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-competitiveness-report-2020

Score (1-7. 7 = highest)/international ranking

  • Chile: 4.61/34
  • China: 4.84/29
  • Cuba: No ranking
  • Korea, North: No ranking
  • Korea, South: 5.01/25
  • Mauritius: 4.45/45
  • Nigeria: 3.57/120
  • Singapore: 5.51/2
  • Switzerland: 5.67/1
  • USA: 5.48/5

Freedom in the World Index

“Freedom in the World” is Freedom House’s annual report that attempts to quantify the state of political freedom and civil liberties around the world.

Source: http://www.freedomhouse.org/report-types/freedom-world#.U2_e_eZdXHJ

Score (1-7. 1=Most free)

  • Chile: 1.0/7/0; free
  • China: 6.7/7.0; not free
  • Cuba: 6.5/7.0; not free
  • Korea, North: 7.0/7.0/not free
  • Korea, South: 1.5/free
  • Mauritius: 1.5/7.0; free
  • Nigeria: 4.5/7.0; partly free
  • Singapore: 4.0/partly free
  • Switzerland: 1.0/7.0; free
  • USA: 1.0/7.0; free

Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of Law

The Worldwide Governance Indicators are the World Bank’s attempts to quantify and analyze six broad measurements of governance. The data below examine the rule of law; that is, the fair, functioning, and universal application of “just” legal codes in a society.

Source: http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/index.aspx#reports

Score (-2.5 (lowest/worst) to 2.5 (highest/best)). Percentile is world ranking, with 99% being the top.

  • Chile: 1.37/88.15 percentile
  • China: -0.49/38.36 percentile
  • Cuba: -0.64/32.23 percentile
  • Korea, North: -1.25/9.00 percentile
  • Korea, South: 0.97/79.62 percentile
  • Mauritius: 0.94/78.20 percentile
  • Nigeria: Score -1.18/10.43 percentile
  • Singapore: 1.77/95.73 percentile
  • Switzerland: 1.81/96.68 percentile
  • USA: Score 1.60/91.47 percentile

Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) – Country ranking

This is the represents the total percentage of national earnings from oil, natural gas, coal, minerals, and timber. The ranking is the world ranking of this percentage of reliance on resource wealth.

Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/NY.GDP.TOTL.RT.ZS/rankings

  • Chile: 19.16%/34
  • China: 9.09%/57
  • Cuba: 5.26%/74
  • Korea, North: No data
  • Korea, South: 0.07%/159
  • Mauritius: 0.01%/169
  • Nigeria: Score 35.77%/19
  • Singapore: 0.00%/171
  • Switzerland: 0.02%/165
  • USA: 1.73%/109