Maps to explain economic geography.
Since opening its first international unit in Tokyo, Starbucks has spilled out into 80 nations in just a quarter-century. It now boasts over 32,000 stores across the world. In the fast-food ranks, Starbucks is the second largest fast-food chain after McDonald’s, and it depends on its store-to-store consistency even more.
Read more: The Price of Starbucks in Every Country Mapped
While small business tax rates worldwide have fallen drastically in the last 40 years, they still vary widely from country to country. Tax rates are lowest in the Middle East and Europe and highest in Africa and South America.
Read more: How do corporate taxes for small businesses vary around the world?
The number of billionaires on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s wealthiest people during the second pandemic year exploded to an outstanding 2,755. It is 660 more than a year ago. Of those, a record high of 493 was new for 2021 (every new billionaire appeared every 17 hours); 210 were from China and Hong Kong.
Read more: The Geography of the World’s Richest People
Petroleum is the most imported product in 128 countries. The top 4 importers of fossil fuels are China, the United States, India, and South Korea, while 59 countries export petroleum around the world more than any other product.
Read more: New study reveals each country’s biggest import and export
From timeless classics such as the spinning top to the latest crazes like L.O.L Surprise!, toys are vital for growing up. As children, toys help us learn and develop new skills, but the market is also fuelled by video, console, and computer games, which benefit from a growing adult consumer base. According to Statista, the toy market made a total revenue of 94.7 billion dollars in 2020 alone. But which toys are the most popular around the world?
Read more: Every country’s favorite toys, consoles, and board games mapped
California is the state with the most coffee shops – 9,615. The state with the highest number of coffee shops per 100,000 people in Hawaii – 41. Harrisburg in Pennsylvania is the American city with the cheapest coffee – $1.18 per cup. Seattle in Washington is the city with the most expensive coffee – $3.92.
Read more: The U.S. Coffee Index
The global pandemic put the humble grocery basket in the spotlight. Switzerland has the most expensive essentials globally, costing $52.95 for a regular basket of groceries. The cost for the same groceries in Djibouti is $6.89, just 13 percent of the price in Switzerland.
Read more: The Cost of Essential Food Around the World
To the sneakerhead, unpacking a pair of legendary footwear is a delicate ceremony. New sneakers are more than footwear: Sneaker guru Michael Sykes admits that the latest fashionable sneakers can be more about identity than fashion.
Read more: Sneaker Prices, Mapped: Which Countries Pay the Most For Classic Shoes?
The minimum wage in U.S. states varies from $15.20 per hour in D.C. to $8.65 per hour in Florida. The minimum wage is more than 3/4 of the living cost in the bulk of the West Coast and New England. Most of the South and some Mountain states have it the worst, where minimum wage covers about 50% of the living costs.
Read more: Which U.S. States Can You Live More Comfortably On A Minimum Wage?
Data is getting faster in general. The average mobile download speed rose from 22.81 Mbps to 27.69 Mbps in the 12 month. And 5G promises to deliver speeds over 1 Gigabit per second.
Read more: Maps reveal what countries have the most affordable mobile data
Explore the differences in housing affordability across North America with our comprehensive analysis of how many years you need to work to buy a home in each US state and Canadian province. Discover trends, factors, and future predictions.
Read more: How Many Years You Need to Work to Buy a Home in North America
The United Arab Emirates is the most costly nation to begin a business, with start-up costs of $7,443.51. While starting a new business is least affordable in Congo, where $1,232 in fees equates to 2,554% of the average monthly income. Contrary in Kazakhstan, it takes just 2% of the average monthly payment ($12 against $531) to start a business.
Read more: The most and least affordable countries for starting a business, mapped
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are big oil producers with economies highly dependent on hydrocarbon revenues. Residents in these regions enjoy the most affordable oil prices. The Central African Republic has the most expensive fuel prices in the world. Fuel supplies have to be brought in on a barge over the Oubangui River, resulting in frequent shortages and high prices.
Read more: Global Fuel Index: Comparing Gasoline Prices in Cities Worldwide