Australia has the Fifth Highest Debt-to-Disposable Income Globally

Households in Australia have high debt levels compared to historical figures. According to the latest OECD data available, Australia’s debt-to-net-disposable-income ratio now stands at 206% and is the fifth-highest in the world as shown in the chart below: Click to enlarge Source: Is Australia’s luck running out? by Robin Parbrook, Schroder’s Extended high debt together with over …

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Percentage of Daily Smokers As a Share of Total Adult Population in OECD Countries

Smoking rates have declined by one fourth since 2000, according to a report by the OECD. About 19% of the daily population smoked daily in 2014, the latest year for which data is available. But the rate varies widely across OECD member nations. Click to enlarge Source: OECD The former Soviet republic of Lativa has …

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On The Monopoly and Oligopoly Madness In Most US Industries

The US is considered as the most competitive market in the world. However in reality most of the major industries are a form of monopoly or oligopoly. When industries are dominated by one company or a handful of companies customer suffer as prices inevitably increase due to pricing shower and lack of competition. But investors and management …

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Public Social Spending as a Percentage of GDP Across OECD Countries

Social spending includes various benefits offered by a country to its residents such as healthcare, pensions, social security,  food stamps, relocation money provided to refugees, funding for community activities for illegals, etc. This expenditure varies widely across OECD member countries. Click to enlarge Source: OECD France tops the list with social spending amounting to over 31% …

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Debt to Savings Ratio As a Percentage of GDP of Select Countries

China is creditor country while the US is the largest debtor country in the world. China has also one of the low debt to savings ratio in the world as shown in the chart below: Click to enlarge Source: 5 Big Risks Posed by China (And Why They Shouldn’t Crash Global Markets in 2017) by Michelle Gibley, Charles Schwab …

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