Inequality as a Threat
Who says economic inequality threatens democracy?
Who says economic inequality threatens democracy?
| # | Country | Share who say economic inequality threatens democracy (%) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 82 | 2024 |
| 2 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 80 | 2024 |
| 3 | 🇺🇸 United States | 66 | 2024 |
| 4 | 🇨🇳 China | 59 | 2024 |
| 5 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 59 | 2024 |
| 6 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 50 | 2024 |
Greece leads this card at 82, with Germany at 50. The gap is 32 %. Greece is 1.64 times Germany.
82% in Greece and 80% in Portugal agree that economic inequality threatens democracy in their country. The United States is at 66%. China and Vietnam are both at 59%, above Germany at 50%. Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria are also at 50%. Agree means strongly or somewhat. The lowest in the topline are Saudi Arabia at 44% and Russia at 47%, so China and Vietnam are not the bottom. The report's chart of this question leaves out countries Freedom House rates Not Free, including China and Vietnam. Their answers are still in the topline. Latana says that where speech is restricted, that can strongly influence the answers.
Source: Latana and the Alliance of Democracies, Democracy Perception Index 2024. Online sample of 62,953 people in 53 countries, 20 Feb to 15 Apr 2024. Nationally representative by age, gender, and education. Average margin of error about 2.9 points. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Democracy in my country is threatened by economic inequality. Agree is strongly agree plus somewhat agree. The report's chart of this question leaves out countries Freedom House rates Not Free. The topline file still includes them. See the source.
The first gasoline car
Which country built the first gasoline car?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The first gasoline car | DEU |
Karl Benz built the Patent-Motorwagen in Mannheim in 1886, a gasoline tricycle with a patent. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot's 1769 wagon was French, and it was steam, which is why France looks right.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Karl Benz See the source.
Playing cards
Which country invented paper playing cards?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Playing cards | CHN |
Paper playing cards show up in China in the Tang dynasty. European packs, including the Italian ones, are a later import, which is why Italy looks right.
Source: Wikipedia, Playing card See the source.
Dollar a Head
GDP per capita 🇸🇬🇲🇽
| # | Country | GDP per capita (current US$ per person) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 94,897 | 2024 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 United States | 86,170 | 2024 |
| 3 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 56,104 | 2024 |
| 4 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 36,239 | 2024 |
| 5 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 25,104 | 2024 |
| 6 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 13,988 | 2024 |
Singapore is $94,897 per person, above the United States at $86,170. Mexico is $13,988, about a sixth of the US figure. These are current US dollars per person, not what a paycheck buys.
Source: World Bank, GDP per capita, current US$ (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD), 2024. See the source.