The Most Important Graph in the World
There has been a massive increase in wealth throughout the world in the last two centuries.
Marian Tupy
Latest from Marian Tupy
Italy Referendum Results Illustrate Sense of Alienation Electorate Has From Governing Elites
The prime minister resigned after voters rejected his reform efforts by a wide margin.
Castro's 'Accomplishments' in Cuba a Load of Nonsense
Cuba has a two-tier healthcare system like all communist countries, lags in other indicators, and lacks basic human rights.
Globalization and Poverty
The last forty years have seen a massive and historically unprecedented decline in global poverty.
We Work Less, Have More Leisure Time and Earn More Money
Income per capita per year was up 111 percent between 1950 and 2016.
Americans Are Still Freer Than Most, But the Trend Line Are Worrying
Freedom of the press, government accountability and transparency, and economic freedom have all been trending down, while corruption is trending up.
Human Freedom Is Up, But Government Quality Is Deteriorating
Progress in spite of government not because of it.
Female Genital Mutilation Remains Widespread in Many Countries
But attitudes are slowly shifting.
Your Life in Numbers
Things have been getting better.
Happy Birthday, Botswana
Its prosperity and stability a testament to its first president, who did not seek to destroy the market economy he inherited.
Rising Prosperity Means Getting to Eat More Meat and Seafood
That's ok, because human ingenuity and free markets satisfy increased demand.
Computers Allow Us To Accomplish More With Less, and It's Only Getting Better
Researchers have just developed a way to fit yet more transistors into less space, creating an even more efficient computer chip.
Cheers to American Beers, Triumphs of Capitalism and Technological Progress
What contributed to the revival of the U.S. brewing industry between the 1990s and the present?
Ukraine's Dire Economic Situation, Explained
To appreciate Ukraine's predicament, consider these charts.
South African Ruling Party Suffers Worst Results Yet in Local Elections
The African National Congress has dominated since the end of apartheid.
Countries That Transitioned Rapidly From Communism to Capitalism Fare Better
Former Soviet bloc countries that transitioned slowly now lag behind.
The European Union: Separating Myth from Reality
Despite its self-congratulations, the EU is not responsible for 60 years of peace and prosperity in Europe.
Evolution of Social and Cultural Norms Making Society More Tolerant and Safer
But motivated bad actors will always find a way.
5 Ways Capitalist Chile is Much Better Than Socialist Venezuela
The story of Chile's success starts in the mid-1970s, when Chile's military government abandoned socialism and started to implement economic reforms.
Venezuela the Victim of Decades of Losses in Economic Freedom
Lower oil prices not quite an answer.
Energy in the West Cheap and Ubiquitous Despite Policymakers' Best Efforts
The West's misguided attempts to curtail CO2 emissions through limits on energy use are filtering down to places where cheap energy is still a distant dream.
The Importance of Fracking on Earth Day
Lower gas prices probably helped President Obama get re-elected too.
Cuba's Literacy Rate, Life Expectancy Nothing to Lionize
Dictatorships may value literacy as much as democracies, but they value life a lot less.
Ten Reasons to Defect From North Korea
What would make someone want to flee "The Hermit Kingdom"?
Liberia Turns to Private Sector for Primary Education
Government covers the associated student fees.
Rising GDPs, Declining Work Hours
GDPs have continued to go up even as total hours work have gone down.
Hong Kong and the Power of Economic Freedom
Hong Kong has surpassed its former colonial master in prosperity because it's had more economic freedom.
What Cell Phones Reveal About the Failures of Government-Run Telecommunications
Private-sector innovations trump government-controlled monopolies.
World Getting Safer, No Daily Threat of Armageddon
Wars are getting rarer and nuclear stockpiles are going down.
Global Warming Fund a Slush Fund for World's Dictators
Third World tyrants salivate at the prospect of largesse from the green climate fund.
Apocalyptic Warnings About 'Water Wars' Too Pessimistic, Too Premature
Freshwater reserves are falling but access to drinking water is up.
Bill Clinton's 'New Generation' of African Leaders Mostly Still Around in 2016
In 1998, Bill Clinton lauded four African presidents for their commitment to democracy. Three of them are still in power today. The other's dead.
Political Freedom On the Rise Around the World Despite Naysayers
The next U.S. president doesn't need to try to set the world right.
Cost of Living vs. Wage Stagnation in the United States, 1979-2015
Inflation-adjusted wages haven't gone up, the cost of living has for the most part gone down.
Humans Innovate Their Way Out of Scarcity
Decline in commodities prices since the 1960s illustrates the enduring wisdom of Julian Simon
