2017 # 1: SA in numbers – Geography, Population, & Economy – compared to the rest of the World:
Nathanael West “Numbers constitute the only universal language.”
Every year the Economist ‘Pocket World in Figures’ brings out a varied set of global rankings covering 190 countries. These range from fastest-growing economies to highest per capita consumption of marijuana to which countries imprison the most people.
And every year the measures are changed – somewhat! It makes for interesting reading!
by Steuart Pennington
The stats in red have been added this year. Some have been removed from last year, all have been updated for 2017.
(The Economist tends to rank the top 1-50 best and the bottom 1 – 50 worst (sometimes the range is less), very often SA in not placed in either, that’s what this newsletter will reflect, unless I can find out more via Google)
There are 230 countries in the world, only 190 are ‘serious enough’ to provide data, and only 80 have a population of more than 10 million.
So, in this three-part series I will:
- Firstly, cover the numbers: Geography, Population and Economy (June 21).
- Secondly, cover the numbers: Infrastructure, Health and Technology (June 27).
- Thirdly, cover the numbers: People, Crime and Environment (July 4).
- Fourthly, conclude with comments (July 11).
Country Facts – the BASICS
|
SA Ranking / Countries Surveyed |
Comment |
|---|---|---|
Geography |
||
Area by ‘000 Km² |
SA 24/190@1,221 million sq.km |
8 African countries are geographically larger than SA, however Nigeria with pop. of 150m is smaller at 31/190 |
Population |
||
Population size in 2012 |
SA 25/190@53,1 million |
4 African countries are greater, Nigeria is at (7/190) China largest 1,4 billion |
Population size projected to 2025 |
SA not in top 20 |
India (1 @ 1,46b), China (2 @ 1.41b) Philippines (13 @ 116m), 7 African countries in top 20, Nigeria (5) @ 233m up from 178m at present) |
Fastest growing population |
SA not in top 50/190Estimated growth 1-2% per annum |
29 African countries in top 50, Niger (1), Nigeria (24), Zim (33) |
Slowest growing population |
SA not in bottom 50/190 |
20 countries, mostly Eastern European, but including Germany, Japan and Cuba have negative population growth rates |
Highest/Lowest median age |
SA does not feature in highest or lowest 50, |
Japan (2) at 46 years old. Niger, Chad, Uganda, lowest at 15 years old.SA estimated at 27 |
Highest/Lowest Fertility rates (2.2 births per fertile woman required to keep population stable) |
SA @ 2.3 |
Highest: Niger (7.5), Somalia (6.1) Nigeria (5.4),Lowest: Taiwan (1.1), Singapore (1.3) Germany (1.4). |
Sex Ratios (Males per 100 females: Highest and Lowest) |
SA @ 99 |
Highest: UAE 274, Qatar 265, China 106, India 107Lowest: Latvia 84, Russia 86, Rwanda 91 |
Most Old People (% of pop. over 65) |
SA has young pop. 66% below age of 35 |
Monaco 1 @ 30%, Japan 2 @ 26%, Italy 3 @ 22%, Germany 5 @ 21% |
Most Young People (% of pop. aged 0-19) |
SA @ 36 % |
Niger 1 @ 60%, Uganda 2 @ 59%, South Sudan 23 @ 53% |
Biggest Cities |
JHB 33/190 @ 10.4m people |
Tokyo (1 @ 38m, Delhi (2 @ 29m), New York (12 @18.6m) London (30 @ 10m), Sydney (83 @ 4.5m) |
Population density per sq.km |
SA not in top 20 @ 4.3 |
Singapore (3) @ 7,428 |
Biggest urban populations |
SA 25/190 @ 37m urbanised |
China (1 @ 874m) India (2 @ 470m) USA (3 @ 278m) UK (15 @ 53m) |
Biggest rural populations |
SA @ 28/190SA @ 19m |
India (1 @ 882m), Nigeria (6 @ 101m), USA (9 @ 59m),Russia (16 @ 36m) Germany (28 @ 19m) |
Largest refugee populations |
SA not in top 20 |
Turkey 1 @ 1,587m, Pakistan 2 @ 1,505m USA 14 @ 267mSA estimated at 115,000 ‘Asylum seeking refugees’ |
Origin of Asylum Applications to industrialised countries |
SA not in top 20 |
Syria 1 @ 149K, Iraq 2 @ 68K China 7 @ 22K, Mexico 14 @ 14K |
Biggest migrant population in millions |
SA 17/190@3.1 million |
USA 1 @ 46m, Germany 2 @ 12m, Russia 3 @ 11m, Australia 9 @ 7m, Switzerland 25 @ 2.4m |
Economy |
||
|---|---|---|
Biggest Economies as measured by US$ GDP |
SA 33/190 @ $350b. |
USA (1), Egypt (38), Nigeria (21), No other African countries featured. |
Biggest Economy based on purchasing power (PPP) |
SA 29/190 |
China (1) USA (2), Egypt (23), Nigeria (22), Sweden (41), Chile (43). |
Highest GDP per head |
SA not in top 60 nor in bottom 40 |
Monaco (1 @ $US 187,026 per head), Australia (10 @ $61,442) USA (14), UK (24 @ $46,920). SA (87) @ $10.960 per head. |
Highest Purchasing Power per head |
SA not in top 70 |
Qatar (2), USA (15), Australia (20) UK (32), SA (87) |
Human Development Index (* 1 is best) |
SA 116/190 SA up by five positions from last year. |
Norway 1, Australia 2, USA 8, UK 14.20 African countries in bottom 30/190. |
Gini Coefficient, 1 is worst |
SA 1/190 |
Namibia (2), Honduras (5), Colombia (9), Brazil (10) |
Economic Freedom (* 1 is best) |
SA 74/190 |
No African country in top 60/190. SA ranked as moderately free |
Highest Economic growth |
SA not in top 50 |
18 African counties in top 50 |
Lowest economic growth |
SA not in bottom 35 2017 figures dispute this |
In bottom 35, Euro area (22 @ 0,7%), UK (31 @ 1.2%), USA (37 @ 1.5%) |
Biggest exporters |
SA 42/190 |
Euro (1), USA (2), Australia (24), Hong Kong (28) |
Biggest earners from services and income (% of world exports of services and income |
SA 45/190@ 0.27% |
First time SA in top 50 countries |
Largest Deficit in US$ |
SA 12/190SA @ $19 trillion |
USA (1 @ $389 trillion), UK (2 @ $151 Trillion), Australia (4), NZ (21) |
Largest Deficit as % of GDP |
Not in top 40SA @ – 4.5% |
Mozambique (2 @ -37%), Zimbabwe (12 @ – 15%), Ghana (37 @ -6%) |
Government Debt as % of GDP |
SA not in top 25SA @ 45% |
Japan (1 @ 227%), UK (8 @ 117%), USA (11 @ 114%), Germany (18 @ 78%), |
Government spending as a % of GDP |
SA not in top 30,SA @ 32% |
France (2 @ 57%), Euro Area (10 @ 49%), UK (17 @ 43%), USA (28 @ 38%), Australia (28 @ 36%) |
Tax revenue as % of GDP |
SA not in top 30SA @ 27% |
Denmark (1 @ 50%), Germany (14 @ 37%), UK (20 @ 32%) |
Gold reserves |
SA 26/190US$ 4 billion |
Euro area (1 @ US$ 357 billion), USA 2, Germany 3, UK (16 @ 10b) |
Largest market capitalisation |
JSE 19th largest @ US$736b |
NYSE (1 @ US$ 17,351b) NASDAQ (2 @ US$ 7, 979b) Tokyo (3 @ US$ 4,378b), |
House price improvement over the last 5 years, 1 is best |
SA 16/190SA @ 32%SA # 1 in 2015 |
Brazil (1 @ 113%) Hong Kong (3 @ 97%) Germany (13 @ 35%) Canada (20 @ 28%) |
Highest foreign debt in $ billions |
SA 19/190SA @ $144b |
China (1 @ $ 959b), Russia (2 @ $599b), Brazil (3@ $556b) India (5 @ $463b) Argentina (20 @ $139b) |
Highest foreign debt burden as % of GDP |
SA not in top 50/190 |
Singapore (2 @ 152%) Zimbabwe (19 @ 74%), Chile 32 @ 57% Romania 35 @ 55%) |
Household Debt as % of gross disposable income |
SA not in top 30 |
Denmark (1), Australia (5), UK (10) USA (16), Germany (19) |
Largest recipients of bilateral and multilateral aid |
SA 31/190@1,070 m US$ |
Afghanistan 1 at 4,823 m US$, Vietnam 2 @ 4,217 m , Syria 3 @ 4,198 m |
Largest Manufacturing Output |
SA 38/190@42 b US$ |
China 1 @ 3,713 b US$ , USA 2 @ 1,944, Japan 3 @ 905. |
Largest Industrial Output |
SA 40/190@93 b US$ |
China (1 @ 4,423 b US$, USA (2 @ 3,212 ) Japan (3 @ 1,280 b US$ China overtakes US for 1st time |
Largest Services Output |
SA 32/190 |
USA (1), China (2) Japan (3), UK (5), Hong Kong (28), Egypt (45) |
Largest producers of Energy |
SA 20/190 |
China (1), USA (2), Russia (3) |
Largest Consumers of Energy |
SA 17/190 |
China (1), USA (2), UK (14), Thailand (18), Egypt (29) |
Highest rate of Unemployment |
SA 9/190 @ 27% |
Mauritania (1 @ 31%) Greece (10 @ 25%), Spain (15 @ 22%), Italy (40 @ 12%) |
Highest rate of Youth Unemployment |
SA 7/190@37% |
Bosnia (1 @ 66%), Greece (11 @ 48%), Spain (12 @ 48%), Italy (18 @ 43%) |
Average hours worked (where 1 is most) |
SA 10/190 @ 43.8 hours per week |
Qatar (1 @ 50), Turkey (3 @ 47), Hong Kong (9 @ 44) |
Poverty Pay (% of workers paid less than 2 US$ per day) |
SA not in worst 30 |
Madagascar 94%, Afghanistan 88%, Zim 66%, India 54% |
Global Competitiveness Index |
SA 47/140Up 9 places from 2015 |
USA (1), Switzerland (2), India (44) |
Corruption Index where 1 is least and 175 is worst. |
SA 61/175 improvement of 7 places from previous year |
Denmark (1) Switzerland (7), UK (14), Somalia (175), Iraq (172), Chad (163) |
Largest number of listed domestic companies |
SA’s JSE @ 26 out of top 38 with 382 |
India (1 with 5542), Japan (3), London (6) NASDAQ (5) Australia (8 with 2073) |
Big Mac Index (a measure of the most under-valued currencies where 1 is most undervalued) |
SA 5/190 |
Ukraine (1), Russia (2), India (3), China (13) Singapore (26) |
So, if you are interested in ‘numbers’ then I invite you to make of these stats what you will.
People often say “lies, damn lies and statistics”. But if you don’t start with the numbers where do you start? With opinion? With rumour? With hearsay? With media distortion?
There are three types of opinion I come across every day, especially in our print media:
- Informed, factual and specific,
- Uninformed, rumoured and crass
- Biased, prejudiced or just plain racist
How intensely annoying is it to be told “that’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it” when ignorance or prejudice is at the heart of the ‘opinion’ ……….and you have the facts.
How infuriating is it to be told something, you point out the facts and the response is “I don’t care about the facts, I’m telling you………….blah, blah, blah!”.
Whenever I read that SA is the “worst in the world” I Google it, there are global surveys on just about everything. Three things emerge:
- First, there are very few surveys that go beyond 80 countries (out of 235)
- Second, countries are cagey about their bad stats. (Try and find out about tourist murders on a country by country basis, or foetal alcohol syndrome, or rape…..)
- Third, some information is hard to come by, for example most countries only report on crime stats. every five years and very few put them into the public domain.
But the key issue is the narrative, how we talk about our country, how the media reports, what we hear on the news.
Why do we obsess with bus accidents in Bangladesh which we (the SABC) feel that it is vital to know of when there are ‘some’ good things happening here, which NEVER make the news.
Check out www.sagoodnews.co.za for evidence of that.
So please, if you read or hear something that you suspect as being untrue, google it, establish the facts, and then write to the offending media source, tweet it, facebook it….embarrass the offending editor.
And if it’s bad news, and true, try, if you can, to do something about it.
NEXT WEEK: Infrastructure, Health, Technology