Economy

The modern state of Ukraine was formed nearly 30 years ago after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, the country has often made headlines due to political instability and the looming threat of a Russian invasion. In the map graphic above, we examine Ukraine from a structural point of view. What’s the country’s population composition? What drives the country’s economy? And most importantly, why is the country important within a global context?

The current Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to reshape geopolitical relations and international trade and to give context to the situation, we’ve created this graphic using IMF and UN Comtrade data to showcase Ukraine’s largest trading partners and goods traded in 2020.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is an effort by a relatively small country trying to use military action and threats, backed up by a nuclear arsenal, that can in no way compare in terms of resources to those it is threatening and, as such, the combined impacts of the imposed sanctions on its small economy will likely be significant and widely felt.

In the latest annual edition of the Global Risks Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), it was found that a majority of global leaders feel worried or concerned about the outlook of the world, and only 3.7% feel optimistic. What global risks are leaders and experts most concerned about, and which ones are posing imminent threats? Let’s dive into the key findings from the report.

Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021 and it revealed that Canada now ranks #13 out of 180 countries, falling two places from last year, and the USA ranks even lower at #27. Which countries are perceived to be the least corrupt? Read on!

The U.S. dollar has been the world’s dominant currency since the end of World War II with roughly half of international trade, international loans, and global debt securities being denominated in USD as illustrated in the graphic below.

The Gallup Poll asks Americans about their attitudes toward capitalism and socialism on a semi-regular basis and below are the results from a poll carried out in October 2021

Most of what passes for explanations of inflation and its causes are convoluted and confusing. It is like looking into a pond of muddy water and trying to ascertain what lurks blow the surface. Below are some facts about inflation that should help clarify things:

Kondratiev concluded that each long wave was driven by technological advances. He identified four distinct phases.

There is a way to protect yourself against inflation and save your hard-earned money. Here are the most important things you should know about protection against inflation.