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Ranked: Real Estate Returns by Property Sector (2012-2021)
For the ninth year in a row, Americans say real estate is the best long-term investment.
However, what might be less clear to the average investor are the different types of investments available within the real estate sector, and how they compare. Real estate return on investment within property sectors has historically been uneven, and 2021 was no exception. While residential property soared, office real estate has performed relatively poorly.
Are there any patterns in the top performers over time?
This infographic ranks real estate return on investment by sector over the last decade.
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Measuring the Level of Competition for Valuable Minerals
Everybody loves a little competition.
It levels the playing field and ensures prices and products are kept affordable and available. But how do you measure and track the competitiveness of specific sectors?
The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is a commonly accepted measurement of market concentration, and in today’s case, we use it to show which mineral sectors have healthy competition between countries, as well as the sectors that are more monopolistic.
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Which Asset Classes Hedge Against Inflation?
U.S. inflation has climbed 5% over the last year, the largest 12-month increase since August 2008. With this in mind, many investors may be wondering how to position their portfolio to hedge against inflation.
In this Markets in a Minute chart, we show which asset classes have beat inflation in recent years.
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Visualizing The Global Semiconductor Supply Chain
Our digitally-driven society is powered by an extremely robust semiconductor supply chain, and until the COVID-19 pandemic, not many people thought about it.
But a sudden surge in demand for digital goods, improved technologies, and recovering economies put the strain and spotlight directly on semiconductors.
The millions of digital devices we use, from smartphones to electric cars, computers, robotics, and the businesses they enable, only function thanks to the intricate chips built on semiconductors. By some estimates, up to 22.5% of global GDP is made up by the global digital economy.
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Wall Street vs Main Street: The Stock Market is Not the Economy
In 2020, the stock market and the economy had a very public break up. The Wall Street vs Main Street divide—the gap between America’s financial markets and the economy—was growing. By the end of the year, the S&P 500 Index closed at a record high. In contrast, 20 million Americans remained unemployed, up from 2 million at the start of the year.
Was 2020 an outlier, or does the performance of the stock market typically diverge from the economy? In this infographic, we show U.S. economic growth and stock market performance over the last four decades, to see how closely the two relate.
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Graphene: The Wonder Material of the Future
There is a new wonder material in town, and its name is graphene. Since it was first successfully isolated in 2004, graphene, with its honeycomb-like 2D structure and its wide gamut of interesting properties, has been keenly studied by material scientists.
This naturally transparent 1 millimeter thick lattice of carbon atoms has multiple applications and could even one day potentially solve the world’s water crisis.
The faith in the material is so strong that, according to numbers projected by Fortune Business Insights, its market value will be $2.8 billion in 2027.
In this infographic from HydroGraph, we are introduced to the fascinating world of graphene, including its properties, applications, history and production.
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Visualizing China’s Dominance in Rare Earth Metals
From smartphones and electric vehicles to x-rays and guided-missiles, several modern technologies wouldn’t be what they are without rare earth metals. Also known as rare earth elements or simply “rare earths”, this group of 17 elements is critical to a number of wide-ranging industries.
Although deposits of rare earth metals exist all over the world, the majority of both mining and refining occurs in China. The above graphic from CSIS China Power Project tracks China’s exports of rare earth metals in 2019, providing a glimpse of the country’s dominating presence in the global supply chain.
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The Top 10 Semiconductor Companies by Market Share
Semiconductors are an essential component of the microchips that power virtually every modern electronic device. As the objects around us get “smarter” and demand for electronics grows around the world, the demand for semiconductors will continue to skyrocket.
So, which companies currently make these chips, and where are they located?
The today's infographic breaks down the top 10 semiconductor companies by country and market share.
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The World’s Most Powerful Reserve Currencies
When we think of network effects, we’re usually thinking of them in the context of technology and Metcalfe’s Law.
Metcalfe’s Law states that the more users that a network has, the more valuable it is to those users. It’s a powerful idea that is exploited by companies like LinkedIn, Airbnb, or Uber — all companies that provide a more beneficial service as their networks gain more nodes.
But network effects don’t apply just to technology and related fields.
In the financial sector, for example, stock exchanges grow in utility when they have more buyers, sellers, and volume. Likewise, in international finance, a currency can become increasingly entrenched when it’s accepted, used, and trusted all over the world.When we think of network effects, we’re usually thinking of them in the context of technology and Metcalfe’s Law.
Metcalfe’s Law states that the more users that a network has, the more valuable it is to those users. It’s a powerful idea that is exploited by companies like LinkedIn, Airbnb, or Uber — all companies that provide a more beneficial service as their networks gain more nodes.
But network effects don’t apply just to technology and related fields.
In the financial sector, for example, stock exchanges grow in utility when they have more buyers, sellers, and volume. Likewise, in international finance, a currency can become increasingly entrenched when it’s accepted, used, and trusted all over the world.
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Map: Language Difficulty Ranking For English Speakers
Learning a new language as an adult is big undertaking – so if you want the best value for your time, choose wisely.
For most people, there are no time constraints on becoming fluent in another language, but for the Foreign Service Institute – the U.S. government’s main provider of foreign affairs training – quantifying the “learn time” of various languages is vital. American diplomats, for example, need to become proficient in the official language of their posting country, and it helps immensely to know how long that might take.
The FSI organizes languages into five broad categories based on how different each language and culture is to the United States.
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Visualizing the History of U.S. Inflation Over 100 Years
s inflation rising?
The consumer price index (CPI), an index used as a proxy for inflation in consumer prices, offers some answers. In 2020, inflation dropped to 1.4%, the lowest rate since 2015. By comparison, inflation sits around 2.5% as of June 2021.
For context, recent numbers are just above rates seen in 2019, which were 2.3%. Given how the economic shock of COVID-19 depressed prices, rising price levels make sense. However, other variables, such as a growing money supply and rising raw materials costs, could factor into rising inflation.
To show current price levels in context, this chart from New shows the history of inflation over 100 years.
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How Do Countries Around the World Compensate for Equity Risk?
When investors purchase stocks internationally, they are exposed to additional risks. Companies may have higher volatility based on a country’s economic, political, and legal conditions. In exchange for taking on the additional risk, investors demand a higher return potential, known as an equity risk premium.
Which countries have the highest premiums? In this infographics, we explore equity risk premiums for countries around the world.
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Animation: Global Population by Region From 1950 to 2100
According to the most recent projections by the United Nations, the global population will rise from 7.6 billion to 11.2 billion people by 2100.
At this macro level, the global population is growing considerably – but at the micro level, the numbers are all over the map. It’s expected that some countries like Nigeria will see population numbers quadruple by 2100, while other places like China will see a decline by almost 40%.
This raises the question: how different do the regions of the world look in 80 years, in terms of population?
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Identifying Your Stage on the Investor Lifecycle
As people age and progress through their careers, their financial goals continuously evolve. Understanding one’s current goals, while also planning for those in the future, are two important elements of financial planning.
In this infographics, we outline the investor lifecycle, a three-staged theory designed to help individuals optimize their portfolios as they age.
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This is the Language Each Country Wants to Learn the Most
When it came to choosing a new hobby during COVID-19 lockdowns, learning a new language was a popular choice—in March 2020, the language app Duolingo saw a 300% boost in new users.
But which languages were the most popular to learn in each country? This graphic by Wordtips maps the most popular language learning choices around the globe.
To find out which countries wanted to learn which languages, Wordtips used Google’s Keyword Planner, and tallied the number of searches for ‘learn x language’ (translated into different languages) in every country from May 2020 to May 2021.
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Mapped: The Most Common Illicit Drugs in the World
Despite strict prohibitory laws around much of the world, many common illicit drugs still see widespread use.
Humans have a storied and complicated relationship with drugs. Defined as chemical substances that cause a change in our physiology or psychology, many drugs are taken medicinally or accepted culturally, like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
But many drugs—including medicines and non-medicinal substances taken as drugs—are taken recreationally and can be abused. Each country and people have their own relationship to drugs, with some embracing the use of specific substances while others shun them outright.
What are the most common drugs that are considered generally illicit in different parts of the world? Today’s graphics use data from the UN’s World Drug Report 2021 to highlight the most prevalent drug used in each country.
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Rare Earth Elements: Where in the World Are They?
Rare earth elements are a group of metals that are critical ingredients for a greener economy, and the location of the reserves for mining are increasingly important and valuable.
This infographic features data from the United States Geological Society (USGS) which reveals the countries with the largest known reserves of rare earth elements (REEs).
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The Carbon Footprint of the Food Supply Chain
The quantity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) generated by our food can vary considerably across the global food supply chain.
In fact, the difference between specific food types can vary by orders of magnitude, meaning what we eat could be a significant factor impacting GHG emissions on the environment.
Today’s modified chart from Our World in Data relies on data from the largest meta-analysis of food systems in history. The study, published in Science was led by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek to highlight the carbon footprint across different food types across the world.
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35 Minerals Absolutely Critical to U.S. Security
What do cobalt, uranium, helium, titanium, and fluorspar have in common?
According to the U.S. government, these are all minerals that are deemed critical to both the economic and national security of the country.
The draft list of 35 critical minerals was released on February 16, 2018 as the result of President Trump’s Executive Order 13817, which asked the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Secretary of Defense to publish a list of mineral commodities that are vital to U.S. interests.
In this infographic we explore what elements and why are so critical to the U.S. security.
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A Global Breakdown of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
In a few decades, greenhouse gases (GHGs)—chiefly in the form of CO₂ emissions—have risen at unprecedented rates as a result of global growth and resource consumption.
To uncover the major sectors where these emissions originate, this graphic from Our World in Data pulls in data from 2016 courtesy of Climate Watch and the World Resources Institute, when total emissions reached 49.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e).
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The Top 10 Biggest Companies in Russia
From 1922–1991, the Soviet Union (USSR) was not only the world’s largest country, but also one of its most populated, influential, and powerful.
Today, modern Russia still holds all of those distinctions. Though no longer a designated superpower, the Russian Federation has recovered from the fall of the Soviet Union and has become the world’s 11th-largest economy.
Even after being expelled from the G7 over its annexation of Crimea, Russia’s membership as one of the principal emerging economies in BRICS (alongside Brazil, India, China, and South Africa), the G20, and the United Nations Security Council solidifies its important position in the modern world.
What industries and companies drive the modern Russian state? Here we put the spotlight on the top 10 biggest companies in Russia, using data from Companies Market Cap.
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Four Reasons to Watch UK Equities
Over the past several years, UK equities have traded at a relative discount compared to other developed markets. This was largely due to ongoing Brexit negotiations, where uncertainty around trade deals and other legislation created significant headwinds.
Fast forward to today, and much of the uncertainty has passed. Does this mean it’s time to invest in the UK?
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All the World’s Carbon Emissions in One Chart
Two degrees Celsius may not seem like much, but on our planet, it could be the difference between thriving life and a disastrous climate.
Over two centuries of burning fossil fuels have added up, and global decision-makers and business leaders are focusing in on carbon emissions as a key issue.
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Buy the Dip, Buy the Rise, or Follow a Plan: Which Had the Best Return?
As performance trends come and go, investors may wonder whether they should adjust their portfolios accordingly. When prices drop, should they buy the dip in anticipation of prices going back up? Conversely, when prices rise, should they buy the rise in case the climb continues?
In this Markets in a Minute from New York Life Investments, we compare these scenarios with following a financial plan to see which one has delivered better returns.
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Stock Value vs. Price: What’s the Difference?
From the Dutch Tulip Mania of the 17th century to the Roaring Twenties, asset bubbles have cropped up in markets persistently.
The recent activity in GameStop and other securities are no exception. But what does this mean for investors today? To answer this question, we return to a key principle of investing: the difference between a stock’s price versus its value.
This Markets in a Minute chart from New York Life Investments shows the key forces that impact both price and value to help investors harness a deeper understanding of their investments.
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Four Tips to Protect Portfolios in a Rising Rate Environment
U.S. inflation hit a 40-year high in November, rising 6.8% on a year-over-year basis.
Gas prices have jumped 58%, used cars are up 31%, and the price of food has risen over 6% over the same time frame.
But whether inflation is short-lived or here to stay remains up in the air. In this infographic, we take a look at four investment strategies to help investors manage risk during a rising environment.
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All World Languages in One Visualization
Languages provide a window into culture and history. They’re also a unique way to map the world – not through landmasses or geopolitical borders, but through mother tongues.
Only 23 languages are spoken by at least 50 million native speakers. What’s more, over half the planet speaks at least one of these 23 languages.
Chinese dominates as a macrolanguage, but it’s important to note that it consists of numerous languages. Mandarin, Yue (including Cantonese), Min, Wu, and Hakka cover over 200 individual dialects, which vary further by geographic location.
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Visualizing the Rise of mCommerce
Cellphones are becoming increasingly more prevalent across the globe. In fact, as of 2021, there are more mobile connections than people on the planet.
Because of this, the mobile commerce (mCommerce) market is expanding fast. By 2025, mCommerce is expected to double its share of U.S. retail sales.
This graphic provides a snapshot of the mCommerce landscape, and how companies can capitalize on this rapidly changing retail environment.
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Who Got It Right? A Look Back at Expert Predictions For 2021
Last year, the editorial team at Visual Capitalist scoured through 200+ reports, articles, podcasts, and more, to create our 2021 Prediction Consensus—a big picture and aggregated look at the key trends that experts predict for the year ahead.
If 2021 taught us anything, it’s that things can change at the drop of the hat. Amidst all this uncertainty, how many of the highlighted predictions came to fruition, and which ones didn’t pan out exactly as expected?
Below, we’ve evaluated a handful of the predictions for 2021 to determine whether or not they actually materialized.
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Animated Map: The 20 Most Populous Cities in the World by 2100
If you look at a modern map of the world’s most populous cities, you’ll notice that they are quite evenly distributed around the globe.
Metropolises like Moscow, New York, Tokyo, Cairo, or Rio de Janeiro are spread apart with very different geographic and cultural settings, and practically every continent today can claim at least one of the world’s 20 most populous cities.
In the future, things will be very different, according to projections from the Global Cities Institute. In fact, over the next 80 years or so, some cities will literally 10x or 20x in size – turning into giant megacities that have comparable populations to entire countries like modern-day Germany, France, or the United Kingdom.
The most interesting part? None of these cities will be in the Americas, Europe, China, or Australia.
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