Five different ways to look at tomorrow’s world
We often rank countries by wealth and education, but is it time to consider age, peace, happiness… and robots?
Ageing populations
In 2020, the average age in India will be 29. It will be 37 in China and 48 in Japan. By 2030, India will have only 0.4 dependents for every worker whereas the UK, by 2040, will have a dependency ratio of 0.65. The UK’s median age, 39.6, is only slightly younger than the world’s oldest populations: Germany, Japan and Monaco. With one in four Iranians under 15, Iran can expect an economic stimulus, but this could pose a political risk as young modernisers clash with the establishment.
Source: CIA World Factbook
Voting patterns
Our propensity to vote varies so wildly that 32 nations have made it compulsory. While 92% stay away from the polls in Indonesia – fearing intimidation and violence – the same percentage do vote of their own volition in Luxembourg. In Malta (93%) a close-run, two-party contest keeps voters gripped. The 85% average turnout in Bolivia may be explained, in part, by the fact that non-voters could be docked three months salary.
Source: International IDEA
Peace in our time
Defining peace might seem near impossible, but the Global Peace Index has done its best. Rating countries on 24 factors – including military spending and human rights – they reckon Iceland is the most peaceful, ahead of Norway and New Zealand. The UK ranks 49th – behind Botswana, but 82 places ahead of Russia, which is ranked lower than Sri Lanka. Is this why the Russians are, as map 4 shows, the glummest major power?
Source: visionofhumanity.org
Happy, happy, happy
What makes Danes so cheery? Effective public transport, short working hours, high employment and a peaceful culture? Apart from the Czech Republic and Poland, the old Soviet bloc is, this survey suggests, so glum they might be cheered by the oeuvre of Leonard Cohen. The Global Happiness Index – compiled from interviews with locals – shows a rough and not-that-surprising correlation between wealth and happiness.
Source: World Values Survey
Rise of the robots
In Greek mythology, the god Hephaestus built mechanical servants. Now, dreams of living in harmony with robots are inching closer to reality. In Japan, home to 40% of the robots on earth, androids act as receptionists and are even welcomed on manufacturing lines – the Japanese believe they bring good luck. By 2025, one million robots could be at work in Japan. In Europe, the UK lags behind France, Germany and Italy in its use of robots.
Source: IEEE Spectrum
Article first published in Design Council Magazine, Issue 6, Summer 2009