In 2010, where do you think Americans ranked in the world compared to other wealthy nations?

In 2020, where do you think Americans ranked in the world compared to other wealthy nations?

From 2020 to 2023 the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the wealthiest nations — often more vulnerable due to older population had the resources to take better care of those in need but those resources were not equally accessible to all. The economic fallout of lockdowns hit low-paid workers harder than those with high-paying occupations and fueled the inequality between those who could work from home and those who had to risk their health and safety by travelling to job sites. By the time COVID-19 was over, was America more wealthy than before?

Here are some perhaps surprising stats from Global Financial magazine. Do any of these surprise you?

A nation of just 5 million inhabitants, the Republic of Ireland was one of the hardest hit by the 2008 financial crisis. Ireland then became one of the world's top corporate tax havens, and halfway through the 2010s, many large US firms—Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta and Pfizer to name a few—moved their fiscal residence to Ireland to benefit from its low tax rate of 12.5%, one of the most attractive in the developed world. Although Irish families are undoubtedly better off than they used to be, with a considerable gap between the richest and poorest (the top 20% of the population earns almost five times as much as the bottom 20%), most Irish citizens would likely balk at the idea that they are not just rich but the richest in the world. Do you think the Irish are happier now in 2023 than they were in 2010?

Canadian TW members may be wondering how they rank in terms of wealthiest nations. Attached is a screen shot of the rankings. If Canadians think Canada is a wealthy nation and the wealthiest of Canadians need to pay a bigger share (as proposed by most political parties), perhaps this screen shot will change your mind - does it? Right click and select "Open image in a new tab"