All posts filed under: Numbers

Gini in a bottle

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On the way to the airport, T pointed out we hadn’t seen a single traffic light in Luang Prabang. The airport itself – or rather the new airport – opened in 2013 to accommodate larger planes and less frightening mountain landings. Laos, which furthered opened visas and tourism in 1989 is still seen as a sleepier, serene option to neighboring Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. By the numbers, particularly the “Gini” measurement for income distribution or inequality, Cambodia has less inequality than Laos which has less than Thailand which has less than the US. Maybe we need an actual genie to fix all this. How, I don’t know, but I do know there weren’t malls in Luang Prabang yet, and interspersed between hotels were locals living, going to BBQ, and drying their leftover rice into rice cakes. And I wonder if in 10 years that will still be the case. Our next stop was Siem Reap, Cambodia with the world wonder if Angkor Wat; surely it had lessons in history to offer. Neither of us seemed …

But who’s counting?

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Big data.  It’s everywhere, so we bring you our version. When it is rainy and T’s brain needs a workout, he will change these numbers into more compelling pictures for Generation Pictogram.  In the meanwhile, some food for thought…. Per the US Census bureau, the US population in 2014 is 313,395,400.  Of this group, the US citizens would be eligible to apply for passports. Location Citizen Non-Citizen Total United States 291,536,400 21,859,000 313,395,400 *Table courtesy of Kaiser Family Foundation http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/distribution-by-citizenship-status/ Per our State Department,  there are 121,512,341 valid US Passports in circulation in 2014.  Of these, 14,087,341 (includes 1,463,191 passport cards) were issued this fiscal year.  And to answer your next question, a US passport card is basically a driver’s license between the US, Canada and Mexico (or the Caribbean and Bermuda for sea travel only). So, in other words only 42% of US citizens have passports.  I don’t know what percent use them, but we are proud to be in the 42%! At our first stop- Dubai in the United Arab Emirates- the numbers are harder for me …