Economic Indicators
What are the economic indicators that help us understand a society?
GDP: Nominal (in current or inflation-adjusted dollar values) and PPP (purchasing power parity). How does the GDP for a country change over time (GDP growth rate.)
If you divide GDP by the number of citizens, you get the GDP/Capita, which is a better indicator for the economic strength of a country. The rate of change for GDP/capita gives a pretty good picture of the health of the economy. These parameters allow for more differentiated country comparisons.
GDP by sectors: industry type, services, government spending, natural resources, etc.
What percentage of profits go to labor, and what goes to capital? How did the labor/capita ratio change over time?
Total wealth to GDP. What percentage of total wealth is real estate? Links: McKinsey
Composition of the US economy: Company sizes by employees, total revenues, net incomes, ownership, legal status, etc.
Population analysis: How big is the US population, what is the breakdown in groups? Family size, fertility rates, number of immigrants, ethnic groups, etc. What are the trends?
Income distribution: How is income and wealth distributed in the various groups of American society? How does it break down according to industry sectors, geography, academic degrees? What are the differences between income and wealth distribution?
Household statistics: how big are American families, and what is their composition? (Ethnic groups, family )
Household income: what are the averages, and how have they changed over the years? Give us a breakdown for different groups.
Poverty in the US, and worldwide: what is the poverty line, how many people are affected, and which groups are especially hard-hit?
Inequality measurement: What is the GINI coefficient, and what does it teach us about the world and the US?
Taxes: How much taxes do Americans pay? Break it down by type of tax, income brackets, local, state, and federal taxes. By comparison, how much tax income is generated through corporate taxes?
Government budget: give us a short overview. (where does the income come from, how is it spent?
Government debt: Ratios (to GDP, rate of change, relations between Federal Government and states/counties, etc. Who owns this debt?
Consumer and household debt. How much money do Americans owe, and how is this debt distributed? Bankruptcy rates over time, and so on.
Savings rates: What are average savings rates for Americans? What are average retirement savings, and the income levels in the older population?
Trade: How much does the US import and export? Who are the main trading partners?
What are the fastest-growing sectors of the American Economy? What is their geographic distribution?
US Military spending: Relationship to GDP, comparison to other countries, rates of change over time, etc. What do we get for it? ( The last three major wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, were all losses.)
Home ownership: What are the characteristics of the US Housing market? (home prices, ownership ratios, mortgage levels, interest rates, appreciation rates, etc.)
Job markets, urbanization, political representation: What are the trends?
The cost of academic degrees, and student loans: How much does it cost to get an academic degree in the US? Is it worth it? What is the average student debt, interest rates, and repayment cycles? Who are the borrowers? What are the delinquency amounts and rates?
Cost of health care: How much does the US spend on health care? How many people have no insurance? How much does health care cost in the US? How does our system compare to other countries?
Social Security: How is it funded? What are the future challenges? How many people will need retirement income in the coming years?
Stock market: Is the stock price a good indicator of actual company value? Analyze a few examples. How much money flows through the stock market, and how much income gets generated through it? (Capital gains).
Finance sector: How big are America's financial institutions? How do they make their money, and how do they spend it?
Who are the main economic competitors to the US? What are the economic trends in these competitions? (Compare population, GDP ratios,