Trade wars, false missile warnings, "babble fish earbuds", and Germany's World Cup whimper: 2018 was a year that sometimes defined description, at least in words. But the numbers tell a story of their own, so here's a smattering of startling stats mentioned on the Council's stage in 2018. To view the full clip, click on the numbers! (These figures were stated by guest speakers and have not been verified by the Council).
3.8
The percentage of time that an average American car is in use.
Anand Shah, senior analyst, Albright Stonebridge Group
12
The number of consecutive years Freedom House has now recorded a decline in political freedom globally.
Michael Abramowitz, president, Freedom House
26
The percentage of millennials in the United States who identify themselves as Independent voters.
Natasha Korecki, national correspondent, POLITICO
40
The percentage of Fortune 500 companies started by immigrants or the children of immigrants.
Penny Pritzker, former US Secretary of Commerce
47
The number of the world’s top 50 most violent cities that are located in Latin America (17 are in Brazil alone).
Roseanna Ander, executive director, University of Chicago Urban Lab
60
The projected percentage increase in global food demand by 2030.
Felix Kwame Yeboah, assistant professor of international development, Michigan State University
75
The percentage contribution of the world's cities to global greenhouse emissions.
Edward Mazria, founder, Architecture 2030
300
The approximate number of foreign NGOs formally registered in China today.
Elizabeth Economy, director of Asia studies, Council on Foreign Relations
45,000
The ceiling for refugees resettled in the US in fiscal year 2018 (this is the lowest number since 1980).
Kathleen Newland, CEO and Cofounder, Migration Policy Institute
200,000
The approximate average number of jobs created in US economy each month since 2009/10 (and over 250,000 jobs were added in October 2018 alone).
Randall S. Kroszner, Norm R. Bobbins Professor of Economics, University of Chicago Booth Business School
1,000,000
The number of Indians who turn eighteen every month.
Somini Sengupta, foreign correspondent, The New York Times
11,000,000
The number of American jobs connected to trade with Canada and Mexico.
Carla Hills, former United States Trade Representative
22,500,000
The number of new jobs that will need to be created each year to keep pace with Africa’s population growth.
Gayle E. Smith, president and CEO, ONE Campaign
41,000,000
The number of Americans who are food insecure.
Doug Rausch, founder and president, Daily Table
70,000,000
The number of people, around the world, who claim Irish ancestry.
Ciaran Cannon, minister of state for the diaspora and international development, Republic of Ireland
84,000,000
The cost, in USD, that the United States pays Russia for each astronaut it sends into space (since the US government doesn't, currently, have a means of launching manned space flight).
Christian Davenport, reporter, The Washington Post
980,000,000
The number of women globally who do not have a bank account.
Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, The World Bank
6,400,000,000
The size, in USD, of Lagos' cultural industries.
Ajayi Olukonyinsola, managing partner, Olaniwun Ajayi LP
9,500,000,000,000
The cost to the global economy, in USD, of violence against women (that's 11% of global GDP).
Alyse Nelson, president and CEO, Vital Voices
60,000,000,000,000
The projected size, in USD, of the global clean energy market by 2040.
Ernest Moniz, former United States Secretary of Energy