Here are some interesting figures and statistics for your perusal
Population:
- Global Population, October 1 2011: 7 billion
- Australian population today (estimated by ABS): 22 .75 million
Some Australian Mining and business stats:
- Percentage of the total global mining resources located in Australia: 40 %
- Large (Australian) mining firms profit margins: 46.1%
- Large (total global) mining industry profit margins: 30%
- Second highest profit making category (large professional, scientific and technical services firms) profit margins: 24.6%
- Profit margin for large agricultural, forestry and fishing industries: 8.7%
- Profit margins for large retail firms: 3.9%
- Percentage of the Australian population employed in retail: 12%
- Percentage of Australians employed by mining companies: 1.3%
Mining profits (Australia) reported in 2010 - 2011 financial year:
- Fortescue Metals Group: $US1.022 billion (up 76% on previous year)
- BHP Billiton: $A22.46 billion (increase of 86% on previous year)
- BHP Billiton: in the global top 10 companies (ranked by profit).
- BHP Billiton: Only 6 other companies world wide have ever recorded a profit higher BHP Billiton last year.
Australia's richest - estimated net 'worth' February 2011:
- Gina Rinehart - $9 billion (trebled in last year - but she is only number 100 in the world)
- Andrew Twiggy Forrest - $6.9 billion.
- James Packer - $4.4 billion (going down...spending Daddy's money)
- Frank Lowy - $4.3 billion
- Harry Triguboff - $3.4 billion
- Net worth of Australia's richest 40 people rose by 40% in the past year to a combined wealth of $68.4 billion.
Poverty
- Number of Americans living below the poverty line : 46 million
- Number of Americans living at 50% or less of the official poverty level: 20 million (7% of US pop)
- Estimated number of hungry people in the world in 2010: 925 million
- Percentage of hungry people world wide: 13.1% (1 in 7)
Crickey
Sydney Morning Herald
Australian Bureau of statistics.
American Bureau of statistics (November 2011)
I could go on,
but I have to run off
and meet with my
(gardening, self sustaining,
frugal, recycling etc.)
blogging buddies at Heronswood.
Those stats make you sick don't they?
ReplyDeleteI have just finished reading Paul Gilding's "The Great Disruption" - I wish I could force every millionaire to read it, but I'm not sure it would make any difference, at the moment they can just buy themselves out of any crisis - be it economic or climatic. sad isn't it?
Well, I have to say that we are definitely below the poverty level ourselves but we have never been hungry. You don't need a lot of money to live decently and keep from being hungry. It is just that most people don't know how or have been spoiled into thinking they should have everything they want.
ReplyDeleteGod, that's ridiculous. What a world we live in.
ReplyDeleteHow was this statistic not all over the news, newspapers etc when they were proposing the original mining tax?
ReplyDeleteLarge (Australian) mining firms profit margins: 46.1%
Large (total global) mining industry profit margins: 30%
The governments PR machine is really truly crap isn't it. How hard is it to counter the old "all the business will go offshore argument with this? Astounding!
Becky, that is one of the points I wanted to make. We could all do better with less. Congratulations on being a lighthouse of sense in a mad materialistic world.
ReplyDeleteLiz, the reason the statistic was not all over the news and newspapers is because they are all controlled by the same family/people with friends in high places. You have to know where to look to get a more balanced view....ABC Radio and current affairs, Crickey,com., The Drum, and Get Up,
Great post Hazel, it really does make you stop an think how to share the message.
ReplyDeleteThe boss of Barclays Bank (Bob Diamond) recently got an annual bonus payment of £6.5 Million. But I suppose that's only fair, since he only gets the paltry annual salary of £250,000! :(
ReplyDeleteThought provoking post Hazel. Society in general has become so materialistic, so focused on consumerism and material possessions that they lose sight of essentials and finding happiness in the simplest of things. Sigh! To the garden for a bit of escapism :)
ReplyDeleteWhat does $9 billion dollars look like, I wonder? If I work for the next 30 years earning my current wage, I still won't know what it looks like when I turn 60. What can you possibly do with THAT much money?
ReplyDelete~S.