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The Richest Countries in 2023

economist.com

21–30 of 80 posts

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#21
I think these calculations are essentially horseshit.

Norway is an oil company with a nation state subsidiary. Salaries and purchasing power are significantly lower than the in US. Is there an alternative to GDP that doesn't include externally invested oil profits?

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1 for the OP posting a non-paywall alternative rather than leaving it to somebody else.

Some day we'll lose this ability and it'll be a sad day for HN. Feels like a special trick we've got to enjoy while we can. Nice submission OP - I learned something.

It is also interesting that some of highest income people on Earth use the archive trick instead of paying to get through the paywall.

Who actually pays for legacy media anymore?

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#23
post #9

My personal opinion here. For a long time GDP and standard of living/well-being of a society have been correlated that people started to think that these are the same. These two are becoming more and more detached each year with progressing inequality. To the point that GDP now tells us very little about a country. For example Bermuda. The high GDP per capita incomes is fueled by offshore financial services, but that…

GDP being a weak and misleading metric has been known to be a factor from many decades.

It's just an easy and lazy measurement most can (or think they) understand.

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#24
post #21

I think these calculations are essentially horseshit. Norway is an oil company with a nation state subsidiary. Salaries and purchasing power are significantly lower than the in US. Is there an alternative to GDP that doesn't include externally invested oil profits?

Why do people feel personally offended by these statistics?

It's a GDP per capita with some adjustment ranking.

Don't understand why is it triggering you. The news isn't about average salary or purchasing power.

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#25
post #6

As an American living in Berlin for 2 years while working as a software dev, this article very much confirms my experience. The move started with a bit of sticker shock at having my income effectively cut in half - lower salaries and higher taxes - but I feel just as "rich". Germany has very strong worker protection laws, I feel secure in my job, the time off minimum STARTS at 28 days a year, + holidays + effectively…

It is worth pointing out that we Northern Europeans can only afford this because we have a small group of highly competitive and wealth generating companies and sectors. We would be in a dire situation here in Denmark without Novo Nordisk. 1-2 years ago it was Maersk, DSV etc. that held up our economy because freight prices were high.

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#26
post #6

As an American living in Berlin for 2 years while working as a software dev, this article very much confirms my experience. The move started with a bit of sticker shock at having my income effectively cut in half - lower salaries and higher taxes - but I feel just as "rich". Germany has very strong worker protection laws, I feel secure in my job, the time off minimum STARTS at 28 days a year, + holidays + effectively…

The metrics are complex and ill understood, because few people can make the comparison you have.

The thing that jumps out to me about life in the USA is how much time you spend maintaining it rather than living it. Chasing down bills for health care, until recently a lack of autopay, steady stream of paperwork and decisions from the schools…just a million fine-grained decisions and responsibilities when compared to other advanced economies.

I used to feel it was because I have more choices in the US, but some sectors here like telecom or travel are much less competitive than OECD norms.

No place is perfect, of course. But I am in SV because I love the work environment, not the quality of life in the USA which I consider flat and exhausting compared to the other countries I’ve lived in.

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#27
post #6

As an American living in Berlin for 2 years while working as a software dev, this article very much confirms my experience. The move started with a bit of sticker shock at having my income effectively cut in half - lower salaries and higher taxes - but I feel just as "rich". Germany has very strong worker protection laws, I feel secure in my job, the time off minimum STARTS at 28 days a year, + holidays + effectively…

Ehh we here in US got better things to do with taxes like spending it to build another fighter jet so we can send it to the Middle East in the name of Freedom . I am told you guys in Western Europe enjoy your stability because of the “freedom” we bring for all of you at the cost of our own healthcare , worker protections and social safety net. Look we are martyrs.

*my brother in law lives in Germany making less than half of what I make and I still envy his lifestyle . He and his wife are going on a 20 day trip to Greece and I am on-call over the holidays . But I make more than double and have my “freedom” and supposed choice of where my tax dollars go.

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#28
post #21

I think these calculations are essentially horseshit. Norway is an oil company with a nation state subsidiary. Salaries and purchasing power are significantly lower than the in US. Is there an alternative to GDP that doesn't include externally invested oil profits?

In Norway we distinguish between offshore and onshore GDP [1]. The ool income goes straight into the oil fund and that does not invest in Norway and neither does a large amount of the income generated from it get spent in Norway.

So yes, there is an alternative, just do the statistics properly.

[1] https://www.ssb.no/nasjonalregnskap-og-konjunkturer/nasjonal...

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#29
post #17
post #6

As an American living in Berlin for 2 years while working as a software dev, this article very much confirms my experience. The move started with a bit of sticker shock at having my income effectively cut in half - lower salaries and higher taxes - but I feel just as "rich". Germany has very strong worker protection laws, I feel secure in my job, the time off minimum STARTS at 28 days a year, + holidays + effectively…

> but I feel just as "rich" i think it really depends on the lifestyle you're accustomed to having.

If this lifestyle involves having two kids or more, then Germany wins hands down

Re: The Richest Countries in 2023

#30

It would be interesting to see this using median income or similar meassure rather than GDP per capita. Inequality by itself doesn't have to be a problem (depending on economic ideology) but if all purchasing power is restricted to a few ultra rich that should be relevant to the discussion of whether a country is rich.

This. And also adjusted on what you get for your tax money. (Say, median income after taxes, health care, student loans and pension savings.) And adjusted for the amount of holidays you have.
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