China, Rare Earth Minerals, Government Expenditure, Albums
In this issue, charts on China's economy (tariffs, rare earth minerals, high-tech goods), global government expenditure and the best selling albums this century.
Tariffs on China have leapt up, even if they were already high. This chart demonstrates the progression of US tariffs on China since 2018.
China’s rare earth monopoly is diminishing (but it still dominates) - Until 2010, China held a near monopoly on global rare earth exports, critical for the production of microchips, electronics and electric motors. New players have entered the game but China still dominates. 70% of US rare earth imports are still from China.
China’s dominance in high-tech goods manufacturing persists - propelled by stunning growth in EV exports in the past five years (although there have been signs of this slowing in 2025)
US total government expenditure per person is equivalent to European countries (France, Sweden, Germany) - this can be attributed to higher spending on healthcare and defence. Variation in this data is huge - Norway spends 14x more than Indonesia and more than 2x more than Japan.
Adele’s 21 (2011) is still by far the best selling album of the 21st Century - it’s sold 28% more copies than the closest contender. 18 of the 20 best selling albums this century are by solo artists.
