Making the world go round

307 000 000 000 000

The total global debt, in US dollars, by the first half of 2023. The US owes the most — more than one-third of this amount.

1 800 000 000 000

The amount of debt, in US dollars, owed by African countries by the first half of 2023. Only Oceania owes less.

2

The number of US cents it costs to make one cent. 

1967

The year the first ATM was set up - at a branch of Barclay's bank in London.

2 100 000 000

The amount of cash, in US dollars, belonging to Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, that was eaten by rats.  He was storing it in a warehouse as he couldn’t deposit it in a bank.

90

 The weight in grams of the gold rings (called deben) that the ancient Egyptians used as currency.

 3000

The number of organisms linked to pneumonia and food poisoning found on 80 US$1 bills in one study.

8

The percentage of the world’s currency that currently exists in the form of coins and banknotes. Everything else is electronic.

2100

The number of years ago that China began to use currency made of leather — the first documented form of banknote — known as “white stag notes”. Its popularity was short lived, owing to the (rapidly increasing) rarity of white stags.

100 000 000 000

The estimated worth (in US dollars) in 2022 of the remittance flow from the African diaspora back to their countries of origin. In some African countries, this makes up more than 20% of GDP.