Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Data Feed: Global remittance flows, inequality in big cities, coal use and mortality

A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.

Politics Americans view China mostly unfavorablyNorth Korea least favorable, Gallup In Ohio, Clinton sweeps 2016 field; Obama approval improves to 40%, Quinnipiac Marylanders loyal to health law despite website’s problems, The Washington Post How likely are Democrats to lose the Senate? Real Clear Politics

Economy CPI up 0.1% in January as household energy costs rise, Bureau of Labor Statistics Real average hourly earnings rise 0.1% in January, Bureau of Labor Statistics Housing starts in January down 2% year over year, HUD Inequality in big cities exceeds the national average, Brookings Another take on inequality: affluent elite, squeezed middle, entrenched poor, Brookings ‘War on Poverty’ a failure? The Washington Post Who’s the richest man in all the world, over all of history? The Washington Post

Health & Society North Dakota now tops in ‘well-being,’ West Virginia still last, Gallup In FY2009, states spent 31.6% of Medicaid money on 4.3% of beneficiaries, GAO Does health insurance improve health? Evidence from Massachusetts, Forbes Chinese now second most common non-English language in U.S., Census Bureau Decline in use of coal for winter heating saved lives, NBER

International Interactive: Remittance flows worldwide in 2012, Pew Research Center In U.S., polarization turns off voters; in U.K., moderation does, The Monkey Cage How Africa’s longest-lasting leaders have served their lands, The Economist Japan’s estimated population, 127.18 million, down 0.2% year over year, Statistics Bureau Economic and financial issues still biggest problems facing Australians, Roy Morgan

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