Worldmapper: A New Way of Looking at the World

This nifty online resource is a collaborative effort between the University of Sheffield (UK), the University of Michigan, and others. It is "a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest." This specific map illustrates spending on tertiary (higher) education. (Territory size shows the proportion of all spending on tertiary education worldwide that is spent there, when measured in purchasing power parity US$.)



© Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan).

Of all spending on tertiary education, when measured in US$ adjusted for local purchasing power, 61% occurs within North America and Western Europe. At the other extreme, the total tertiary education spending in all of Central Africa and Southeastern Africa was 1.5% of the total worldwide spend.

Tertiary education includes the training required for jobs such as being a doctor, an engineer or a scientist. Investing in tertiary education can therefore benefit society more widely. For pupils to reach tertiary education they must first attend primary and secondary schools.