USA! USA! USA!

The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).
The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).

GDP - per capita
5     United States     $ 42,000
22    Finland                    $ 30,600


Unemployment rate (%)
47      United States     5.10
74    Finland                   7.90


Life expectancy at birth
39        Finland                    77.92 years
48        United States      77.14 years        


Literacy (Total population)
2        Finland                  100 %
68        United States      97 %

Mathematical literacy
4        Finland                     536
18        United States      493


Proportion of 20 year olds in tertiary education
4        United States      38%
13        Finland                    31%

Universities Top 500
1        United States      168
18        Finland                        5