Italy v. Argentina Italy\'s Population (July 2011

Italy v. Argentina

Italy's population (July 2011 estimate) is 61 million and the country has a growth rate of 0.42%. The country has a higher death rate than growth rate, but the impact of this is mitigated somewhat by migration. If the current population and growth rate is extrapolated out to 2050, Italy would have 71.85 million people by 2050. Argentina currently has 41.77 million people. The current population growth rate of Argentina is 1.017%. If this growth rate is applied to the current population through 2050, then Argentina will have a population of 63.12 million. The population growth for each country each decade will be as follows:

Italy

Argentina

The current GDP for Italy is $1.782 trillion, which equates to $30,700 per capita. Italy has the world's 11th largest economy. It is difficult to find long-range statistics about Italy's GDP. A chart produced by the IMF shows the GDP growth rate of Italy since 1982:

The current GDP growth rate for Italy is 1.1%, but the company's GDP has shrunk in each of the last two years as a result of the global economic recession. Argentina has a GDP of $596 billion at present. This equates to a GDP per capita of $14,700. Argentina's current GDP growth rate is 7.5%, but this rate is much more volatile than that of Italy. The IMF chart for Argentina goes back to 1994:

In general, the economy of Argentina has a higher average annual growth rate than that of Italy, but the country's economy is more volatile overall, having experience multiple shocks in the past few decades, the most recent at the beginning of the 2000s that resulted in devaluation of the currency. With Italy being the in Eurozone, it has much more stability in its currency and economy.

Italy has a high level of literacy. The country has a total literacy rate of 98.4%, which breaks down as 98.8% male and 98% female. Argentina has a total literacy rate of 97.2%, which is evenly distributed among the genders. Education expenditure as a percentage of GDP is 4.9% in Argentina, and 4.3% in Italy, so perhaps Argentina will make up the gap somewhat on literacy.

In terms of other human development measures, Italy has a GINI index of 32, denoting a society of relative equality. Italy's lowest 10% of income-earners accounts for 2.3% of total household income. In Argentina, the GINI index is 45.7, indicating a significantly higher level of inequality. Thirty percent of Argentines live below the poverty line. The lowest 10% of earnings accounts for just 1.2% of total household income. Italy has an infant mortality rate of 3.38 deaths per 1000 live births, while Argentina records 10.81 deaths per 1000 live births.

Italy does not produce enough energy to meet its needs. Italy is the world's 47th-largest oil producer at 146,500 bbls/day but is the 16th-largest consumer at 1.537 bbls/day. Italy has 423.7 million bbl of proved reserves, ranked 52nd in the world. Italy's figures for natural gas are similar -- 8.119 billion cu m in annual product in 2009 but 78.12 billion cu m in consumption. Italy's electricity production is 289.7 billion kwh, compared with consumption of 315 billion kwh.

In contrast to Italy, Argentina has a net surplus of energy. Argentina produces 109.5 billion kwh of electricity per year while consuming only 99.21 billion kwh. Argentina produces 796,300 bbl/day of oil, good for 26th in the world, and consumes 622,000 bbl/day. Argentina has 2.386 billion bbl of proved reserves. Argentina's natural gas production is 41.36 cu m per year, compared with 43.14 billion cu m in consumption, meaning that unlike other energy sources Argentina is a net importer of natural gas. Argentina's proved reserves of natural gas are 398.4 billion cu m, good for 34th in the world.