See America's versus the world's wealth in perspective, in 60 seconds

They call economics the dismal science, but it's much more cheerful when you add some happy music and focus on how the world is improving, as the BBC does in this video on wealth in the world. There's good news here for just about every country featured, though there's also room for some anxiety in the U.S. But all in all, this is a good, quick jolt of perspective in a world where your own experience of wealth is largely determined by the people you live near and interact with. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.