US coal consumption surged 10% in 2025, making it the biggest driver of global CO2 emissions rise, largely due to data centre power demand. The US accounted for over a third of global emissions increase and more than all other OECD countries combined, while President Trump's pro-coal agenda included $700m in federal investments to preserve and open coal plants.
France has 348 individual taxes, far exceeding any other European country, though most are low-yield levies from historical political compromises. Estonia and Lithuania have the fewest taxes in Europe at 34 and 35 respectively, while Germany's 60 taxes reflect post-war consolidation reforms despite being Europe's largest economy.
An OECD study of over 215,000 adults across 33 countries (2011-2015) reveals that technology professionals dramatically overestimate average users' computer skills. Design teams, even non-technical members, possess far superior technical abilities compared to the general population, making it difficult for them to anticipate usability problems that affect ordinary users.
The Human Development Index, created by the UN in 1990 to measure human choice expansion, combines life expectancy, education, and income. Global HDI rose from 0.598 to 0.728 between 1990 and 2017, with developing countries improving 32 percent in that period, narrowing the gap with OECD nations. Norway led at 0.953 while Niger ranked lowest at 0.354.
A global assessment by the OECD of 760,000 teenagers across 91 countries found reading, math, and science scores at their lowest levels since 2000, with increased screen time and reduced pleasure reading linked to declining performance. Students now read at levels expected of younger peers, and excessive device use, particularly over five hours daily, correlates with weaker academic results.
The 2025 PISA study shows significant global declines in student performance, with reading scores falling by 28 points in OECD countries between 2015 and 2025, math scores down 22 points, and nearly a third of OECD students now classified as low performers. Only five countries improved: Qatar, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Zambia, while Iceland and Slovenia experienced the steepest drops exceeding 50 points.
Singapore leads global PISA scores at 1,679, followed by China, Japan, and Taiwan, while the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Dominican Republic, and Cambodia rank lowest. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment evaluates students in mathematics, science, and reading, with performance gaps primarily reflecting differences in poverty and educational equity rather than subject-specific factors.