Costs of Government: Some Statistics

 

Murders in the 20^th Century

•  People killed by their own governments, 20^th century, worldwide:

169 million = 53 per 100,000 population, per year.

•  Private murders, worldwide, year 2000:

520,000 = 8.6 per 100,000 population.

•  Ratio: 6.2:1

 

Monetary Costs

•  Total government expenditures, 2000, United States, state, local + federal:

$2.4 trillion

•  Private theft, United States, 2000:

$16 billion

•  Ratio: 150:1

•  How much is $2.4 trillion?

    •  If you spent $1 million every day, it would take you 6,500 years to spend the annual governmental budget.

    •  The government spends the entire lifetime earnings of 2,900 people every day.

 

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Sources:

•  World murders, 2000: World Health Organization study, 2002; reported at www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/03/health/main524231.shtml

•  World populations, 20^th century: www.census.gov/ipc/www/worldhis.html; www.census.gov/ipc/www/worldpop.html

•  People killed by own governments, 20^th century: R.J. Rummel, Death by Government

•  Governmental murder rate calculated based on average 20^th-century population of 3.2 billion (averaging populations for 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000).

•  Federal government expenditures: www.census.gov/govs/cffr/00cffus.htm.

•  State & local government expenditures: www.census.gov/govs/state/00st00us.html.

•  Losses due to property crimes: www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/cius2000.htm.

•  Average per capita income, 2000: www.unm.edu/~bber/econ/us-pci.htm. Lifetime earnings calculated based on 76 year life expectancy, at average $29,770 annual income.