Misc
What Types of People Appear Most on International Currencies?
What Types of People Appear Most on International Currencies?
On currencies throughout the world, you’ll see everything from revolutionaries to poets featured prominently. But how does this mix of notable people break down quantitatively?
This graphic by NetCredit shows the types of people, by their main occupations and roles, that are featured on banknotes and coins worldwide.
Global Money Features Power
To find out the types of people most featured on money, NetCredit analyzed all the banknotes and coins in circulation in every country across the globe in 2022.
From monarchs to athletes, the analysis found that many types of people appear on banknotes and coins worldwide. In fact, 51 different main occupations and roles were identified, which were then organized into eight overarching categories:
- Leadership
- Government
- Society
- Sport & Recreation
- Military & Espionage
- Religion
- The Arts
- Humanity
Here’s a breakdown of all 51 different occupations, and what percentage of worldwide currencies they’re featured on:
Occupation | Category | % on Currencies |
---|---|---|
Monarch | Leadership | 30.24% |
Head of government | Government | 20.74% |
Politician | Government | 10.03% |
Military | Military & Esionage | 8.22% |
Poet | The Arts | 5.13% |
Religious leader | Religion | 3.02% |
Author | The Arts | 2.26% |
Artist | The Arts | 1.73% |
Writer | The Arts | 1.51% |
Musician | The Arts | 1.51% |
Activist | Society | 1.28% |
Scientist | Science & Humanities | 1.21% |
Movement leader | Leadership | 0.98% |
Saint | Religion | 0.98% |
Explorer | Science & Humanities | 0.90% |
Inventor | Science & Humanities | 0.83% |
Scholar | Science & Humanities | 0.83% |
Revolutionary | Leadership | 0.60% |
Business | Society | 0.60% |
Hero | Society | 0.60% |
Athlete | Sport & Recreation | 0.60% |
Supreme leader | Leadership | 0.53% |
Educator | Science & Humanities | 0.53% |
Historian | Science & Humanities | 0.45% |
Singer | The Arts | 0.45% |
Nationalist leader | Leadership | 0.38% |
Doctor | Science & Humanities | 0.38% |
Mathematician | Science & Humanities | 0.38% |
Chief | Leadership | 0.30% |
Architect | Science & Humanities | 0.30% |
Economist | Science & Humanities | 0.30% |
Philosopher | Science & Humanities | 0.23% |
Actor | The Arts | 0.23% |
Chief of state | Government | 0.15% |
Revolutionary leader | Leadership | 0.15% |
Intellectual | Science & Humanities | 0.15% |
Lawyer | Science & Humanities | 0.15% |
Wife | Society | 0.15% |
Spy | Military & Esionage | 0.08% |
Rector | Religion | 0.08% |
Civil engineer | Science & Humanities | 0.08% |
Linguist | Science & Humanities | 0.08% |
Philanthropist | Science & Humanities | 0.08% |
Anthropologist | Science and Humanities | 0.08% |
Social worker | Society | 0.08% |
Ballerina | Sport & Recreation | 0.08% |
Chess champion | Sport & Recreation | 0.08% |
Mountaineer | Sport & Recreation | 0.08% |
Actress | The Arts | 0.08% |
Film director | The Arts | 0.08% |
The analysis shows that over 50% of the people featured on money are either monarchs or heads of government, many of which are no longer in power.
For instance, Belize was once a British colony and still features the late Elizabeth II on all of its currency—even though the country gained independence from the UK in 1981.
And everyone featured on U.S. currency is also a historical figure. Putting living celebrities on U.S. money has been banned since 1866, after Spencer Clark, who was the Superintendent of the U.S. National Currency Bureau at the time, printed his own face on the 5-cent banknote instead of the explorer William Clark of “Lewis and Clark.”
International Currencies: The Most Popular Figure Heads
Featured on over 100 different currencies around the world, the late Elizabeth II is the most featured person on banknotes and coins.
This makes sense considering the UK’s widespread historical reach. During the height of its reign in the early 20th century, the British Empire ruled nearly a quarter of the world.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, 6 of the top 10 most-featured people on currencies are monarchs, while the rest are heads of government.
Women on Banknotes
While Elizabeth II is the most featured person on currencies around the world, it’s worth mentioning that few other women have been given the same honor.
A study analyzed 1,006 current international banknotes and found that only 15% featured images of women.
However, some countries are actively trying to celebrate more women on their money. For example, the U.S. has been planning to put Harriet Tubman on the U.S. $20 bill for years, and while there have been some delays, the bill is currently on track to get released by 2030.
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Misc
How Hard Is It to Get Into an Ivy League School?
We detail the admission rates and average annual cost for Ivy League schools, as well as the median SAT scores required to be accepted.
How Hard Is It to Get Into an Ivy League School?
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Ivy League institutions are renowned worldwide for their academic excellence and long-standing traditions. But how hard is it to get into one of the top universities in the U.S.?
In this graphic, we detail the admission rates and average annual cost for Ivy League schools, as well as the median SAT scores required to be accepted. The data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics and was compiled by 24/7 Wall St.
Note that “average annual cost” represents the net price a student pays after subtracting the average value of grants and/or scholarships received.
Harvard is the Most Selective
The SAT is a standardized test commonly used for college admissions in the United States. It’s taken by high school juniors and seniors to assess their readiness for college-level academic work.
When comparing SAT scores, Harvard and Dartmouth are among the most challenging universities to gain admission to. The median SAT scores for their students are 760 for reading and writing and 790 for math. Still, Harvard has half the admission rate (3.2%) compared to Dartmouth (6.4%).
School | Admission rate (%) | SAT Score: Reading & Writing | SAT Score: Math | Avg Annual Cost* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Harvard University | 3.2 | 760 | 790 | $13,259 |
Columbia University | 3.9 | 750 | 780 | $12,836 |
Yale University | 4.6 | 760 | 780 | $16,341 |
Brown University | 5.1 | 760 | 780 | $26,308 |
Princeton University | 5.7 | 760 | 780 | $11,080 |
Dartmouth College | 6.4 | 760 | 790 | $33,023 |
University of Pennsylvania | 6.5 | 750 | 790 | $14,851 |
Cornell University | 7.5 | 750 | 780 | $29,011 |
*Costs after receiving federal financial aid.
Additionally, Dartmouth has the highest average annual cost at $33,000. Princeton has the lowest at $11,100.
While student debt has surged in the United States in recent years, hitting $1.73 trillion in 2023, the worth of obtaining a degree from any of the schools listed surpasses mere academics. This is evidenced by the substantial incomes earned by former students.
Harvard grads, for example, have the highest average starting salary in the country, at $91,700.
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