Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Register

18 June 2026

Home / 275

'Factfulness' test: how well do you know the world around you?

It's not often that I read a book which makes me think differently about the world. Hans Rosling's Factfulness has a subtitle, "Ten reasons we're wrong about the world - and why things are better than you think."

Bill Gates said of this book: "One of the most important books I've ever read - an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world."

Please take the test before reading the review of the book in the following article. We asked the publisher and Book Depository for a special discount for our readers without success, but since the latter offers free postage of a hard cover version for only $20 (or $14 if you want to wait for the release of the soft cover), there's not much point shopping around.

Many of you will know Rosling from the extraordinary visualisation he created in 2010 on '200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes - The Joy of Stats'. Viewed some 8.5 million times, in only four minutes he takes us through how life expectancy and income changed around the world over 200 years. The Youtube link is here.

The Factfulness book starts with a quiz to test yourself about the world and how you understand it. We have recreated the test below so we can compare Cuffelinks readers with both the Australian and worldwide results. Please take a few minutes to do the test. 

Create your own user feedback survey

We will report the results in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can read about some of the answers on this link.

Footnote: The material provided in Factfulness and Gapminder uses free global development data. They upload content to their website using animated techniques which make it easier to use. The World Bank initially objected, but Gapminder asked, "Don't you believe in free access to information in order for global forces to work as they should?" In 2010, the World Bank decided to release all its data for free. Gapminder operates a Creative Common Attribution Licence 4.0.

Free fact-questions from www.gapminder.org.

 

  •   10 October 2018
  • 5
  •      
  •   

RELATED ARTICLES

Factfulness and a childlike sense of wonder

When the chimp wins the Factfulness test

Firstlinks is sponsored by:
banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Noel Whittaker’s take on the budget

Marketed as a fix for inequality and housing affordability, the latest budget instead delivers a tangle of tax changes that leave everyday Australians worse off.

Australia has no death duties. Technically.

Australia may not levy formal death duties, but a growing web of tax measures is quietly shaping what wealth passes between generations. Now, the 2026 budget adds another layer.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 662 with weekend update

The debate over the budget is increasingly shaped by frustration and perceptions of unfairness, rather than clear-eyed assessment of policy outcomes.

How inflation is quietly moving the goalposts on retirement

Inflation doesn’t just raise today’s bills - it quietly increases the amount needed to retire, while simultaneously making it harder to save. Three steps to take before June 30th to improve retirement outcomes.

How to minimise tax with a will

Inheritance tax implications in Australia may surprise some, as poor estate planning without proper wills or trusts can lead to costly tax bills and delays for beneficiaries.

Back to the future - Why indexing CGT is a good idea

A return to indexation of capital gains would be a fairer way to compensate households for the effects of inflation than the current discount. Importantly, it opens the door to future, broader reforms to stop the taxation of inflation.

Latest Updates

Investment strategies

High quality businesses are on sale

Beneath the dominance of the ASX's largest stocks, much of the market has been left behind. High-quality companies are now trading at levels rarely seen, offering opportunities for investors willing to look deeper.

Investment strategies

The whirlwind is upon us

Something unusual is happening in markets. The winners are pulling further ahead at an extraordinary pace. As return dispersion hits extreme levels, volatility is rising and the investing landscape is becoming harder to navigate.

Strategy

Inequality destabilises economies

Extreme wealth concentration is no longer just a side effect of growth. As inequality deepens, its consequences are shifting from a social concern to a broader threat to economic stability and democratic resilience.

Investment strategies

Have AI’s four horsemen arrived?

AI exuberance is colliding with economic reality. Cracks are emerging as spending surges, ROI remains uncertain and enterprise behaviour shifts. The next phase may look less like an expansion and more like a reckoning.

Taxation

Budget tax changes only scratch the surface. Here are 4 reforms Australia needs next

The 2026 budget has reignited Australia’s tax reform debate, but more work remains. Beneath the surface lies a harder question: what structural reforms are needed to make the country's tax system fit for the future?

Taxation

Negative gearing: quarantined, not killed

The Budget's negative gearing changes defer deductions rather than deny them, yet a worked example shows quarantining can halve the tax benefit's present value for buyers of established dwellings.

Investment strategies

Family offices have quietly taken over Australian private capital

In just four years, Australia's private capital landscape has transformed. We are seeing changes across who deploys capital, how deals are structured and why new platforms and investor pathways are rapidly emerging.

Sponsors

Alliances

Site Map

About Firstlinks

© 2026 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.