The Wednesday Letter #203 - 1/17/2024

THIS WEEK: Facts about Yemen and Nearby Countries; New War Equalizers; Fictional Election Scenarios; Capital Gains Tax for Foreign Investors.

FACTS ABOUT YEMEN AND NEARBY COUNTRIES

The country of Yemen, from which the Houthi military leadership promises the Americans and British that “we will not stop trampling you until we see you disgraced and humiliated”, has a GDP per capita of $1,000 (not adjusted for purchasing power parity). This is only an estimate and could be wide off the mark, because data is difficult to find in what is surely one of the poorest, most troubled countries in the world. Other estimates are closer to $2,000 but that may include significant transfers from Iran to Houthi armed groups. In terms of GDP per capita, Yemen is in the same bottom league as Haiti, Afghanistan and a number of sub-Saharan African countries.

Other country metrics are equally troubling (see table). Its population of 35 million will grow to 47 million by 2040, an annual growth rate of 1.8%. It is also very young with a median age of 21.6 years. Life expectancy at birth is the lowest in the region at 66 years. Its literacy rate is 55…