The World Compared

Country by country, policy by policy — how the world actually solves the problems that shape teen futures.

6 entries · Updated regularly

About this series

In a fictional family scene, Roly (age 10) asks why two parents with similar jobs might have different time at home after a baby arrives. I bring that question to my World Desk. The World Compared is my attempt to investigate questions like that honestly: not 'which country is best?' but 'what is different, why, and what are the tradeoffs?' The family scenes are teaching prompts; the policy comparisons come from the linked sources.

The family scene is fictional, not a reported interview. The comparisons use the linked official sources.

The World Compared is my ongoing attempt to answer questions like that honestly. Not “which country is best” — because that's not a real question. “What's actually different, why, and what are the tradeoffs?” That's where the real learning is.

— MaiMai

• Minimum Wage Around the World: What Teens Should Check in 10 Countries

  Compare ten countries' wage-setting rules, with dated benchmarks, teen-rate qualifications, U.S. state examples and Denmark's bargaining model.

• Parental Leave by Country: Sweden's 480 Days and the U.S. Federal Paid-Leave Gap

  Compare ten countries' time-off rights and parental benefits: Sweden's shared days, eligibility, and why no universal U.S. federal paid guarantee does not mean zero leave.

• Vacation Days by Country: Comparing Paid Leave Without Miscounting

  Compare ten countries' annual-leave rules, including France's five weeks and the U.S. federal baseline, without mixing day definitions or unsupported averages.

• University Costs Worldwide: Germany's Low-Tuition Model and the Real U.S. Price

  Compare ten study destinations and separate tuition from total costs: Germany is not free for everyone, and US$300,000 is not a universal American price.

• Voting Age Around the World: Where 16-Year-Olds Vote (and Where They Don't)

  Compare nine voting jurisdictions, from Austria and Brazil to Scotland and Japan, while separating election levels, citizenship and registration.

• Healthcare Systems Compared: What Happens When You Get Sick in 10 Countries

  Compare ten healthcare frameworks, including Canada's resident insurance and visitor costs, without assuming universal coverage means free care for everyone.

How this series is structured

• Quick country-by-country overview with dated, sourced snapshots
• Why differences exist: non-partisan analysis of rules and tradeoffs
• What this means for teens specifically
• Fictional Family Discussion with Roly and Bobo
• Open-ended questions for discussion
• Official sources for further research