Nov 29, 2023

Question of the Day: What is the total value of tangible currency (coins and banknotes) across the world?

Have you ever said "all the money in the world" couldn't get you to do something? Let's see just how much you'd be passing up.

Answer: Around $8 trillion USD

 

Questions:

  1. Is $8 trillion in tangible currency more or less than you expected?
  2. Why do you think such a high percentage of the world’s tangible currency exists in the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan?
  3. Tangible currency is defined as coins and bank notes (paper money). What other types of currency exist that aren’t counted here?

 

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

 

Behind the numbers (Visual Capitalist):

"Tangible currency--what many people around the world think of as "money"--is worth $8 trillion. 

The world's total above-ground gold reserves are estimated at 205,238 tonnes by the World Gold Council. Using a $1,750/oz spot price, the world's gold is worth $11.5 trillion.

Billionaires around the world have a collective net worth of $12.7 trillion."

 

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Check out NGPF's Money and Me mini-unit to learn more about money in our everyday lives!

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The activity MOVE: Your Money Values will help students explore what's important in their financial lives!

About the Author

Ryan Wood

Ryan grew up with and maintains a love for learning. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a degree in Business Administration and worked in sports marketing for a number of years. After living in Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and Minnesota, the call of education eventually brought Ryan back to his home state of Wisconsin where he was a Business and Marketing teacher for three years. In his free time he likes to spend time with his wife and daughter, play basketball, read, and go fishing. Now with NGPF, Ryan is excited to help teachers lead the most important course their students will ever take.

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