TellingStoriesWithData

home page

visualizing debt

critique by design

final project I

final project II

final project III

Visualizing Government Debt

Part one: Working with web-based visualization tools and data

[Source - https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/general-government-debt.html?oecdcontrol-3122613a85-var3=2019]

Working with Tableau

[Source Data - https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/general-government-debt.html?oecdcontrol-3122613a85-var3=2019]

Part three: create your own visualization

[Source Data - https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/general-government-debt.html?oecdcontrol-3122613a85-var3=2019] The first image uses a line chart to compare the Debt-to-GDP ratio of Japan (highlighted in dark blue) against other countries from 1995 to 2019. The y-axis represents the average Debt-to-GDP ratio, while the x-axis marks the years. This visualization effectively demonstrates the trend of Japan’s Debt-to-GDP ratio, showing a significant increase over the years. It clearly stands out compared to other countries, whose ratios are shown with lighter lines, emphasizing Japan’s unique economic trajectory. I noticed this and wanted to compare Japan’s trajectory to other countries who typically are associated with a strong economy. This highlights Japan making it unique in comparison to the other two charts. The line chart offers a clear and continuous view of the trend for individual countries over time, making it easy to track changes and patterns year by year. It is particularly useful for identifying long-term trends and comparing the trajectory of one country against others. In contrast, the heatmap provides a more immediate snapshot of multiple countries’ data across several years. It excels at showing relative differences and similarities between countries at specific points in time, though it may not convey trends as clearly as a line chart.