October 2026 Newsletter

Issue #116

The focus of this month's newsletter is comparing the U.S. to other countries regarding 22 social issues, from arms sales to social welfare programs.

Economy

The United States has the largest economy in the world, with a nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about $32.38 trillion in 2026.

International Money Fund

Military Spending

The U.S. spends the most on its military economy, with a 2025 budget of about $954 billion — the largest of any nation. The next largest countries are: China ($336 billion), Russia ($190 billion), Germany ($114 billion), and India ($92.1 billion). The U.S. share of global military spending is about 33%, and its budget represents roughly 3.1% of its GDP.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

The U.S. has the 2nd most nuclear weapons with 5,277. Russia has the most with 5,449. China has 600, France 290 and Great Britain 220.

Global Military

America has the 8th largest military in the world, with 2,100,000 with active personnel, reserves and paramilitary troops.

Visual Capitalist

Arms Sales

The United States is also the world’s largest arms exporter, controlling over 40% of the global arms trade and surpassing the combined share of the next 9 biggest exporters: France, South Korea, Russia, Italy, Germany, China, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

StatBase

Wars

In the last 80 years, the U.S. has been in 26 major wars.

WarCosts

Since 2003, the U.S. has been involved in over 30 military conflicts, the United Kingdom - 19, Iran - 18, Russia - 17, Israel - 16, France - 16

Reddit

China has been involved in only 1 major war in the last 40 years.

Wikipedia

Poverty

Of 38 similar countries, the U.S. ranks 26th with an overall poverty rate of 17.8%. The poverty rate of children is 20.9% and the poverty gap (the percentage by which the average income of the poor falls below the poverty line) is 39.8%.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Hunger

In the U.S., over 44 million people — about 8.7% of the population, including 13 million children — face food insecurity annually. In addition, 40% of the population is “one paycheck away from poverty,” which contributes to food insecurity despite high overall income levels.

WhyHunger

The U.S.’s food insecurity rate is worse than some middle‑income nations like Mexico or Brazil, that have much lower hunger rates than the U.S., despite lower overall incomes.

World Population Review

Education

The U.S. spends 25% more per student ($20,387) than most other developed countries and ranks 6th in reading, 10th in science, and 26th in math.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

81% of educational funds come from local property taxes, which means wealthier neighborhoods generate more money for their programs than

lower-income areas.

Education Resource Information Center

28% of Americans think the U.S. education system is the best in the world or better than most

other countries.

YouGov.org

Race Discrimination

74% of Americans say discrimination against people based on their race or ethnicity is a serious problem in the U.S.

Pew Research Center

28% of Americans think race relations in the U.S. are the best in the world or better than most

other countries.

YouGov.org

Gender Equality

The U.S. ranks in the lower half of the global gender equality rankings, with a Gender Inequality Index score of 0.18 (18% gap closed) and a Global Gender Gap score around 68–69% closed. Canada, Germany, and the UK score 0.07–0.09, while Sweden, Denmark, and Norway are

near 0.01–0.02.

World Population Review

52% of Americans think women's rights in the U.S. are the best in the world or better than most

other countries.

YouGov.org

Health Care

The U.S. spends nearly twice as much ($14,885 per person) on healthcare compared to similarly large and wealthy nations.

Peterson-KFF Health Care Tracker

31% of Americans think the U.S. health care system is the best in the world or better than other countries.

YouGov.org

Life Expectancy

Americans live approximately 4 years less than comparable countries, with an average of 78.4 years compared to 82.5 years.  

Peterson-KFF Health Care Tracker

35% of Americans think life expectancy in the U.S. is the best in the world or better than in

other countries.

YouGov America

Incarceration

The U.S. incarcerated population rate of 542 per 100,000 is the 4th highest rate in the world.

Prison Studies Project

Gun Violence

Globally, the U.S. ranks at the 93rd percentile for overall firearm mortality, 92nd percentile for children and teens, and 96th percentile for women.

The Commonwealth Fund

The U.S. has among the highest overall firearm mortality rates, as well as among the highest firearm mortality rates for children, adolescents, and women, both globally and among high-income countries.

The Commonwealth Fund

Nearly all U.S. states have higher firearm mortality rate than most other countries. The rate of deaths due to physical violence by firearm in U.S. states are closer to rates seen in countries experiencing

active conflict.

The Commonwealth Fund

Capital Punishment

With 47 executions in 2025, the United States ranked 4th in the world — behind only Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, nations widely condemned for systematic human rights violations.

Death Penalty Focus

Immigration

15% of the U.S. population (45.3 million) are immigrants. Countries with a greater percentage of immigrants in their population are: United Kingdom (17%), France (18%), Canada (21%), Germany (21%), Sweden (21%), Ireland (22%), Iceland (25%), Austria (25%) and Australia (25%), New Zealand (27%) and Switzerland (27%).

Wikipedia

36% of Americans think U.S. treatment of immigrants is the best in the world or better than in

other countries.

YouGov America

Refugee Resettlement

The U.S. currently has one of the most restrictive asylum and resettlement systems among Western democracies, with a unique “adjudicative hold” on all asylum cases and record‑low refugee admissions.

Brennan Center

2026’s refugee ceiling is set at 7,500—the lowest in 45 years—down from over 100,000 in 2024.

Migration Policy Institute

 Under recent executive actions, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) shifted its focus to prioritize specific groups—primarily white South Africans (Afrikaners)—who accounted for over 99% of all U.S. refugee admissions through most of 2026.

Forum Together

The current administration has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 11 countries, affecting ~1.1 million people, and suspended most

resettlement programs

Migration Policy Institute

As of late 2025, over 3.9 million asylum cases await resolution.

Migration Policy Institute

Minimum Wage

The U.S. ranks 25th out of 130 countries in monthly minimum wage adjusted for cost of living, sitting at roughly $1,257 per month based on the $7.25 federal hourly floor.

Yahoo Finance

The U.S. minimum wage ranks lower than many high-income countries. For example, in 2024, Germany had the highest statutory minimum wage at $17.15/hour, followed by Luxembourg at $16.79/hour the UK at $15.91/hour, France at $15.78/hour, and Australia at $16.49/hour.

Visual Capitalist

11 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, mostly in Europe, have higher statutory minimum wages than all 50 U.S. states.

Visual Capitalist

Even after adjusting for cost of living, U.S. states following the federal minimum cluster near upper-middle-income countries like Colombia and Peru.

Visual Capitalist

The Environment

The U.S. ranks 27th out of 177 countries evaluated on air and water pollution, climate policies, and ecosystem vitality. European nations like Estonia, Luxembourg, and the U.K. occupy the top spots.

Yale University

The U.S. is the world’s 2nd-largest annual emitter of carbon dioxide behind China, and the largest historical contributor to global greenhouse gases.

Investopedia

 Carbon emissions in the U.S. are about 18.7 tons per person --- nearly 3 times those of countries like France, driven largely by car-centric urban design and high energy consumption.

Population Education

44% of Americans think U.S. air and water quality is the best in the world or better than in

other countries.

YouGov America

Voting Participation

Among peer democracies, the U.S. ranks 31st, with 62% participation – between Colombia (62.5%) and Greece (63.5%).

Pew Research Center

In the U.S., individuals usually carry the primary responsibility for registering themselves to vote, often with deadlines weeks before an election. In peer nations like Germany, Australia, and Canada, the government takes a hands-on role and automatically registers eligible citizens.

Institute for Responsive Government

41% of Americans think U.S. democracy is the best in the world or better than in

other countries.

YouGov America

Social Welfare Programs

The U.S. ranks 23rd globally in direct public

social spending.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

This is roughly 19% of its Gross Domestic Produce (GDP), which is below the average of 22% in

similar countries.

Niskanen Center

 U.S. safety-net cash assistance programs (like TANF or SNAP) heavily targets lower-income thresholds with strict work or eligibility criteria.

Niskanen Center

 The U.S. spends significantly less per capita on early childhood education, parental leave, and unemployment support than peer nations.

The Commonwealth Fund

Human Trafficking

The U.S. has an estimated 3.3 victims of modern slavery per 1,000 people (roughly 1.09 million people on any given day). Globally, this places the U.S. closer to countries with lower prevalence rates, ranking 122nd out of 160 evaluated countries.

Walk Free Global Slavery Index

Unlike many European or Asian countries where a large majority of detected victims are foreign-born, the U.S. relies heavily on domestic trafficking. Estimates show that roughly 85% of trafficking cases in the U.S. involve domestic victims—frequently vulnerable youth, runaways, or individuals from the foster care system.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Religious Tolerance

While physical hostility is low, the U.S. exhibits measurable ideological and political polarization concerning the role of religion in public life. Christian nationalism and culture-war flashpoints remain prominent in American political discourse compared to other high-income secularized nations.

Pew Research Center

Happiness

The United States ranks 23rd in the world for happiness, lower than many wealthier nations and far from the Nordic leaders at the top.

Gallup

 War Costs

A free, data-driven transparency platform that doesn't depend on ads or sponsors. Provides just the numbers - sourced from Brown University, CRS, SIPRI, and the Pentagon's own reports. Keeps a tally of total conflicts, costs, military and civilian casualties, veteran suicides, as well as a military glossary and an interactive timeline. Makes the costs of American military power visible, measurable, and undeniable. Not through opinion or ideology, but through data - sourced from the government's own reports, peer-reviewed academic research, and established investigative organizations. Learn more.

For more on War, click here.

Walk Free

An international human rights group focused on the eradication of modern slavery, in all its forms, in our lifetime. Includes statisticians, criminologists, lawyers, and international development experts, working to create and agitate for mass systems change, to address the root causes of slavery. Through a combination of direct implementation, grassroots community engagement, and working in partnership with faiths, businesses, academics, NGOs, and governments around the world, works to address slavery and dismantle its core drivers.

Learn more.

For more on Human Trafficking, click here.

He Listened to Us: A Maya Witness to Blessed Stanley "Apla's" Rother

By Juan Ajtzip. Edited and translated by Gerald W. Schlabach. A memoir by Maya community leader Juan Ajtzip in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, focusing on his relationship with Blessed Stanley Rother, who was martyred there in 1981. Rother, a missionary priest from Oklahoma, has been declared a martyr for the faith and was beatified by Pope Francis in 2017. He lived among the Tz’utujil Maya people of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, from 1968 until his assassination on July 28, 1981. Guided by his deep sense of pastoral vocation, Rother defended the dignity of the Tz’utujil after centuries of racism and repression, inspiring Maya community leaders to launch their own social initiatives. In this memoir, Juan Ajtzip, who worked closely with Rother, offers the first account of his impact in a Mayan voice. The result is a memory of Rother, embedded in a memoir of Juan’s own life, embedded within the “Atiteca” community. Read more.

For more Justice resources, click here.

WhyHunger

An organization that supports communities in taking control of their own food systems and ending hunger. Provides funding, training, and other resources to grassroots organizations and social movements across the United States and 24 countries, championing local control of food access from seed to market to plate. Helps connect people in need with nutritious food and provides critical resources to fuel long-term solutions to hunger rooted in social, environmental, racial, and economic justice. Learn more.

For more on Hunger, click here.

Inside the "Play Labs"

Helping Refugee Kids Heal

A TED Talk, featuring educational leader Erum Mariam, who discusses the question, "What does healing look like for a refugee child?" Her team builds humanitarian "play labs": small, welcoming spaces where children displaced from their homes can play and reconnect with what they lost. From songs and dances to games and art they remember from home, she shows how making space for kids to play brings back confidence and joy. Watch now.

For more on Refugees, click here.

How the Wealth Gap is Reshaping Politics

A TED Talk, featuring Xochitl Gonzalez, who makes the case that wealth inequality is not only an economic problem but also a civic one, too — a slow, quiet threat to democracy. Drawing on her research into the psychology of social class, she shows how growing up with (or without) money changes how we experience politics, community and society.

Watch now.

For more on Economic Justice, click here.

Why I'm Building Libraries in Prisons

A TED Talk, featuring, Reginald Dwayne Betts, who spent nine years in prison. He turned to books to help hold onto his sanity — and developed a belief that we find what we look for, even in the toughest places. Now a lawyer and poet, he's opened hundreds of Freedom Libraries inside prisons across the US, putting books he once dreamed of reading into the hands of incarcerated people. He makes the case that hope is something people pass on to one another. "We put millions of people in prison. I would put millions of books inside," he says. Watch now.

For more on the Criminal Justice System,

click here.

Climate Anxiety and Spiritual Resilience: A Guide to Kinship, Justice, and Hope

By Suzanne Crawford O'Brien. Offers a framework for moving beyond paralysis toward resilient, justice-centered engagement. Each chapter draws on case studies from diverse Indigenous and religious traditions challenging extractive worldviews, emphasizing relationality and interdependence, and grounding justice in care for land, community, and future generations. Together, they explore what it means to engage in inner activism: the work of moral courage, clarity, and presence that makes sustained ecological action possible. Practices of mindfulness, ritual, lament, storytelling, and community accountability are presented not as private coping strategies but as sources of collective resilience and ethical commitment. Emphasizing hope without denial and action without burnout, offers spiritual resources for transforming grief into courage, solidarity, and sustained engagement for ecological justice. Read more.

For more on the Environment, click here.

How to Clean Up the World's

Dirtiest Industry

A TED Talk, featuring climate strategist Joojin Kim, who spent years convincing banks across South Korea to stop funding coal, and it worked. Now he's aiming that same playbook at a new target: maritime shipping, a hidden engine of the global economy — and one of the world's dirtiest industries. He breaks down how the whole system converges in one place and why redirecting finance could transform it into a driver of a clean economy worldwide. Watch now. 

For more on the Environment, click here.

Voices from the Kitchen: Personal Narratives from New York's Immigrant Restaurant Workers

By Marc Meyer. Twenty-seven personal histories of immigrant restaurant workers in New York City whose stories of persistence, hope, and endurance show how vital they are to our country. All of the contributors came to New York from another part of the world—Mexico, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, and beyond -- and all found their foothold in the restaurant industry. Their stories are a window into the range of life experiences that immigrant workers carry with them. They are by turns funny, dark, poignant, surprising, and relatable. Note: All author proceeds from the book are distributed evenly among the contributors. Read more.

For more in Immigration, click here.

Fair Trade Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

First Monday of October World Habitat Day

Second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day

2nd to Last Sunday of October World Mission Sunday

October 1st: International Day of Older Persons

October 2nd: International Day of Nonviolence

October 5th: World Teachers' Day

October 10th: World Day Against the Death Penalty& World Mental Health Day

October 11th: Anniversary of the Opening of the Second Vatican Council

October 13th: International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

October 15th: World Rural Women's Day

October 16th: World Food Day

October 17th: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 24th: Beginning of Disarmament Week & United Nations Day

October 29th: Anniversary of the Founding of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement

Since 2017, more than 700,000 people have visited the Social Justice Resource Center website. We provide a wide variety of facts and figures on specific social issues as well as thousands of free resources including films, publications, links to other organizations, prayers, quotes, principles of social justice, key dates throughout the year, action ideas, Diocesan office contact information and biographies of famous people who have worked for social justice.

To learn more, click here.

Every month we email our newsletter to over 4,500 people around the country. Each issue focuses on a social justice topic and has resources that have been recently added to our website. If you know of anyone who might be interested in receiving our newsletter,  please forward this email on to them or let us know and we'll add them to our mailing list.

To see our previous Newsletters,  click here .

The Social Justice Resource Center is an independent, faith-based organization that is financially supported by private donations. We're an all-volunteer team that relies on support from visitors like you. If you like what we do and want to help support our work, please consider making a small donation. The Social Justice Resource Center is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Thank you!