The most expensive state in the world

The most expensive country in the world

Monaco

Today we will introduce you to a very tiny and interesting country. It is the richest country, where the maximum number of millionaires live, where the standard of living of even the most ordinary people is simply stunning, and the concept of "modest" existence is fundamentally different from ours, takes 2nd place in the world by the smallest area of territory, population density is the largest in the world, The average life expectancy is almost 90 years, four out of five residents are newcomers, there is no navy or air force, the unemployment rate is 3%, it is impossible to see a homeless person in this country, the state ranks first in the world by the number of billionaires per capita. Only here are gorgeous views from anywhere in the country, crowds of tourists who are mixed with a crowd of businessmen, azure water and pebbles in which the feet, yachts, a lot of yachts, homes in the mountain, This country can be called a country of the rich without exaggeration, because to live here you need to have a bank account with at least 100 thousand euros. In this mini-state there is no tax on luxury, citizens do not pay taxes to the state. You can leave your MacBook unattended for an hour on your desk, and no one will touch it. Almost the entire territory of the state is under surveillance of video cameras. There are no pickpockets, and even fights do not happen in the bar.

This is Monaco.

Have you ever heard of someone who has decided to leave Monaco in search of a better life? The question itself sounds like an anecdote. This small country is so prosperous that rich people from all over the world are going there. In fact, it is a paradise on earth, inhabited by millionaires.

When you hear the word "Monaco" you see casinos, piles of money and sports cars. But few people think about how this small city-state has become a magnet for the rich. In Monaco, on the Mediterranean coast near the French Riviera, lives just over 37 thousand people. A third of them are millionaires; Monaco has one of the highest per capita GDP in the world.

People from more than a hundred countries are attracted by the opportunity to preserve most of their wealth. Among the celebrities living in Monaco are Formula 1 pilot Lewis Hamilton, tennis player Novak Djokovic and Tina Green, wife of British billionaire Philip Green, who made a fortune in retail. Rich people are attracted to Monaco not only by the tax regime, but also by its lifestyle.

How did this happen?

In addition to cinematic landscapes and an ideal climate with 300 sunny days per year, Monaco attracts businessmen with its specific tax system. Citizens here do not pay income tax, and taxes on foreign companies and resident entrepreneurs are levied by the city-state at a reduced rate. This is why at the beginning of the XX century, almost immediately after the independence of Monaco, financiers, bankers and industrialists with all their capital came here.

The population of the country began to arrive in front of their eyes, and with it the income of the Principality grew. However, there is no sky without a cloud. For some reason, Monaco is called a dwarf state - its area is only two square kilometers (half as small as New York's Central Park). It is not hard to guess that after the influx of people willing to become Monegasque subjects, the land suitable for construction was becoming less and less. So in Monaco began a real construction boom - here and there began to grow multistory residential and office buildings made of glass and concrete.

The profitability of the construction of skyscrapers in Monaco is 100 percent, so construction in the Principality does not stop for a single day. The living space here, despite the highest prices in the world, literally enjoys crazy popularity. Apartments in new buildings in Monaco are considered a profitable investment and never stand idle while waiting for the buyer. However, very often nobody lives for years in purchased apartments - in this sense, Monaco can be called the country of empty houses.

Thanks to the attraction of foreign capital and active construction Monaco is one of the most populous countries in the world - the Principality has almost 36 thousand people. About half of them are French, a quarter are native Monegasques and the rest are from 125 different nationalities. Despite the fact that Russians are not numerous here, Russian names are often heard in Monaco. In the 2000s, the residents of Rublyovka, or rather their wives, arranged countless balls and parties in the Principality, investor Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2011 bought a soccer club "Monaco", and the yacht Abramovich with enviable consistency does not fit in a small harbor of the Principality.

Today the city-state is divided into ten small areas, and the local authorities plan to build the 11th one on the drained sea areas. But all social life in Monaco revolves around two buildings: a palace in the old city, where the Prince of Monaco and his wife live, and the famous casino, which is located in the Monte Carlo area.