See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: Median Rent Price by U.S. State See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Coastal states have the highest median rents with California leading at $2,104, followed by Hawaii ($1,942) and Massachusetts ($1,848). The District of Columbia ranks third among the states at $1,931. While coastal states tend to have the highest rents, Colorado ($1,822) and Nevada ($1,709) are among the few landlocked states far above the national median of $1,487. Across the United States, median rent varies by more than $1,000 between the highest and lowest states. This map compares the median gross rent (including utilities) in each state in 2024 using data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates, providing a snapshot of rental affordability nationwide. U.S. States with the Highest Rent The Census Bureau data shows that California has the highest median rent at $2,104, edging out Hawaii ($1,942) and Massachusetts ($1,848). The District of Columbia—while not a state—ranks third overall at $1,931, reflecting its dense urban housing market and limited supply. The data table below shows the median rent by state in 2024, along with the District of Columbia and the U.S. national median: RankStateMedian gross rent in 2024 (includes utilities) 1California$2,104 2Hawaii$1,942 3District of Columbia$1,931 4Massachusetts$1,848 5Washington$1,824 6Colorado$1,822 7Florida$1,812 8New Jersey$1,800 9Maryland$1,721 10Nevada$1,709 11Arizona$1,672 12Virginia$1,646 13New York$1,634 14Oregon$1,597 15Utah$1,593 16New Hampshire$1,558 17Connecticut$1,550 18Delaware$1,530 19Georgia$1,506 20Texas$1,475 21Alaska$1,444 22Rhode Island$1,418 23Idaho$1,384 24North Carolina$1,338 25Illinois$1,322 26Vermont$1,319 27Minnesota$1,291 28Tennessee$1,284 29South Carolina$1,272 30Pennsylvania$1,252 31Maine$1,210 32Montana$1,177 33Michigan$1,168 34Wisconsin$1,142 35New Mexico$1,117 36Indiana$1,104 37Nebraska$1,102 38Ohio$1,090 39Kansas$1,079 40Alabama$1,077 41Missouri$1,067 42Louisiana$1,064 43Oklahoma$1,044 44South Dakota$999 45Kentucky$998 46Wyoming$998 47Mississippi$990 48Arkansas$982 49Iowa$981 50North Dakota$980 51West Virginia$883 --U.S. Median Rent$1,487 Other high-rent states include Washington ($1,824) and Colorado ($1,822), underscoring how tech hubs and lifestyle destinations command premium rents. Rents remain particularly elevated across the West Coast and the Northeast Corridor as states like New Jersey ($1,794), New York ($1,771), and Oregon ($1,765) continue to face upward price pressure due to limited housing inventory and strong demand near metropolitan centers. States With the Lowest Median Rent The lowest median rents are found in West Virginia ($883), followed by North Dakota ($980) and Iowa ($981). Even when including utilities, median rent in these states is $500 below the national median of $1,487, underscoring their housing cost advantage. Many Midwestern states, including Wyoming ($998) and South Dakota ($999), also maintain some of the lowest rents in the nation, less than half of California’s. However, lower rents often correspond with slower wage growth and fewer high-paying job opportunities, balancing the affordability equation. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about the state of U.S. housing affordability, check out this graphic which shows the average mortgage rate by state.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization The Cost of a Healthy Diet Around the World See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Globally, a healthy diet costs an average of $4.46 per person per day. The most expensive regions are the Caribbean and Latin America, while North America and Oceania are the cheapest. Roughly 2.6 billion people—one-third of the global population—can’t afford a healthy diet. Healthy diets remain out of reach for billions of people worldwide, largely due to the costs associated with nutritious food. This infographic shows the daily cost of a healthy diet by region and the number of people who cannot afford one, based on the latest available data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The costs are expressed in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars to account for regional cost-of-living differences. How Much Does Eating Healthy Cost? A “healthy diet” is defined as providing 2,330 kilocalories per day, drawn from six food groups: fruits, vegetables, starchy staples, oils, legumes, and animal-sourced foods. Globally, maintaining a healthy diet costs about $4.46 per person per day, but there are large differences across regions. The table below shows the cost of a healthy diet for each region, along with the number of people who can’t afford one: RegionAverage daily cost per person for a healthy dietShare of population that can't afford a healthy dietPopulation that can't afford a healthy diet Caribbean$5.4850.1%22.5M Latin America$4.8726.1%159.4M Northern Africa$4.7641.3%112.4M Asia$4.4328.1%1.35B Sub-Saharan Africa$4.3772.1%896.5M Europe$4.035.3%39.4M Oceania$3.8619.6%9.0M Northern America$3.854.3%16.7M World$4.4631.9%2.6B The Caribbean faces the highest cost at $5.48 per person per day, followed by Latin America ($4.87) and Northern Africa ($4.76). In contrast, healthy diets are cheapest in North America ($3.85) and Oceania ($3.86). In terms of access, Asia has the highest number of people affected, with 1.35 billion people unable to afford a healthy diet—about 28% of the region’s population. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet at 72%. By comparison, Northern America has 16.7 million people affected, representing 4.3% of its population. Oceania has the fewest number of people—9 million—unable to afford a healthy diet, though these differences are influenced by population size. Why Healthy Food Costs More Healthy food tends to be more expensive than calorie-rich but nutrition-poor unhealthy food. In fact, a UK-based study by the Food Foundation found that healthy food options are more than twice as expensive as unhealthier alternatives on a per-calorie basis. In each region, the affordability of a healthy diet depends not only on global food prices, but also on local factors like import dependence and agricultural self-sufficiency for staple foods. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Where Groceries Cost the Most Worldwide on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization How Big Is Australia? Visualizing How Many Countries Fit Inside See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Australia is the 6th-largest country in the world at nearly 3.0 million mi² (7.7 million km²), and it’s large enough to fit nine other countries, including 7th-ranked India. Around 40% of Australia is uninhabitable due to harsh desert conditions in the interior. Most of its 27 million residents live along the coast. Australia ranks 54th by population, 14th by gross domestic product…and sixth by size? The infographic below puts its staggering scale in context by showing how many familiar nations could sit comfortably inside its outline. The data for this visualization comes from UN Statistics Division, using total area estimates. Australia’s True Size Revealed Covering nearly 3.0 million square miles (7.73 million km²), Australia is the sixth-largest country, sitting just behind Brazil. CountryArea (mi²)Area (km²)Population (2025) Australia2,988,9007,741,22127,740,000 India1,269,2193,287,2651,460,000,000 Mexico758,4491,964,375133,370,000 Spain195,120505,35949,720,000 Japan145,914377,916123,290,000 Germany138,063357,58283,600,000 UK94,354244,37669,870,000 Ukraine233,030603,54532,860,000 Vietnam127,930331,337102,160,000 Ireland27,13370,2745,490,000 9 Countries2,989,2127,742,0292,054,875,000 Note: Population data sourced from the International Monetary Fund. Its landmass is roughly equivalent to the combined size of nine other countries, including 7th-ranked India. For an American perspective, it’s the size of the contiguous U.S. west of the Mississippi River. Humans often underestimate continental scale when viewing Mercator maps, so stacking countries gives a more intuitive sense of magnitude. Related: For more on the Mercator projection, check out: The Problem With Our Maps. Yet with only 27 million residents, Australia’s average population density is nine people per square mile. The average population density of the combined nine countries is 687 people per square mile. Why So Much of Australia Is Empty The emptiness stems largely from the notorious Outback. Roughly two-fifths of the continent is classified as arid or semi-arid desert, encompassing the Simpson, Tanami, and Great Victoria deserts. Summer highs above 110°F (43°C) and some of the lowest rainfall on Earth make permanent settlement costly and risky. Consequently, more than 85% of Australians cluster in coastal metro areas such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing Africa’s True Size on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: 35 Countries With the Largest Forests in 2025 See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Russia has 833 million hectares of forest, about 20% of the entire world’s forests. Brazil (486M ha) and Canada (369M ha) rank second and third respectively. With the U.S. (309M ha) and China (227M ha), just five countries have half of the world’s forests Forest landscapes shape climates, absorb carbon, and support millions of species. The visualization ranks the countries with the largest forests in 2025, revealing how woodland is distributed across the planet. Data for this visualization comes from the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), released this October. Five Countries Have Half the World’s Forests Russia tops the list with 833 million hectares (ha) of forest, one-fifth of global tree cover. RankCountry/TerritoryISO CodeForest Area (1,000 Hectares, 2025)Share of World's Forests (2025) 1 RussiaRUS832,629.9320.11% 2 BrazilBRA486,086.6411.74% 3 CanadaCAN368,818.858.91% 4 U.S.USA308,895.007.46% 5 ChinaCHN227,153.005.49% 6 DRCCOD139,189.053.36% 7 AustraliaAUS133,561.593.23% 8 IndonesiaIDN95,969.302.32% 9 IndiaIND72,739.001.76% 10 PeruPER67,159.761.62% 11 MexicoMEX66,265.591.60% 12 AngolaAGO63,262.331.53% 13 ColombiaCOL59,456.861.44% 14 BoliviaBOL54,370.271.31% 15 VenezuelaVEN47,088.241.14% 16 ArgentinaARG46,598.001.13% 17 Central African RepublicCAF45,094.871.09% 18 ZambiaZMB44,874.291.08% 19 TanzaniaTZA43,400.001.05% 20 Papua New GuineaPNG34,028.960.82% 21 MozambiqueMOZ32,242.900.78% 22 SwedenSWE27,934.000.67% 23 MyanmarMMR27,095.320.65% 24 EthiopiaETH26,747.100.65% 25 JapanJPN24,908.000.60% 26 GabonGAB23,555.310.57% 27 South AfricaZAF22,881.420.55% 28 TürkiyeTUR22,805.760.55% 29 FinlandFIN22,543.000.54% 30 SudanSDN21,980.400.53% 31 CongoCOG21,853.800.53% 32 ThailandTHA19,647.480.47% 33 CameroonCMR19,143.220.46% 34 SpainESP19,132.780.46% 35 MalaysiaMYS18,884.740.46% 36 GuyanaGUY18,377.190.44% 37 ChileCHL18,161.900.44% 38 FranceFRA17,795.000.43% 39 NigeriaNGA17,129.960.41% 40 BotswanaBWA15,730.200.38% 41 VietnamVNM14,790.080.36% 42 SurinameSUR14,674.200.35% 43 ParaguayPRY14,297.390.35% 44 MongoliaMNG14,178.330.34% 45 ZimbabweZWE13,766.010.33% 46 LaosLAO13,036.040.31% 47 EcuadorECU12,310.320.30% 48 NorwayNOR12,108.640.29% 49 GermanyDEU11,481.400.28% 50 IranIRN10,751.000.26% 51 MaliMLI10,479.250.25% 52 New ZealandNZL10,303.030.25% 53 UkraineUKR10,090.000.24% 54 MadagascarMDG9,922.080.24% 55 PolandPOL9,495.000.23% 56 ItalyITA9,421.960.23% 57 BelarusBLR8,975.400.22% 58 SenegalSEN8,649.320.21% 59 NamibiaNAM8,042.960.19% 60 French GuianaGUF7,981.950.19% 61 North KoreaPRK7,727.930.19% 62 PhilippinesPHL7,438.640.18% 63 South SudanSSD7,160.000.17% 64 GhanaGHA7,056.360.17% 65 RomaniaROU6,957.130.17% 66 CambodiaKHM6,333.170.15% 67 LiberiaLBR6,326.520.15% 68 South KoreaKOR6,279.130.15% 69 NepalNPL6,266.250.15% 70 HondurasHND5,861.330.14% 71 MoroccoMAR5,695.340.14% 72 GuineaGIN4,857.310.12% 73 SomaliaSOM4,829.750.12% 74 NicaraguaNIC4,780.700.12% 75 GreeceGRC4,762.800.12% 76 PanamaPAN4,614.610.11% 77 BulgariaBGR3,959.000.10% 78 KenyaKEN3,913.810.09% 79 AustriaAUT3,903.910.09% 80 UzbekistanUZB3,894.190.09% 81 Côte d'IvoireCIV3,774.130.09% 82 CubaCUB3,622.380.09% 83 ChadTCD3,611.320.09% 84 GuatemalaGTM3,535.650.09% 85 KazakhstanKAZ3,520.510.09% 86 SerbiaSRB3,475.200.08% 87 LatviaLVA3,466.960.08% 88 PortugalPRT3,362.630.08% 89 UKGBR3,278.000.08% 90 Burkina FasoBFA3,236.970.08% 91 PakistanPAK3,192.460.08% 92 BeninBEN3,133.270.08% 93 GeorgiaGEO3,100.500.07% 94 Costa RicaCRI2,989.640.07% 95 Czech RepublicCZE2,968.360.07% 96 Saudi ArabiaSAU2,775.550.07% 97 BhutanBTN2,674.740.06% 98 Solomon IslandsSLB2,513.930.06% 99 EstoniaEST2,446.750.06% 100 Sierra LeoneSLE2,436.270.06% 101 Equatorial GuineaGNQ2,406.620.06% 102 UgandaUGA2,367.670.06% 103 TurkmenistanTKM2,330.000.06% 104 Dominican RepublicDOM2,257.460.05% 105 LithuaniaLTU2,216.340.05% 106 Bosnia and HerzegovinaBIH2,162.080.05% 107 Sri LankaLKA2,120.690.05% 108 Guinea-BissauGNB2,099.590.05% 109 HungaryHUN2,087.370.05% 110 MalawiMWI2,031.700.05% 111 UruguayURY2,024.000.05% 112 CroatiaHRV1,946.200.05% 113 Slovak RepublicSVK1,940.490.05% 114 BangladeshBGD1,873.420.05% 115 AlgeriaDZA1,691.360.04% 116 EritreaERI1,442.020.03% 117 BelizeBLZ1,315.050.03% 118 SwitzerlandCHE1,267.020.03% 119 Kyrgyz RepublicKGZ1,255.480.03% 120 SloveniaSVN1,243.550.03% 121 TogoTGO1,224.460.03% 122 AzerbaijanAZE1,213.660.03% 123 AfghanistanAFG1,209.440.03% 124 FijiFJI1,136.600.03% 125 NigerNER1,055.100.03% 126 Timor-LesteTLS1,054.330.03% 127 North MacedoniaMKD1,026.100.02% 128 MauritaniaMRT1,019.130.02% 129 AlbaniaALB941.000.02% 130 VanuatuVUT907.440.02% 131 New CaledoniaNCL892.610.02% 132 IrelandIRL832.850.02% 133 MontenegroMNE827.000.02% 134 IraqIRQ692.550.02% 135 TunisiaTUN687.490.02% 136 El SalvadorSLV684.840.02% 137 BelgiumBEL670.520.02% 138 DenmarkDNK642.560.02% 139 RwandaRWA634.630.02% 140 JamaicaJAM616.310.01% 141 YemenYEM549.000.01% 142 Western SaharaESH529.220.01% 143 SyriaSYR527.810.01% 144 BahamasBHS509.860.01% 145 Puerto RicoPRI436.060.01% 146 EswatiniSWZ433.070.01% 147 TajikistanTJK424.500.01% 148 Brunei DarussalamBRN380.000.01% 149 HaitiHTI372.100.01% 150 MoldovaMDA370.300.01% 151 NetherlandsNLD369.330.01% 152 ArmeniaARM334.100.01% 153 UAEARE324.580.01% 154 BurundiBDI279.640.01% 155 Trinidad & TobagoTTO226.050.01% 156 GambiaGMB209.470.01% 157 LibyaLBY205.330.00% 158 CyprusCYP171.700.00% 159 SamoaWSM159.760.00% 160 IsraelISR150.000.00% 161 French PolynesiaPYF149.460.00% 162 LebanonLBN141.320.00% 163 LuxembourgLUX88.700.00% 164 RéunionREU77.150.00% 165 GuadeloupeGLP75.600.00% 166 JordanJOR70.700.00% 167 MicronesiaFSM64.570.00% 168 IcelandISL61.480.00% 169 DominicaDMA57.350.00% 170 Sao Tome & PrincipeSTP55.280.00% 171 MartiniqueMTQ52.670.00% 172 Cabo VerdeCPV51.060.00% 173 PalauPLW41.870.00% 174 MauritiusMUS38.290.00% 175 LesothoLSO34.520.00% 176 ComorosCOM33.370.00% 177 Saint LuciaLCA32.840.00% 178 Saint Vincent & the GrenadinesVCT28.560.00% 179 GuamGUM28.270.00% 180 SeychellesSYC26.520.00% 181 Northern Mariana IslandsMNP24.360.00% 182 U.S. Virgin IslandsVIR20.660.00% 183 NiueNIU18.870.00% 184 AndorraAND18.220.00% 185 GrenadaGRD17.700.00% 186 American SamoaASM15.850.00% 187 SingaporeSGP15.800.00% 188 Cook IslandsCOK15.590.00% 189 Cayman IslandsCYM12.720.00% 190 PalestinePSE11.100.00% 191 Saint Kitts & NevisKNA11.000.00% 192 Wallis & Futuna IslandsWLF10.820.00% 193 Turks and Caicos IslandsTCA10.520.00% 194 British Virgin IslandsVGB9.970.00% 195 Marshall IslandsMHL9.710.00% 196 MayotteMYT9.600.00% 197 TongaTON8.730.00% 198 Antigua & BarbudaATG7.790.00% 199 KuwaitKWT6.300.00% 200 BarbadosBRB6.300.00% 201 LiechtensteinLIE5.980.00% 202 DjiboutiDJI5.930.00% 203 AnguillaAIA5.500.00% 204 BahrainBHR4.370.00% 205 Bonaire, Sint Eustatius & SabaBES4.210.00% 206 EgyptEGY4.110.00% 207 MaldivesMDV3.720.00% 208 Pitcairn IslandsPCN3.690.00% 209 Isle of ManIMN3.670.00% 210 MontserratMSR2.420.00% 211 Ascension, Saint Helena and Tristan da CunhaSHN2.020.00% 212 OmanOMN1.600.00% 213 QatarQAT1.400.00% 214 Saint MartinMAF1.240.00% 215 Saint Pierre & MiquelonSPM1.100.00% 216 KiribatiKIR1.070.00% 217 TuvaluTUV1.030.00% 218 San MarinoSMR1.000.00% 219 BermudaBMU0.780.00% 220 JerseyJEY0.680.00% 221 ArubaABW0.490.00% 222 Norfolk IslandNFK0.490.00% 223 GuernseyGGY0.470.00% 224 MaltaMLT0.470.00% 225 Sint MaartenSXM0.300.00% 226 GreenlandGRL0.220.00% 227 Saint BarthélemyBLM0.170.00% 228 Faroe IslandsFRO0.080.00% 229 CuraçaoCUW0.070.00% 230 GibraltarGIB0.000.00% 231 Holy SeeVAT0.000.00% 232 MonacoMCO0.000.00% 233 Svalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSJM0.000.00% 234 NauruNRU0.000.00% 235 TokelauTKL0.000.00% 236 Falkland IslandsFLK0.000.00% N/A WorldN/A4,140,216.55N/A Note: For reference, one hectare is equal to 2.47 acres, or roughly two (American) football fields. Together with Brazil (486M ha) and Canada (369M ha), the top three nations account for more than 40% of global forests. Add the U.S. (309M ha) and China (227M ha), and the share rises to 50%. This concentration underlines how policy decisions in a handful of capitals can sway the fate of the world’s woodland. Tropical Forests Keep Planet Cool Brazil’s Amazon rainforest alone stores roughly one-quarter of all land-based carbon, making its preservation a climate priority. Other equatorial nations, including the DRC, Indonesia, and Peru, also appear in the top 10. Their moist, biodiverse forests act as vital “lungs,” recycling water and stabilizing rainfall patterns far beyond their borders. Yet these countries are simultaneously hotspots for logging, agriculture, and mining, highlighting the tension between economic growth and conservation. Related: The health of the Amazon rainforest is critical for global food security. Reforestation Makes a Mark in Asia and Europe China’s fifth-place ranking is backed by decades of large-scale tree-planting initiatives, such as the “Great Green Wall.” Across Europe, Sweden and Finland show how sustainable forestry can coexist with vigorous timber industries, each maintaining roughly 28 million hectares of managed woodland. Türkiye and Spain, further down the list, also owe their sizable forest footprints to ambitious reforestation programs that reversed 20th-century declines. These examples spotlight policy tools—like afforestation incentives and strict harvest limits—that other nations could adopt. Despite these initiatives, preserving primary forests (that is, not planted by humans) remains a critical environmental goal in combating climate change. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Major World Cities by Climate Type on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: The Top 30 Countries by Quality of Life See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index measures overall living conditions in countries, combining data on costs, safety, healthcare, pollution, and more from user surveys. Switzerland remains one of the highest-rated countries, while others such as the Netherlands and Norway have climbed places. Canada has seen the largest decline in living standards, falling from 9th to 27th over the past decade. The Numbeo Quality of Life Index aggregates survey data from people around the world to gain insight into how they perceive life in their country. To see how these perceptions have changed over time, we’ve visualized the 30 countries with the best quality of life in 2015 and 2025. The comparison reveals a number of significant movements up and down the ranking, with Canada losing the most ground. Data & Discussion The data for this visualization comes from Numbeo, which compiles user-reported data on eight factors: Purchasing Power Pollution House Price to Income Ratio Cost of Living Safety Health Care Traffic Commute Time Climate Each country’s quality of life score is calculated based on these factors, with higher scores representing better overall conditions. Rank (2015)CountryQuality of Life Index (2015)Rank (2025)CountryQuality of Life Index (2025) 1 Switzerland222.91 Luxembourg218.2 2 Germany195.92 Netherlands216.5 3 Sweden193.93 Denmark215.1 4 U.S.192.54 Oman215.1 5 Finland190.25 Switzerland210.9 6 Denmark190.26 Finland208.3 7 Austria182.67 Norway199.2 8 Australia180.88 Iceland198.0 9 Canada177.69 Austria197.7 10 New Zealand175.510 Germany195.2 11 Norway175.111 Australia195.1 12 Saudi Arabia169.412 New Zealand194.7 13 Japan168.313 Sweden192.2 14 Netherlands166.814 U.S.192.1 15 Turkmenistan157.115 Estonia189.8 16 UK156.916 Qatar189.4 17 Cyprus154.917 Japan188.8 18 UAE153.718 Spain187.2 19 Ireland148.919 Slovenia182.4 20 Qatar144.920 Croatia181.7 21 Estonia144.621 Lithuania178.8 22 France139.322 UK177.2 23 Belgium13623 Czech Republic176.3 24 Spain134.924 UAE174.2 25 Slovenia134.525 Saudi Arabia173.7 26 Portugal129.226 Belgium173.7 27 Czech Republic127.527 Canada170.5 28 Puerto Rico125.728 Ireland169.6 29 Kuwait123.429 France169.5 30 Israel120.430 Israel169.5 Europe Boasts High Quality of Life European countries topped the ranking in both 2015 and 2025, perhaps a reflection of the region’s strong social welfare systems, safety, and infrastructure. The Netherlands stands out, climbing 12 places since 2015. Not all European countries have maintained their ranking, though, with Sweden falling 10 places (3rd to 13th). Sweden, once regarded as one of Europe’s safest countries, has seen an alarming rise in organized-crime networks. It’s estimated that 62,000 individuals are connected to these networks, primarily dealing in drugs, human smuggling, and money laundering. Canada’s Declining Living Standards Canada has fallen the most spots over the time period, from 9th to 27th. Housing affordability is one of the most pressing issues in the country, as real house prices rise much faster than incomes. According to a 2024 survey by Statistics Canada, 45% of Canadians are “very concerned” about their ability to afford housing. Another challenge is healthcare, where the median wait time between a referral from a doctor (general practitioner) and the receipt of treatment is 30 weeks. According to the Fraser Institute, this is 222% longer than the 9.3 week timeline observed in 1993. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Global Happiness by Country in 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Visualized: The Most Common Master’s Degrees in 43 Countries See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Business & law are the most common master’s fields across 43 OECD countries. Certain countries diverge from the pattern, such as Japan, where engineering is the top field (33%). According to new OECD data, the world’s graduate students are primarily focused on just a few key disciplines. In this graphic, we visualize the most common master’s degrees in 43 countries, revealing how business and law is the most common choice globally. A few countries buck the trend, including Japan, Sweden, Spain, and Brazil, where a larger share of graduate students specialize in fields like engineering and education. Data & Discussion The data for this visualization comes from OECD’s Education at a Glance 2025. It categorizes graduate students by field of study across OECD and partner countries. Each country’s figures represent the share of enrolled master’s students in each discipline. CountryField of education% of Students AustraliaBusiness & law37% AustraliaHealth19% AustraliaOther15% AustraliaEducation11% AustraliaEngineering9% AustraliaInformation technology9% AustriaBusiness & law32% AustriaOther21% AustriaEngineering14% AustriaHealth13% AustriaEducation10% AustriaSocial sciences10% BelgiumBusiness & law24% BelgiumHealth22% BelgiumOther16% BelgiumSocial sciences15% BelgiumEngineering13% BelgiumArts and humanities11% BrazilOther37% BrazilHealth16% BrazilEducation13% BrazilEngineering12% BrazilArts and humanities12% BrazilBusiness & law11% BulgariaBusiness & law26% BulgariaEducation21% BulgariaHealth17% BulgariaOther18% BulgariaEngineering10% BulgariaSocial sciences9% CanadaBusiness & law29% CanadaHealth21% CanadaOther20% CanadaEngineering12% CanadaSocial sciences11% CanadaEducation8% ChileBusiness & law34% ChileHealth26% ChileEducation16% ChileOther11% ChileSocial sciences9% ChileEngineering5% ColombiaBusiness & law53% ColombiaEducation17% ColombiaOther8% ColombiaSocial sciences7% ColombiaEngineering9% ColombiaHealth6% Costa RicaBusiness & law51% Costa RicaEducation24% Costa RicaHealth10% Costa RicaOther6% Costa RicaSocial sciences5% Costa RicaSciences & math3% CroatiaOther27% CroatiaBusiness & law25% CroatiaEngineering15% CroatiaHealth14% CroatiaEducation10% CroatiaArts and humanities9% CzechiaOther27% CzechiaBusiness & law19% CzechiaEducation17% CzechiaEngineering13% CzechiaHealth13% CzechiaSocial sciences11% DenmarkBusiness & law25% DenmarkOther24% DenmarkSocial sciences17% DenmarkEngineering14% DenmarkHealth10% DenmarkSciences & math10% EstoniaOther28% EstoniaBusiness & law24% EstoniaEducation14% EstoniaEngineering12% EstoniaHealth12% EstoniaInformation technology10% FinlandOther27% FinlandBusiness & law20% FinlandEngineering16% FinlandHealth15% FinlandArts and humanities12% FinlandSocial sciences11% FranceBusiness & law34% FranceHealth16% FranceOther20% FranceEngineering13% FranceSciences & math9% FranceEducation8% GermanyOther25% GermanyBusiness & law22% GermanyEngineering18% GermanyArts and humanities15% GermanySciences & math11% GermanyEducation9% GreeceOther26% GreeceBusiness & law24% GreeceSocial sciences19% GreeceHealth14% GreeceSciences & math9% GreeceEngineering8% HungaryBusiness & law28% HungaryOther20% HungaryHealth13% HungarySocial sciences13% HungaryEducation14% HungaryEngineering11% IcelandBusiness & law30% IcelandEducation25% IcelandHealth15% IcelandOther14% IcelandSocial sciences9% IcelandSciences & math7% IrelandBusiness & law30% IrelandHealth17% IrelandOther20% IrelandEducation14% IrelandInformation technology12% IrelandSocial sciences8% IsraelBusiness & law30% IsraelEducation21% IsraelHealth15% IsraelOther13% IsraelSocial sciences12% IsraelArts and humanities9% ItalyBusiness & law20% ItalyOther19% ItalyHealth17% ItalyEngineering15% ItalySocial sciences15% ItalyArts and humanities15% JapanEngineering33% JapanHealth27% JapanOther13% JapanBusiness & law10% JapanSciences & math9% JapanArts and humanities8% KoreaOther23% KoreaBusiness & law21% KoreaEducation16% KoreaEngineering15% KoreaHealth11% KoreaArts and humanities13% LatviaBusiness & law29% LatviaHealth29% LatviaOther16% LatviaEngineering10% LatviaSocial sciences9% LatviaArts and humanities7% LithuaniaBusiness & law29% LithuaniaHealth28% LithuaniaOther14% LithuaniaEngineering12% LithuaniaSocial sciences11% LithuaniaArts and humanities7% LuxembourgBusiness & law62% LuxembourgOther12% LuxembourgEducation7% LuxembourgSciences & math7% LuxembourgEngineering6% LuxembourgSocial sciences6% MexicoBusiness & law41% MexicoEducation25% MexicoHealth13% MexicoOther10% MexicoSocial sciences7% MexicoEngineering4% NetherlandsBusiness & law30% NetherlandsOther22% NetherlandsSocial sciences19% NetherlandsEngineering10% NetherlandsSciences & math9% NetherlandsHealth9% New ZealandBusiness & law27% New ZealandOther25% New ZealandSocial sciences13% New ZealandHealth12% New ZealandEngineering12% New ZealandEducation11% NorwayOther22% NorwayBusiness & law18% NorwayEducation18% NorwaySocial sciences17% NorwayHealth12% NorwayEngineering12% PolandBusiness & law26% PolandHealth19% PolandOther22% PolandEngineering12% PolandSocial sciences12% PolandEducation10% PortugalBusiness & law22% PortugalEngineering22% PortugalOther20% PortugalHealth17% PortugalSocial sciences11% PortugalEducation8% RomaniaOther26% RomaniaBusiness & law23% RomaniaHealth20% RomaniaEngineering16% RomaniaSocial sciences8% RomaniaArts and humanities8% Slovak RepublicOther23% Slovak RepublicBusiness & law22% Slovak RepublicHealth19% ? Slovak RepublicEducation14% ? Slovak RepublicEngineering12% ? Slovak RepublicSocial sciences10% SloveniaBusiness & law24% SloveniaEngineering18% SloveniaHealth15% SloveniaEducation16% SloveniaSocial sciences9% SloveniaOther19% SpainEducation27% SpainHealth21% SpainOther17% SpainBusiness & law18% SpainSocial sciences9% SpainEngineering9% SwedenEngineering23% SwedenHealth20% SwedenEducation17% SwedenBusiness & law15% SwedenSocial sciences11% SwedenOther15% SwitzerlandBusiness & law28% SwitzerlandOther24% SwitzerlandEngineering13% SwitzerlandHealth11% SwitzerlandSocial sciences11% SwitzerlandEducation14% TürkiyeBusiness & law31% TürkiyeOther22% TürkiyeEducation13% TürkiyeEngineering13% TürkiyeSocial sciences11% TürkiyeArts and humanities11% U.S.Business & law26% U.S.Health26% U.S.Other19% U.S.Education14% U.S.Information technology8% U.S.Social sciences8% UKBusiness & law35% UKHealth13% UKOther21% UKSocial sciences12% UKEducation10% UKEngineering9% Business & Law Are the Most Common Master’s Fields From Australia to Colombia, business and law attracts the largest share of graduate students around the world. These programs are often linked to high employability and upper-level management roles, particularly in service-oriented economies. This trend also spans across developed (e.g. Luxembourg) and developing (e.g. Mexico) economies, highlighting the universal career-advancing potential of an MBA. Nations Bucking the Trend We can identify several countries where business and law is not the clear favorite. In Spain and Norway, for instance, education-related master’s programs are equally or more popular. Health fields also represent a major share in countries like the U.S. and Japan, possibly driven by their aging populations and growing healthcare demand. And lastly, Japan and Sweden stand out as the only countries in this sample where engineering fields are the most popular choice for graduate students. These differences could boil down to cultural factors, institutional incentives, or simply greater employment opportunities. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Median Annual Salary by Education Level on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization The World’s Highest Incarceration Rates (Including U.S. States) See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways El Salvador has the highest incarcertion rate globally, fueled by anti-crime crackdowns with little due process. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas follow next in line with significantly higher rates than the U.S. average. If U.S. states each represented a country, they would make up nine of the top 10 highest incarceration rates worldwide. Not only that, each of these states—spanning from Louisiana to Washington, D.C.—have a higher incarceration rate than Cuba. For decades, Cuba has been known for its political repression and arbitrary detentions for citizens criticizing the political regime. This graphic shows the countries with the highest incarceration rates compared with U.S. states, based on data from the Prison Policy Initiative. Ranked: The Top 30 Highest Incarceration Rates Below, we show the number of prisoners per 100,000 people. Country data is as of 2024, while state data uses 2021 ratios applied to the 2024 U.S. prison population. Country/ StateIncarceration Rate (per 100,000) El Salvador1,086 Louisiana1,067 Mississippi1,020 Arkansas912 Oklahoma905 Alabama898 Kentucky889 Georgia881 Tennessee817 D.C.816 South Dakota812 Cuba794 Wyoming785 Montana758 Texas751 Alaska744 Indiana721 Idaho720 Missouri713 Arizona710 Florida705 Virginia679 West Virginia674 Kansas648 New Mexico647 Rwanda637 Ohio621 Wisconsin615 U.S.614 Nevada610 South Carolina606 Under President Bukele’s mass incarceration, tens of thousands of El Salvadorans have been imprisoned. Many faced sentences with minimal evidence or fair trial, as the country’s authoritarian leader aims to crack down on crime. Since 2022, 8% of the young male population in El Salvador have faced jail time. Louisiana follows closely after El Salvador, with incarceration rates of 1,067 per 100,000 people. Several other states in the South also feature among the highest rates globally. Texas, ranked #15, has the nation’s largest prison population, with approximately 219,000 inmates. Overall, America’s incarceration rate has grown more than sixfold since 1972—reaching 614 prisoners per 100,000 people. It stands only after El Salvador, Cuba, and Rwanda, all low-income, developing countries. By contrast, Finland has incarceration rates of 51 per 100,000 people while the rate in its northern neighbor, Canada, is 88. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on costs per prisoner by U.S. state.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Mapped: Which States Have the Strongest Halloween Spirit? This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. West Virginia ranks #1 for Halloween spirit, scoring 666 out of 1000. States in the Appalachian and Midwest regions dominate the top 10. Hawaii and Alaska showed the least interest in Halloween-related searches. Using search data from Google Trends, the team at Attraction Tickets analyzed Halloween-related interest across the United States to determine which states embody the most Halloween spirit. The analysis covered 10 popular search terms like “Halloween costumes,” “haunted house,” and “Halloween Horror Nights,” assigning each state a score out of 100 for each term. These were then combined to give a total “Halloween spirit” score out of 1,000. Below is a look at how each U.S. state ranked: RankStateTotal Score (out of 1000) 1West Virginia666 2Kentucky642 3Ohio640 4Utah592 5Louisiana577 6Alabama551 7Michigan551 8Pennsylvania538 9Tennessee532 10Indiana528 11Nevada525 12Missouri521 13Florida517 14Illinois502 15South Carolina500 16Mississippi485 17Arizona479 18New Jersey470 19California463 20Arkansas459 21Texas456 22Kansas455 23Nebraska447 24Wisconsin442 25Iowa430 26Oklahoma430 27North Carolina416 28New York411 29New Mexico408 30Virginia403 31Georgia399 32Colorado388 33Maine388 34Massachusetts384 35Oregon384 36New Hampshire363 37Maryland360 38Rhode Island341 39Connecticut340 40Minnesota340 41Delaware325 42Washington325 43Idaho298 44South Dakota284 45Wyoming261 46Montana252 47North Dakota249 48Vermont226 49Alaska211 50Hawaii200 Unsurprisingly, the state with the most Halloween spirit, scoring a devilish 666, is West Virginia. At the opposite end, Hawaii takes the bottom spot with a score of just 200. Which States Love Halloween the Most? West Virginia residents show a clear passion for Halloween, possibly driven by regional traditions and love for all things spooky. Following closely are Kentucky (642), Ohio (640), and Utah (592), all of which scored above 590. The regional breakdown is telling. Many top-ranking states like Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are clustered in the Midwest and Appalachian regions, suggesting that cooler weather, fall foliage, and small-town celebrations may all play a role in boosting Halloween enthusiasm. States with the Least Halloween Spirit On the lower end of the list are Hawaii (200), Alaska (211), and North Dakota (249). These states may not see the same level of Halloween engagement due to geographic isolation, warmer climates, or lower population densities. States like Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota also had scores below 300, reflecting minimal online interest in traditional Halloween activities. Learn More on the Voronoi App Check out related insights like America’s Happiest States in 2025 and explore even more cultural and lifestyle data.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Map: Where People Celebrate Halloween Around the World? This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Halloween is very popular in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and the U.K.—but also celebrated in dozens of other countries globally. In countries like Mexico and Peru, Halloween is often celebrated alongside traditional festivals like Día de los Muertos. Places like Saudi Arabia and Brazil are seeing rising interest in Halloween, with festivities only recently emerging. Spooky season may feel synonymous with pumpkin patches and trick-or-treating in North America, but Halloween’s reach extends much further. The holiday—rooted in ancient Celtic traditions and later popularized in the U.S.—has spread across continents, morphing and mingling with local customs. Using analysis from World Population Review, Julie Peasley mapped where Halloween is celebrated globally and how its popularity varies from country to country. Here’s a look at the full list of countries and how they participate in Halloween: CountryLevel of Popularity United StatesVery popular United KingdomVery popular CanadaVery popular Isle of ManVery popular MexicoShared ColombiaShared PeruShared GuatemalaShared EcuadorShared El SalvadorShared IrelandShared ChinaSecondary BrazilSecondary PhilippinesSecondary GermanySecondary SpainSecondary NetherlandsSecondary NicaraguaSecondary IndiaGrowing JapanGrowing FranceGrowing ItalyGrowing South KoreaGrowing PolandGrowing MalaysiaGrowing Saudi ArabiaGrowing AustraliaGrowing TaiwanGrowing RomaniaGrowing BelgiumGrowing Dominican RepublicGrowing United Arab EmiratesGrowing SwedenGrowing CzechiaGrowing GreeceGrowing SwitzerlandGrowing Hong KongGrowing SerbiaGrowing SingaporeGrowing New ZealandGrowing While countries like the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. top the list for full-blown Halloween fervor, other nations show a more nuanced relationship with the holiday. Ireland, the birthplace of Samhain, an ancient pagan festival that heavily influenced Halloween, is also in the “very popular” category. Where Halloween Blends With Tradition In much of Latin America, Halloween is celebrated, but often takes a back seat to long-established cultural holidays. For example, in Mexico, Peru, and Colombia, Halloween festivities intertwine with Día de los Muertos, a holiday that honors deceased loved ones with vibrant altars, marigolds, and sugar skulls. As NPR notes, in these countries, Halloween is sometimes embraced by younger generations but still exists in the shadow of these deep-rooted traditions. Likewise, in countries like Italy, Germany, and France, Halloween is present, particularly among children and retailers, but remains secondary to All Saints’ Day or other local observances. The Rise of Halloween in Unlikely Places One of the most intriguing stories is Halloween’s emergence in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia, where public celebrations were once banned, Halloween made its official public debut in 2021 in Riyadh as part of Vision 2030 reforms. Costumes, events, and revelry are growing, particularly among younger urban populations. Similarly, in Brazil, Halloween is not a traditional holiday but is gaining traction due to globalization and pop culture. Schools, expat communities, and social media play a big role in spreading the celebration. In Asia, countries like the Philippines and Japan have embraced Halloween, albeit with their own flair—think cosplay-heavy parades and horror-themed attractions. Meanwhile, China and India see sporadic celebrations in urban centers, mostly among expats or youth influenced by Western media. Halloween is Going Global Although Halloween may never become a global public holiday, its cultural footprint continues to grow. As retailers and entertainment industries worldwide tap into its visual and commercial appeal, don’t be surprised to see more pumpkins, costumes, and candy in new corners of the globe each year. Want to learn more about how holidays rank across the U.S.? Check out our related graphic: Ranked: America’s Favorite Holidays. Learn More on the Voronoi App Explore even more Halloween insights in our latest post: KPop Demon Hunters costumes will be everywhere this Halloween.

About 18 months ago, we launched Voronoi, our free new data discovery app. Believe it or not, there are already more data-driven visuals on Voronoi than on Visual Capitalist (which has been around for 13 years!). Every day there’s something new on Voronoi to see. And in aggregate, there are roughly 6,500 data stories to explore on the platform from 175+ world-class creators. Explore Voronoi Let’s see what captured the attention of users in October. Below are the month’s standout visuals on Voronoi — including the most discussed, most viewed, most liked, and our editor’s pick. MOST DISCUSSED Countries With the Most Airports in 2025 This month’s most discussed visualization came from Visual Capitalist, highlighting which countries have the greatest number of airports around the world. The U.S. leads by a staggering margin—with more than three times as many airports as second-place Brazil. Large, geographically dispersed countries like Australia and Canada also rank high due to their dependence on air connectivity. What surprised many users most, however, was China’s relatively low number of airports, a reflection of its extensive high-speed rail network reducing domestic flight demand. Even Antarctica makes the list, with 35 small or seasonal airstrips serving research and logistics bases—though none operate commercial routes. Join the discussion on Voronoi today. MOST VIEWED The GPU Pipeline Visualized One of the month’s most technically rich and widely viewed visuals came from MadeVisual, revealing the complex web of relationships behind the world’s GPU supply chain. This detailed map follows how compute power flows from fabrication (TSMC) to chip design (Nvidia) to deployment via cloud giants like Microsoft and Oracle, and ultimately, to AI labs like OpenAI. It’s a story of power and scarcity: whoever controls GPU access controls the pace of progress. Multi-billion dollar contracts and exclusivity deals now define who can scale models, and who must wait in line. Explore the full visualization on Voronoi today. MOST LIKED Causes of Death: Official Statistics vs. Media Share This thought-provoking piece by Iryna Suprun resonated deeply with users, illustrating how public perception of danger diverges sharply from reality. While chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer cause the overwhelming majority of deaths, they receive relatively little media coverage. Meanwhile, rare but dramatic events, such as homicides or terrorist attacks, dominate headlines and public consciousness. The visualization explores how this mismatch is sustained by media incentives: stories that are personal, visual, and emotionally charged attract more clicks and engagement, creating a cycle where rare tragedies overshadow persistent health crises. See the full breakdown on Voronoi today. EDITOR’S PICK S&P 500 Market Cap Reaches Record $61.1 Trillion in Oct. 2025 For our Editor’s Pick, Ehsan Soltani charted the S&P 500’s latest milestone: a record total market capitalization of $61.1 trillion as of October 27, 2025. The index has climbed 16.9% year-to-date, buoyed by strong earnings, optimism over easing U.S.–China trade tensions, and expectations of a coming Federal Reserve rate cut. Tech stocks once again led this month—with Qualcomm up 11%, Tesla up 4.3%, and Nvidia up 2.8%. It’s a striking snapshot of market confidence and how concentrated growth in tech continues to push U.S. equities to historic highs. Explore the visualization on Voronoi today.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Mapped: America’s National Guard Personnel by State This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Texas has the largest National Guard presence with 22,367 personnel (as of June 30, 2025). Every U.S. state and territory hosts at least some National Guard members, reflecting its decentralized structure. The National Guard can be activated by both state governors and the federal government, raising its profile amid recent political debates. America’s National Guard plays a unique dual role in the country’s defense infrastructure. While it operates under the U.S. military umbrella, it is also deeply tied to state-level emergency response. Comprised of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, the force can be activated by either a state governor or the president, depending on the situation. This dual control makes it one of the most versatile components of the U.S. military. Mapped below is the distribution of National Guard personnel by state, using data from the Department of Defense and visualized by USAFacts. Here’s a look at the full dataset: StateArmy National GuardAir National GuardTotal National Guard Alabama10330238812718 Alaska151920743593 Arizona506425067570 Arkansas668519818666 California12689465717346 Colorado361917005319 Connecticut364511184763 Delaware145110542505 District of Columbia111410712185 Florida8702205810760 Georgia11349279614145 Guam75409484 Hawaii300923365345 Idaho300512444249 Illinois9790270412494 Indiana9807198411791 Iowa697318818854 Kansas463320616694 Kentucky641611237539 Louisiana9501144410945 Maine158710982685 Maryland416518015966 Massachusetts579420937887 Michigan743723669803 Minnesota10455232612781 Mississippi7970254110511 Missouri8634207710711 Montana232910193348 Nebraska311811034221 Nevada327411384412 New Hampshire156710882655 New Jersey631723538670 New Mexico23158853200 New York11599580517404 North Carolina8952144810400 North Dakota289412174111 Ohio9450488414334 Oklahoma676021678927 Oregon460320456648 Pennsylvania13104383116935 Puerto Rico210921094 Rhode Island209810473145 South Carolina9402135910761 South Dakota299810984096 Tennessee9360329012650 Texas19272309522367 Utah600314677470 Vermont168510182703 U.S. Virgin Islands77784 Virginia711814548572 Washington556319787541 West Virginia382120135834 Wisconsin628622448530 Wyoming151112222733 Unsurprisingly, Texas tops the list with over 22,000 personnel, followed by New York and California. Meanwhile, smaller states and territories like the Virgin Islands (84) and Guam (484) maintain minimal forces but are still represented. Why Are National Guard Troops Spread Across the Country? Unlike other military branches, the National Guard is designed for both local and national duties. Whether responding to hurricanes, wildfires, or civil unrest, Guard units must be available on short notice. That’s why every state maintains its own Guard force, proportional to population, geography, and risk profile. The decentralized distribution also reflects the Guard’s constitutional role as a state militia, which dates back to the founding of the country. For example, in times of crisis, governors can deploy Guard units independently of federal command, offering a rapid and localized response mechanism. Recent Political Context and National Guard Use The National Guard’s role has moved into the political spotlight in recent years, largely due to increased domestic deployments and rising tensions over federal authority. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the administration has deployed Guard troops in response to protests and civil unrest, and at times floated using them to quell urban violence or manage immigration enforcement. This stirred significant controversy, especially when governors objected to federal attempts to override their authority using statutes like the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that allows the president to deploy U.S. military forces domestically without state consent. Although rarely invoked in modern times, Trump has shown enthusiasm for invoking the Insurrection Act, framing it as a tool for maintaining law and order. This has reignited debate about the Guard’s intended role versus its potential use as a political instrument. With midterm elections on the horizon in 2026, these tensions could again surface, particularly in battleground states where federal and state priorities may diverge. The visibility of the Guard, once mostly associated with natural disasters and community support, is now part of broader conversations around civil liberties and the appropriate scope of presidential power. Learn More on the Voronoi App Explore more military maps like Just 10 States Host 70% of All Active Duty U.S. Troops on the Voronoi app.

See more visuals like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: The World’s Population by Generation This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Almost half of humanity (47%) is Gen Z or Gen Alpha. Millennials and Gen X make up most of the global working-age population, while Boomers and older represent just 15%. With Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha making up nearly 70% of the population, the global workforce, economy, and social dynamics will see rapid transformation in the coming years. As of December 2024, the global population has reached 8.2 billion. For the first time in history, nearly half of humanity belongs to Generation Z and Generation Alpha—the digital-native generations. This visualization ranks the world’s population by generation, showing how age cohorts are distributed across the planet. The data for this graphic comes from We Are Social, IntelPoint, and the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024. Generation Beta (born 2025–2039), representing less than 1% of the population, is not shown in the graphic because of limited data. Gen Alpha Becomes the Largest Generation Generation Alpha, born between 2013 and 2025, now includes roughly 2.0 billion people, or 24.4% of the world’s population. Many of them are still in primary school, but they already outnumber every other generation. Their demographic weight will increasingly shape consumer markets, education systems, and technology trends in the coming decades. The countries driving this growth are concentrated in Africa and South Asia, where birth rates remain high. GenerationBirth Years (Approx.)Current Age (2025)Population (Billion)% of Total Population Generation Alpha2013 – 20250 – 122.0B24.4 % Generation Z1997 – 201213 – 281.9B22.9 % Millennials (Gen Y)1981 – 199629 – 441.7B21.2 % Generation X1965 – 198045 – 601.4B16.7 % Baby Boomers1946 – 196461 – 791.1B12.8 % Silent Generation + Older≤ 194580 +167M2.0 % Total--8.2B100 % Gen Z and Millennials Dominate the Workforce Gen Z (ages 13–28) and Millennials (ages 29–44) together account for 44% of all people—and most of the world’s workers. Millennials alone make up 1.7 billion people. The Aging Populations of Boomers and the Silent Generation At the upper end of the age spectrum, Baby Boomers (ages 61–79) represent about 12.8% of the population, while those 80 or older—the Silent Generation and older cohorts—make up just 2%. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing America’s Wealth Distribution by Generation on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: The Top 30 Largest Importers in the World See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways America, China, and Germany were the world’s largest importers of goods in 2024. Vietnam’s imports surged 17% over the year, driven by growing investment and the diversification of supply chains. More than 13% of the world’s imported goods are purchased by America, equaling $3.4 trillion in 2024. From industrial inputs like copper and machinery to consumer goods, America’s appetite for imports reflected strong domestic demand and business activity. Meanwhile, China imported $2.6 trillion in goods, ranking second globally. This graphic shows the largest importers of goods in the world, based on data from the World Trade Organization. The Largest Importers in the World in 2024 Below, we show the top 30 importers, collectively importing $20.4 trillion in goods last year: RankCountryValue of Imported Goods 2024(Billion US$)Share (%)Annual PercentageChange % 1 U.S.$3,35913.66 2 China$2,58510.41 3 Germany$1,4225.7-3 4 United Kingdom$8163.33 5 Netherlands$8143.3-3 6 France$7503-5 7 Japan$7433-5 8 India$7182.97 9 Hong Kong SAR$7042.88 10 Mexico$6442.64 11 South Korea$6322.5-2 12 Italy$6152.5-4 13 Canada$5742.31 14 UAE$5442.216 15 Belgium$5142.1-7 16 Spain$4721.90 17 Singapore$4591.98 18 Taiwan$4011.612 19 Viet Nam$3811.517 20 Poland$3791.52 21 Switzerland$3691.51 22 Türkiye$3441.4-5 23 Thailand$3071.26 24 Malaysia$3001.213 25 Russia$3001.2-1 26 Australia$2961.23 27 Brazil$2781.110 28 Indonesia$2340.95 29 Czech Republic$2330.90 30 Saudi Arabia$2330.912 As we can see, the U.S. comfortably stands as the world’s largest importer, covering 13.6% of the global share. Among the largest importing industries are pharmaceuticals and automotives. Together, Mexico and Canada supplied 28.1% of U.S. imports, while the European Union and China followed with 18.5% and 13.4%, respectively. India ranked as the eighth-largest importer, at $718 billion, with imports rising 7% annually supported by its robust economic growth. Overall, its top three import partners were China, Russia, and the UAE—with imports from the UAE jumping 34% in 2024. Meanwhile, Vietnam recorded the fastest import growth across the pack, up an impressive 17% year-over-year. The UAE followed closely with a 16% increase, driven by strong demand for gold and automobiles as foreign trade hit record highs in 2024. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s largest exporters in 2024.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: Unmined Gold Reserves by Country (2025) See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Russia and Australia each hold an estimated 12,000 tonnes of unmined gold reserves—together representing almost 40% of global totals. Just 10 countries account for more than 85% of the world’s untapped gold deposits, valued at over $7 trillion. With gold trading above $4,000 per troy ounce, the largest unmined reserves indicate which countries could drive the next phase of global production. This visualization ranks nations by their estimated economically recoverable gold deposits, offering a snapshot of where future mining investment might concentrate. The data for this graphic comes from the U.S. Geological Survey (January 2025). It estimates total unmined gold reserves, expressed in metric tons and valued using a gold price of $4,362 per troy ounce. Russia and Australia Dominate Global Gold Reserves Russia and Australia are tied as the world’s top holders of unmined gold, each with around 12,000 tonnes. Together, they account for reserves valued at $1.7 trillion each. Russia’s largest unmined gold reserves are primarily located in Siberia and the Far East, including major deposits in the Krasnoyarsk and Magadan regions, as well as the Amur and Chukotka districts. In Australia, most untapped gold lies within Western Australia’s resource-rich belts, particularly the Yilgarn Craton, which hosts many of the country’s biggest existing and undeveloped deposits. RankCountryUnmined Gold (t)Value (US$ B) 1 Russia12 0001 687 2 Australia12 0001 687 3 South Africa5 000701 4 Indonesia3 800505 5 Canada3 200449 6 China3 100435 7 United States3 000421 8 Peru2 500351 9 Brazil2 400337 10 Kazakhstan2 300323 11 Uzbekistan1 800252 12 Mexico1 400196 13 Ghana1 000140 14 Mali800112 15 Colombia70098 16 Tanzania40056 Emerging Markets Show Strong Potential Countries like Indonesia, Peru, and Brazil stand out among emerging economies. Indonesia’s 3,800 tonnes place it fourth globally, while Peru and Brazil each hold between 2,400 and 2,500 tonnes. These regions could see significant investment as global demand shifts toward diversified supply chains and lower-cost extraction opportunities. The United States and China, both major producers, still hold substantial unmined reserves, around 3,000 tonnes each. Yet much of the world’s new exploration is taking place in Africa, in countries such as Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania. Within the continent, South Africa leads our ranking with 5,000 metric tons of reserves. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing Gold Production by Country on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Published 22 minutes ago on October 30, 2025 By Ryan Bellefontaine Graphics & Design Abha Patil Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email The following content is sponsored by Shale Crescent USA The Future of U.S. Natural Gas Production, by Region Key Takeaways The East will be the largest U.S. gas-producing region starting in 2039. The Shale Crescent USA (OH, WV, PA) supplies ~99% of the East’s gas, and from 2000 to 2025, its output jumped nearly 1,200%, demonstrating a paradigm shift in American energy production. Low-cost, abundant, and predictable gas supplies can greatly improve manufacturers’ profit margins and operational stability. U.S. gas production has reshaped the country’s energy map. The most striking shift is where the growth has occurred and is projected to occur. It is in the states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This graphic, in partnership with Shale Crescent USA, shows how regional U.S. natural gas output evolves from 2000 to 2050, highlighting the East’s rise, using data from the EIA. East Leads Natural Gas—and Stays on Top According to the EIA, the East becomes and remains the largest-producing region starting in 2039. In fact, the Shale Crescent states—Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania—supply nearly all of the East’s gas (about 99%), and momentum continues. Here is a table that shows regional U.S. natural gas production (Bcf/d) from 2000 to 2050. YearGulf of AmericaOther U.S.Gulf Coast + SouthwestEast (Shale Crescent USA) 2000013.9362.7 200113.814.922.72.4 200212.415.221.82.5 200312.115.522.22.6 200410.91621.42.6 20058.616.421.92.6 2006819.722.62.7 20077.720.723.92.8 20086.322.326.12.7 20096.723.125.82.9 20106.222273.7 2011523.630.16.1 20124.424.230.39 20133.423.32912.4 20143.624.128.316.6 20153.724.427.620 20163.42325.722.2 20172.922.426.824.2 20182.723.530.928.6 20192.823.735.731.9 20202.121.63733 20212.120.738.734.2 2022220.943.234.3 20231.92046.635.1 20242.419.746.734.4 20252.519.948.233.9 20262.420.64834.7 20272.420.24835.5 20282.420.148.438.2 20292.619.84840.6 20302.719.448.441.9 20312.718.948.742.4 20322.619.250.345.9 20332.81949.546 2034319.148.345.9 2035319.14745.8 2036319.146.345.4 2037318.945.644.6 20382.918.744.944.6 20392.718.444.345.4 20402.518.344.246.8 20412.218.24448.5 20422.218.343.449.5 2043218.742.750.4 20441.81942.150.6 20451.819.241.450.8 20461.419.740.851.8 20471.32040.252.3 20481.120.34052.7 2049120.439.553.2 2050120.43953.8 The East first surpassed the Gulf of America in 2011, then topped the “Rest of the United States” in 2017. It is projected to overtake the combined “Gulf Coast + Southwest” in 2039 at 45 Bcf/d. From 2000 to 2025, East output jumped nearly 1,200%—from 2.7 to 33.9 Bcf/d, demonstrating a paradigm shift in American energy production. From 2025 to 2050, the East is expected to climb another 59% to 53.8 Bcf/d. By 2050, it will produce nearly as much as all other regions of the U.S. combined (53.8 vs. 60.4 Bcf/d). A Manufacturing Edge in the Shale Crescent As output concentrates in the East, midstream flows, storage, and basis prices adjust accordingly. For planners and investors, regional growth influences industrial siting. Therefore, understanding where supply originates and is projected to be is critical to the success and stability of energy-intensive projects. For manufacturers, the Shale Crescent USA pairs abundant, low-cost gas with dense customer demand and logistics. This means energy-intensive consumers have a world-class opportunity to source energy from under their feet, experience shorter supply chains, lower costs, and speed time-to-market. Additionally, proximity to pipelines, storage, and interstates helps compress working capital and improve reliability. In turn, this translates into durable cost advantages and more resilient operations. There is no other location on the planet that has both a world-class energy supply and consumer demand in the same location. Build Where Energy is Secure Related Topics: #oil #natural gas #Gas #ohio #West Virginia #Pennsylvania #Shale crescent #gulf of america Click for Comments var disqus_shortname = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com"; var disqus_title = "The Future of U.S. Natural Gas Production, by Region"; var disqus_url = "https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/sc01-the-future-of-us-natural-gas-production-by-region/"; var disqus_identifier = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com-183788"; More from Shale Crescent USA Energy1 week ago Ranked: The Lowest Cost Energy Sources Shale Crescent USA’s natural gas ranks as the lowest cost energy on a $/BOE basis—outpacing NYMEX, coal, oil, and imported LNG—and offers a manufacturing edge. Energy2 weeks ago Who is Growing? U.S. Natural Gas Leaders Which U.S. regions lead natural gas production growth? See why the Shale Crescent is now fueling millions more homes and factories. Energy3 weeks ago Visualized: Where is the Most Natural Gas Production? See how natural gas production stacks up globally and why the Shale Crescent ranks third—a strategic edge for U.S. manufacturing. Energy1 month ago Shale Crescent USA: A World-Class Manufacturing Region Shale Crescent USA brings energy, customers, and infrastructure together in one region, helping manufacturers reduce costs as reshoring accelerates. Subscribe Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Join 375,000+ email subscribers: *Sign Up

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: America’s Most Expensive Drugs This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Lenmeldy is America’s priciest drug in 2025 at $4.25 million per dose. One Lenmeldy treatment equals roughly 12,500 Ozempic doses ($342 each, before insurance) In 2025, the soaring cost of cutting-edge gene therapies has pushed individual drug prices to record highs. The latest ranking of America’s most expensive drugs highlights how a single treatment can rival the price of a luxury home. The data for this visualization comes from Fierce Pharma. It lists the 10 priciest U.S. drugs, all topping $2 million per course and most offering one-time, potentially curative benefits Gene Therapies Dominate the Leaderboard Lenmeldy, a treatment for the ultrarare disorder metachromatic leukodystrophy, costs $4.25 million per dose, eclipsing every other therapy launched to date. RankDrug NameCost Per DoseCompanyUsed For 1Lenmeldy$4,250,000Kyowa KirinA gene therapy used to treat kids with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare inherited metabolic disorder 2Kebilidi$3,950,000PTC Therapeutics A gene therapy used to treat children & adults with AADC deficiency, a rare disorder that prevents the body from making key brain chemicals 3Hemgenix$3,500,000CSL BehringA one-time gene therapy used to treat adults with hemophilia B to reduce bleeding episodes 4Elevidys$3,200,000Sarepta TherapeuticsA gene therapy used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in people 4 years and older 5Lyfgenia$3,100,000bluebird bioA one-time gene therapy used to treat sickle cell disease with a history of pain crises 6Skysona$3,000,000bluebird bio A gene therapy used to slow nerve damage in boys with early, active cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) 7Roctavian$2,900,000BioMarinA one-time gene therapy used to treat adults with severe hemophilia A who don’t have AAV5 antibodies 8Rethymic$2,810,000Sumitomo PharmaA tissue-based therapy used to help kids with congenital athymia build a working immune system 9Zynteglo$2,800,000bluebird bioA gene therapy used to treat people with transfusion dependent beta thalassemia 10Zolgensma$2,320,000NovartisA one-time gene therapy used to treat children under 2 with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Note: Bluebird Bio is now Genetix Biotherapeutics after acquisition by two private equity firms. Lenmeldy’s list price equals roughly 12,500 doses of popular diabetes drug Ozempic at its pre-insurance list price. While the number seems astronomical, payers weigh it against lifelong care costs that can exceed $10 million for untreated MLD patients. Similarly, third-ranked Hemgenix’s one-time $3.5 million cost compares with up to $20 million for decades of clotting-factor infusions. Even at multimillion-dollar stickers, pay-once gene therapies can offer health-economic value over chronic treatments. In fact, every drug on the top 10 list is a gene or cell-based therapy—scientific breakthroughs that replace or repair faulty genetic instructions. Because they aim to cure rare and deadly conditions in a single dose, their development and manufacturing pipelines are complex, bespoke, and expensive. Related: Check out where Ozempic ranks in America’s most common drugs by medicare spending. Bluebird Bio’s Three-Drug Footprint No company appears more often than Bluebird Bio, which places Lyfgenia, Skysona, and Zynteglo on the list. Each addresses a different inherited blood or metabolic disorder, yet all share core technology roots developed over a decade. Despite regulatory scrutiny and manufacturing setbacks, the company’s persistence has translated into multiple FDA approvals. The cluster illustrates how a single firm can dominate a high-value therapeutic niche. Bluebird Bio was acquired in June, 2025 by private equity firms Carlyle Group and SK Capital. Learn More on the Voronoi App For related coverage, check out Where Americans Pay the Most (and Least) for Health Insurance on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: Where U.S. Families are Most Strained by Debt See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Hawaii and Idaho have the highest debt-to-income (DTI) ratio of the states at 2.06. This means households carry about $2 in debt for every $1 in annual income. High ratio states (~1.7–2.1) are often places with expensive housing or fast population growth (bigger mortgages, newer borrowers). Americans are always worrying about debt: their own and their government’s. This visualization maps each state by their household debt-to-income ratios (DTI) in Q1, 2025, revealing which states carry the heaviest burdens and which ones keep borrowing in check. Data for this visualization comes from the Federal Reserve. The highest ratio is visualized per state. Debt includes mortgages, autos, credit cards, etc., and excludes student loans. Income is based on unemployment insurance-covered wages, as reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Which States Carry the Most Debt? Two states share the top spot: Idaho and Hawaii both post a DTI of 2.06, meaning households owe just over twice their annual after-tax income. RankStateState CodeDebt-to-Income Ratio (2025)Debt-to-Income Ratio (1999)1999–2025 Change 1IdahoID2.061.500.56 2HawaiiHI2.062.060.00 3ArizonaAZ1.841.400.44 4ColoradoCO1.841.400.44 5UtahUT1.841.400.44 6MarylandMD1.841.720.12 7South CarolinaSC1.721.320.40 8NevadaNV1.721.400.32 9OregonOR1.721.400.32 10FloridaFL1.721.600.12 11DelawareDE1.601.110.49 12MontanaMT1.601.320.28 13Rhode IslandRI1.601.320.28 14VirginiaVA1.601.400.20 15CaliforniaCA1.601.72-0.12 16WyomingWY1.501.110.39 17GeorgiaGA1.501.240.26 18MaineME1.501.240.26 19North CarolinaNC1.501.240.26 20New MexicoNM1.501.500.00 21WashingtonWA1.501.500.00 22MississippiMS1.401.110.29 23New HampshireNH1.401.240.16 24New JerseyNJ1.401.240.16 25TennesseeTN1.401.240.16 26AlaskaAK1.401.320.08 27AlabamaAL1.321.110.21 28LouisianaLA1.321.110.21 29OklahomaOK1.321.110.21 30VermontVT1.321.240.08 31ArkansasAR1.241.110.13 32IndianaIN1.241.110.13 33IowaIA1.241.110.13 34KentuckyKY1.241.110.13 35MassachusettsMA1.241.110.13 36MichiganMI1.241.110.13 37MinnesotaMN1.241.110.13 38MissouriMO1.241.110.13 39NebraskaNE1.241.110.13 40South DakotaSD1.241.110.13 41TexasTX1.241.110.13 42West VirginiaWV1.241.110.13 43WisconsinWI1.241.110.13 44ConnecticutCT1.111.110.00 45District of ColumbiaDC1.111.110.00 46IllinoisIL1.111.110.00 47KansasKS1.111.110.00 48New YorkNY1.111.110.00 49North DakotaND1.111.110.00 50OhioOH1.111.110.00 51PennsylvaniaPA1.111.110.00 In Hawaii’s case, elevated housing costs push mortgage balances sky-high. In Idaho, a surge of migrants since 2020 has driven up home prices and left many newcomers with large, fresh mortgages. Rounding out the top five are Arizona, Colorado, and Utah (all 1.84). Once again, fast-growing markets where rising prices and younger populations translate into higher leverage. Related: Hawaii has the fifth-lowest homeownership rate in the country. States With the Lowest Household Debt At the other end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Dakota come in at just 1.11. Many low-debt states share three traits. They have lower housing costs, older homeowner bases with significant equity, and slower population growth that tempers new borrowing. However, even high-income states like Connecticut and the District of Columbia can land in this cohort thanks to well-paid residents who keep balances in check. The gap underscores how regional housing dynamics, more than incomes alone, dictate household debt. Finally, due to how this ratio is calculated, younger households’ true burden may be understated (student loan exclusion). At the same time, the income measure is unemployment insurance-covered wages wages (not total personal income), which can overstate the ratio in high-capital-income areas (e.g., states with finance-heavy metros). Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing Government Debt-to-GDP Around the World on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization How Much Control China Has Over the World’s Critical Minerals See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways China is the biggest producer for the majority of the materials listed. Other key players include Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa, each dominating select strategic materials. China sits at the center of today’s global mineral supply chains. From electric vehicles to semiconductors, many of the technologies driving modern industry depend on critical minerals that are mined, refined, or controlled by China. This visualization highlights just how concentrated global mineral production has become.  The data for this graphic comes from White & Case LLP. It charts the top global producers for 27 key critical minerals, as of December 2024. China’s Commanding Share China dominates the production of at least 15 critical minerals or mineral groups listed, including gallium (98.7%), magnesium (95%), tungsten (82.7%), and rare earths (69.2%). These materials are vital for clean energy, defense, and electronics. In addition to being the leading producer, the country also controls much of the refining capacity for many of these minerals. For example, around 90% of rare earths are refined in China. This monopoly has become a major concern for other nations, with the Trump administration currently pushing for increased domestic production of these materials. MineralMajor ProducerGlobal Production (%) Gallium China98.7% Magnesium China95.0% Niobium Brazil90.9% Tungsten China82.7% Bismuth China81.3% Graphite China79.4% Silicon China76.3% Cobalt DR Congo75.9% Platinum South Africa70.6% Indium China70.4% Vanadium China70.0% Rare Earths China69.2% Fluorspar China68.4% Antimony China60.0% Aluminum China59.7% Nickel Indonesia59.5% Beryllium U.S.50.0% Arsenic Peru46.6% Tellurium China46.5% Chromium South Africa44.7% Tantalum DR Congo41.9% Palladium Russia39.5% Manganese South Africa37.0% Lithium Australia36.7% Zinc China33.3% Barite India31.7% Tin China23.0% Regional Specializations Beyond China While China’s dominance is unparalleled, a few other nations play essential roles. Brazil accounts for nearly 91% of global niobium production, a mineral critical for high-strength steel used in pipelines and jet engines. The Democratic Republic of Congo holds 75.9% of cobalt and 41.9% of tantalum production—both indispensable for batteries and microelectronics. South Africa is another heavyweight, supplying 70.6% of the world’s platinum and nearly half of all chromium. Western Efforts to Rebalance Supply Chains Australia, the United States, and other Western nations have sought to diversify production and reduce dependence on Chinese materials. Australia now leads global lithium output with 36.7%, helping anchor non-Chinese EV supply chains. Meanwhile, the U.S. remains the world’s largest beryllium producer, accounting for half of total global supply. Still, overall Chinese dependency remains high. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Why Rare Earths Are Critical to EV Motors on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Which Economies are Most Dependent on Remittances? This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. In Tonga and Tajikistan, nearly half of national GDP comes from citizens working abroad. Nepal’s foreign job migration boom could soon make it the world’s most remittance-dependent economy, surpassing Tonga. Remittances have slashed poverty rates in countries like Tajikistan, but also reveal economic fragility and limited domestic opportunity. Money sent home by citizens working abroad is a lifeline for millions of families and a critical economic pillar for several countries. According to the World Bank, remittances include personal transfers and compensation of employees. The chart above, created by Aneesh Anand, ranks countries by how much of their GDP comes from these international money flows. Here’s a look at the most remittance-reliant economies: RankCountryRemittances (% of GDP, 2023/24) 1 Tonga49.98 2 Tajikistan47.89 3 Lebanon33.35 4 Nepal33.06 5 Nicaragua26.64 6 Samoa26.43 7 Honduras25.70 8 El Salvador24.00 9 Bermuda23.72 10 Lesotho21.98 11 Comoros21.36 12 The Gambia21.09 Tonga stands out with remittances accounting for nearly half of its GDP. Tajikistan is close behind, with Lebanon and Nepal also seeing one-third of their GDP come from foreign income. Why Remittances Matter So Much For countries like Tajikistan, where poverty rates remain high and domestic job opportunities are scarce, remittances are more than just economic support, they’re a stabilizing force. In fact, over one million Tajiks work abroad, mainly in Russia, and the funds they send home pay for essentials such as food, healthcare, and education. These financial inflows have helped reduce poverty rates in the country by up to 16%. Globally, remittances are one of the most direct ways to transfer wealth from developed to developing nations. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) highlights 15 reasons why remittances are essential, including promoting financial inclusion and reducing reliance on aid. Nepal’s Surging Remittance Economy Nepal currently ranks fourth on the list with 33% of GDP tied to remittances, but that number is expected to climb. Recent government restrictions on social media and ongoing political instability have pushed more citizens to seek work abroad. A record 500,000 permits for foreign employment were issued in just one year. The remittance paradox in Nepal, economic modernization fueled by labor export, means the country may soon surpass Tonga in remittance dependency, raising questions about long-term economic sustainability and domestic employment. The Cost of Sending Money While remittances are vital, the cost of sending money remains a challenge. According to our earlier post on countries with the highest remittance costs, fees can be as high as 10%, diminishing the impact of these transfers. Reducing these costs is key to maximizing remittances’ benefits for the world’s most vulnerable economies. Learn More on the Voronoi App Check out the full breakdown in The Global Remittance Market to see how trends in money transfers are evolving worldwide.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Amazon Still Reigns: The Most-Visited E-Commerce Sites of 2025 This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Amazon’s network of domains captures roughly 43% of visits among the top 20 e-commerce sites globally. Just the top five platforms—Amazon, Temu, AliExpress, eBay, and Ozon—account for nearly 60% of total traffic. The global e-commerce landscape in 2025 remains heavily concentrated among a few key players. While dozens of platforms compete for consumer attention, Amazon continues to dominate by a wide margin, capturing over two-fifths of total visits among the world’s 20 largest retail sites. The visualization highlights how both U.S. and Chinese platforms anchor global digital shopping traffic, with combined shares around 65%. Despite the rise of emerging platforms like Temu, the e-commerce hierarchy remains relatively stable, showing Amazon’s enduring brand and infrastructure advantage. The data for this ranking comes from We Are Social, with average monthly global traffic between June and August 2025. Amazon Dominates Global Traffic The flagship amazon.com receives roughly 2.7 billion visits per month, representing a quarter of all top-20 traffic on its own. Including regional sites, Amazon’s ecosystem commands an unmatched global footprint, contributing to its $2.3 trillion market capitalization. WebsiteMonthly VisitsCountry amazon.com2,710,000,000 U.S. temu.com1,630,000,000 China aliexpress.com646,000,000 China ebay.com635,000,000 U.S. ozon.ru527,000,000 Russia amazon.co.jp525,000,000 Japan walmart.com506,000,000 U.S. amazon.in435,000,000 India rakuten.co.jp419,000,000 Japan amazon.de407,000,000 Germany etsy.com385,000,000 U.S. amazon.co.uk370,000,000 UK coupang.com290,000,000 South Korea mercadolivre.com.br260,000,000 Brazil target.com187,000,000 U.S. flipkart.com186,000,000 India amazon.com.br175,000,000 Brazil rakuten.com162,000,000 Japan shop.app154,000,000 U.S. ticketmaster.com108,000,000 U.S. Temu and AliExpress Reshape Cross-Border Retail Chinese platforms Temu (1.6 billion monthly visits) and AliExpress (646 million) rank second and third, reflecting China’s growing role in cross-border e-commerce. Temu’s aggressive discounting model continues to help expand its international presence. Together, these two Chinese sites account for nearly 2.3 billion visits monthly—about a quarter of Amazon.com’s reach. Regional Leaders Hold Strong Positions Other regional powerhouses round out the top five: eBay (U.S.) and Ozon (Russia). Japan’s Rakuten, Korea’s Coupang, and Brazil’s Mercado Livre show the strength of local champions outside the U.S.–China duopoly. Meanwhile, Shopify’s Shop.app and Ticketmaster highlight the growing influence of niche retail and event platforms. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025, According to Forbes on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.