See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Visualizing the Cost of the U.S. Government Shutdown 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 Roughly 1.4 million federal workers were impacted by the record U.S. government shutdown, with 730,000 working without pay and 670,000 furloughed. Total delayed federal government spending was estimated to be $54 billion. The record-long U.S. government shutdown resulted in billions in losses to the economy. Over a million federal workers went without pay for more than six weeks, limiting their spending capacity. Meanwhile, about $2 billion in food stamp spending was delayed over the six-week period, affecting 40 million people. This graphic shows the estimated cost of the U.S. government shutdown, based on analysis from the Congressional Budget Office. The Government Shutdown’s $54 Billion Freeze Below, we show the financial impact of delayed federal spending by category: CategorySix Week Shutdown Estimates Delayed Spending on Goods and Services$36B Delayed Compensation$16B Delayed Spending on SNAP$2B Total Delayed Spending$54B As we can see, delayed compensation was estimated to reach $16 billion over a six-week period. In total, 730,000 federal employees were working without pay, while 670,000 were furloughed. Many air traffic controllers looked for other work during the shutdown, an industry already facing a shortage of 3,903 fully certified workers prior to the shutdown. Delayed spending on goods and services totaled $36 billion, the largest category overall. For instance, the shutdown forced the Small Business Administration to halt $170 million in federal loan guarantees per day, impacting at least 8,300 small businesses. Given these disruptions, it is estimated that the shutdown will shave off $28 billion from real GDP in the fourth quarter of 2025. For the travel industry alone, spending fell by an estimated $5 billion. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on America’s federal workforce.

Published 4 hours ago on November 18, 2025 By Julia Wendling Graphics & Design Lebon Siu Athul Alexander Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email The following content is sponsored by Hinrich Foundation Ranked: Number of Trade Agreements Across 30 Economies Fueled by post-Brexit trade agreements, the UK leads its peers with 39 deals. How do other economies from this year’s Sustainable Trade Index stack up? This visualization, created in partnership with Hinrich Foundation, shows the number of trade agreements each country has in place, using data from the World Trade Organization. The analysis comes from the 2025 Sustainable Trade Index (STI), which the Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center. What Is a Trade Agreement? A trade agreement is a pact between countries that sets rules for cross-border trade. These deals lower barriers like tariffs and quotas, making trade more predictable and encouraging investment. Types include bilateral (two countries) and multilateral (three or more). They range from free trade agreements that reduce tariffs, to customs unions with shared external policies, and economic unions (like the European Union) with deeper integration. Countries with the Most Trade Agreements Of the 30 countries tracked by the STI, there is a huge range in terms of number of trade agreements.  The UK ranks first with 39 agreements. The country focused on building trade ties with non-EU nations after voting to leave the bloc in 2016. RankCountryRegional Trade Agreements (number) 1 UK39 2 Chile31 3 Singapore28 4 Mexico23 4 South Korea23 6 Peru21 7 China20 8 Australia19 8 India19 10 Japan18 11 Malaysia17 12 Indonesia16 12 Vietnam16 14 Canada15 14 New Zealand15 14 Thailand15 17 U.S.14 18 Brunei11 18 Philippines11 18 Russia11 21 Cambodia10 21 Laos10 21 Pakistan10 24 Ecuador9 24 Myanmar9 26 Hong Kong8 27 Papua New Guinea6 27 Sri Lanka6 29 Bangladesh5 30 Taiwan4 Chile ranks second with 31 agreements. Singapore follows in third place with 28 agreements. Both countries are small and depend heavily on imports. Canada ranks 14th with 15 agreements. The U.S. ranks 17th with 14 agreements. Both countries sit in the middle of the pack. Countries with the Least Trade Agreements Several countries in the STI show limited openness to trade. Taiwan ranks last with only 4 agreements. Bangladesh follows closely with 5 agreements. Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea each hold 6 agreements. Russia maintains 11 agreements despite heightened geopolitical tensions. It ranks 18th overall. Explore the Sustainable Trade Index This infographic was just a small subset of what the Sustainable Trade Index has to offer. To learn more, visit the Hinrich Foundation, where you can download additional resources including the entire report for free. Visit the Hinrich Foundation to download the entire report, for free. Related Topics: #wto #2025 #sustainable trade index #Hinrich Foundation #agreements #trade Click for Comments var disqus_shortname = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com"; var disqus_title = "Ranked: Number of Trade Agreements Across 30 Economies"; var disqus_url = "https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/hf07-trade-agreements/"; var disqus_identifier = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com-183736"; More from Hinrich Foundation Markets1 month ago Ranked: The World’s Most Sustainable Economies in 2025 Based on the Hinrich Foundation’s 2025 Sustainable Trade Index, which economies are the most and least sustainable? Economy2 months ago Ranked: Countries Losing the Most (and Least) from Trump’s Tariffs Trump’s tariffs affect all major U.S. trading partners, but what matters is how each country’s tariffs compare to its competitors. Economy3 months ago Charting How U.S. Tariffs Will Hit Key Products U.S. tariffs have climbed to an average rate of 18.6%—the highest since 1933. But what does this mean for everyday consumers? Economy5 months ago Breaking Down the $450 Billion of Trade Destruction from U.S. Tariffs The UN has crunched the numbers projecting the ripple effects of Trump’s May 12th tariffs. Which economies are bracing for the biggest hits? Economy7 months ago Ranked: America’s Services Trade Balances America’s goods trade deficits have dominated headlines, but a critical part of the equation is being ignored: services trade. AI8 months ago Visualized: All of the World’s Data More data will be created, captured, and replicated in the next three years than in the rest of human history. But by how much? 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Economy3 years ago Introducing the 2022 Sustainable Trade Index See which economies have the most sustainable trade policies in the Hinrich Foundation’s 2022 Sustainable Trade Index. Economy3 years ago Global Trade Series: Fragmentation in the Digital Economy In this infographic, we examine the current state of digital fragmentation and it’s implications on the world.  Economy3 years ago Global Trade Series: Asia’s Digital Economy Asia’s digital economy is expanding quicker than ever, but cooperation between governments is needed to reduce barriers. Economy3 years ago Global Trade Series: The Benefits of Free Trade Free trade is a powerful engine for economic growth, but rising protectionism stands in the way. See what the data says in this infographic. Subscribe Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Join 375,000+ email subscribers: *Sign Up

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: Which Countries Hold the Most Gold Reserves? 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 The U.S. and Europe hold over 60% of global gold reserves as of 2024. China added 331 tonnes between 2019 and 2024, lifting its total to 2,280 tonnes. India, Poland, and Turkey saw major increases from 2019 to 2024. Poland’s holdings jumped from 2019 to 2024, reaching 448 tonnes. Gold remains one of the world’s most enduring stores of value, and central banks continue to accumulate it at record levels. The buying also cause the metal to hit record high prices in 2025. This map highlights which countries hold the most gold in their official reserves. The data for this visualization comes from BullionVault, which tracks global central bank gold holdings. Figures represent official gold reserves in tonnes as of 2024. Collectively, the U.S. and Europe control more than 60% of all reported reserves. RankCountryGold reserves (tonnes) 1 United States8,133.5 2 Germany3,351.6 3 Italy2,451.9 4 France2,437.0 5 Russia2,333.1 6 China2,279.6 7 Switzerland1,039.9 8 India876.2 9 Japan846.0 10 Netherlands612.5 11 Turkey595.4 12 Poland448.2 13 Portugal382.7 14 Uzbekistan382.6 15 Saudi Arabia323.1 16 United Kingdom310.3 17 Lebanon286.8 18 Kazakhstan284.1 19 Spain281.6 20 Austria280.0 21 Thailand234.5 22 Belgium227.4 23 Singapore220.0 24 Algeria173.6 25 Iraq162.6 26 Libya146.7 27 Azerbaijan146.6 28 Philippines130.5 29 Brazil129.7 30 Egypt126.9 31 Sweden125.7 32 South Africa125.4 33 Mexico120.3 34 Greece114.6 35 Qatar110.8 36 Hungary110.0 37 South Korea104.4 38 Romania103.6 39 Kuwait79.0 40 Indonesia78.6 41 United Arab Emirates74.4 42 Jordan71.6 43 Australia70.9 44 Denmark66.5 45 Pakistan64.7 46 Argentina61.7 47 Belarus53.9 48 Venezuela52.0 49 Czech Republic51.2 50 Serbia48.1 51 Cambodia46.5 52 Finland43.8 53 Bulgaria40.9 54 Malaysia38.9 55 Kyrgyzstan38.1 56 Peru34.7 57 Slovakia31.7 58 Ghana30.5 59 Ukraine27.4 60 Ecuador26.3 61 Syria25.9 62 Bolivia22.5 63 Morocco22.1 64 Afghanistan21.9 65 Bangladesh14.3 66 Cyprus13.9 67 Mauritius12.4 68 Ireland12.0 69 Paraguay8.2 70 Mongolia7.3 71 Myanmar7.3 72 Georgia7.1 73 Guatemala6.9 74 Tunisia6.8 75 Latvia6.7 76 Guinea6.3 77 Lithuania5.8 78 Colombia4.7 79 Bahrain4.7 80 Mozambique3.9 81 Bosnia and Herzegovina3.5 82 Albania3.4 83 Slovenia3.2 84 Luxembourg2.2 85 Hong Kong2.1 86 Iceland2.0 87 Trinidad and Tobago1.9 88 Haiti1.8 89 El Salvador1.4 90 Papua New Guinea1.3 91 Suriname1.2 92 Honduras0.7 93 Dominican Republic0.6 94 Sri Lanka0.5 95 Estonia0.2 96 Chile0.2 97 Malta0.2 98 Solomon Islands0.2 99 Uruguay0.1 100 Bhutan0.1 101 Moldova0.1 The United States Dominates Global Gold Holdings The United States remains the world’s largest holder of gold by a wide margin, with 8,133.5 tonnes, a figure virtually unchanged for decades. Most of this gold is stored at Fort Knox and the New York Federal Reserve. At current prices, America’s reserves are worth over $1 trillion, serving as a strategic asset that underpins confidence in the U.S. dollar. Europe’s Long-Standing Reserves Remain Strong Europe’s major economies—Germany (3,352 tonnes), Italy (2,452 tonnes), and France (2,437 tonnes)—collectively hold nearly 8,200 tonnes, rivaling the U.S. total. These large holdings date back to the postwar Bretton Woods era, when gold underpinned the international monetary system. China’s gold reserves have surged from 1,948 tonnes in 2019 to 2,280 tonnes in 2024, as Beijing diversifies away from U.S. Treasury holdings and seeks to internationalize the yuan. India, now the world’s fifth-largest economy, holds 876 tonnes. Other emerging markets, including Turkey (595 tonnes) and Poland (448 tonnes), have sharply increased gold holdings to hedge against inflation, currency volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty. Beyond the Top 10: Smaller Nations Build Resilience Countries like Uzbekistan (383 tonnes) and Saudi Arabia (323 tonnes) also feature prominently, highlighting the growing appeal of gold among energy and resource-rich economies. In addition, developing nations such as Thailand, Singapore, and Kazakhstan are quietly increasing their reserves as a safeguard against global shocks. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Gold or Stocks? $10K After 25 Years on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visuals like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: U.S. States by GDP Per Capita Growth (2000-2024) 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 States like North Dakota and Texas have benefited from their surging energy sectors. Tech hubs like Washington (home to Microsoft) and California have also grown well above the average rate. The U.S. economy has grown significantly over the past two decades, but the pace of growth has not been even from state to state. In this graphic, we ranked each state by its real GDP per capita growth from 2000 to 2024, adjusted for inflation. Current GDP per capita figures (2024) were included for a second layer of context. Data & Discussion The data for this visualization was sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau. RegionReal GDP Per Capita Change (2000–2024)GDP Per Capita (2024 USD) North Dakota104%$100,504 Washington60%$107,564 California60%$102,662 Nebraska58%$94,364 Utah52%$85,475 Texas50%$88,517 Montana48%$68,975 South Dakota47%$83,052 Massachusetts46%$109,095 Oklahoma46%$64,388 Oregon46%$77,299 New York45%$116,883 Iowa44%$81,998 New Mexico40%$69,046 Kansas39%$77,601 Tennessee38%$77,645 Vermont38%$71,359 New Hampshire38%$84,694 Colorado37%$93,602 Maryland36%$87,180 Arizona35%$75,186 Arkansas34%$60,984 Florida34%$73,879 Maine33%$70,586 West Virginia33%$60,156 Pennsylvania33%$77,062 Virginia33%$86,451 Alabama31%$63,080 Indiana30%$75,028 Idaho30%$64,457 Minnesota29%$87,636 Wisconsin29%$76,044 Illinois28%$90,330 Ohio28%$77,684 District of Columbia27%$262,439 Mississippi27%$53,751 Hawaii27%$81,339 Kentucky27%$64,375 North Carolina26%$76,427 South Carolina26%$65,173 Wyoming26%$87,639 Alaska24%$96,695 Georgia23%$78,841 Rhode Island22%$72,265 Louisiana21%$71,594 Missouri21%$71,846 New Jersey19%$89,045 Michigan18%$69,274 Connecticut14%$97,096 Nevada12%$82,330 Delaware1%$105,495 U.S. Average37%$86,143 Energy States Post Strong Growth North Dakota leads the nation with a remarkable 104% increase in real GDP per capita since 2000. Its shale oil boom dramatically reshaped its economy, making it America’s third largest oil producer as of 2024. Texas (+50%) also benefited from strong energy production and related investment flows. Tech Hubs Continue to Outperform Washington and California each posted 60% growth, outpacing the national average of 37%. Washington now boasts one of the highest GDP-per-capita levels in the country at $107,564, supported by its deep technology ecosystem anchored by Microsoft, Amazon, and a broad base of high-productivity industries. California similarly benefits from Silicon Valley’s innovation engine, which drives strong per-worker economic output even after accounting for the the state’s massive population. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out America’s Fastest Growing States by Population on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Published 6 hours ago on November 17, 2025 By Jenna Ross Graphics & Design Zack Aboulazm Abha Patil Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email The following content is sponsored by MSCI When Float Rises, Stock Prices Often Follow Key Takeaways When companies increase their free float, stock-specific returns tend to rise the following month. When free float decreases, stock prices often fall. Stock prices are influenced by a wide range of factors, but one driver may be lesser-known: free float. This graphic, in partnership with MSCI, shows how changes in free float have historically impacted the next month’s returns. What is Free Float? Free float refers to the portion of a company’s shares that are publicly available for trading. It does not include restricted shares held by insiders, which are not typically traded on the open market. The Float Effect on Stock Prices MSCI’s analysis found that, historically, stock-specific returns tended to rise the month after an increase in free float. Stock-specific returns are net of market, industry, and style-factor influences. Conversely, stock prices often dropped after a decrease in float. Free Float ChangeAverage Stock-Specific Returns (%), Month After Free Float Change ≤ -5%-0.39 -1% to -5%+0.07 -1% to +1%-0.04 +1% to 5%+0.13 ≥ 5%+0.66 Source: MSCI. Data from Feb. 2023 to Sep. 2025. Stock-specific returns correspond to the next month of float-change disclosure and are based on the MSCI global equity risk model (EFMGEMLT). The scale of the float change mattered, with larger increases in float being associated with stronger next-month performance.  Why might stock prices go up when float increases? When there are more shares available for trading, it can make it easier to buy and sell the stock and attract more investors. On top of this, it may even boost the stock’s weight in major indexes during updates.  Investors may react early to these expected changes, driving up the price shortly after the float increase is announced.  On the other hand, when float decreases, the stock can become harder to trade and might lose ground in index weightings, leading some investors to pull back. Takeaways for Investors Free float is more than just a technical index adjustment. Asset owners and money managers can treat it as a risk and return variable, incorporating float changes into trading models and portfolio construction. Explore key insights on how free float can shape liquidity, risk, and returns. More from MSCI Investor Education2 months ago Two Markets, Two Stories: How Value Stocks Have Outperformed Internationally Value stocks outside the U.S. have outperformed their benchmark, making them a key consideration for international portfolios. 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From energy to tech, this graphic shows carbon emissions by sector in 2023. Investor Education2 years ago Which Climate Metrics Suit Your Investment Goals Best? When selecting climate metrics, it is important to consider your purpose, the applicability and acceptability of the climate strategy, and the availability of historical data. Healthcare2 years ago Innovation in Virology: Vaccines and Antivirals Vaccine development has grown six-fold since 1995. Learn how virology, the study of viruses, is driving innovation in the healthcare industry. Misc2 years ago Infographic: Investment Opportunities in Biotech Capture the investment opportunities in biotech with the MSCI Life Sciences Indexes, which target areas like virology and oncology. Technology2 years ago Industrial Automation: Who Leads the Robot Race? 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See more visuals like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Visualizing Future Solar Power Capacity by Country 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 With 671 GW of prospective solar capacity, China alone represents nearly 35% of the global pipeline, more than the next five countries combined. Countries like Mauritania, and Colombia have entered the top 15 recently. The top 15 countries account for over 80% of all planned solar capacity. The global solar energy landscape is rapidly transforming as countries race to expand clean energy capacity. This visualization breaks down total solar power by country, combining both operational and prospective (planned) projects. The data for this visualization comes from the Global Energy Monitor’s Solar Power Tracker. It compiles every known solar project around the world, measured in megawatts alternating current (MWac), a measure of how much usable electricity a solar farm delivers to the grid. China Leads by a Massive Margin Total global solar capacity, including all projects in construction and planned, is expected to reach almost 2.9 terawatts (TWac), with 80% concentrated in just 15 countries. CountryOperational (MWac)ProspectiveTotal Capacity China447,508670,9351,118,442 U.S.121,311116,636237,947 India72,30098,442170,742 Brazil20,165139,376159,541 Spain28,014103,062131,076 Australia11,626114,147125,772 Greece1,39764,51265,908 Mauritania13347,03247,165 Philippines3,18840,35943,547 Oman1,68839,50841,196 Colombia3,45131,95535,406 Germany26,2838,87935,161 Chile9,98224,83034,812 UK9,03125,07034,100 Mexico12,78720,94333,731 Japan31,0951,58732,682 Libya46028,03928,499 Morocco79426,21927,013 Saudi Arabia3,30521,36324,668 Egypt3,12517,32020,445 Vietnam12,9027,30520,207 Rest of World104,623280,093384,716 Global Total925,1661,927,6132,852,779 China dominates both operational and planned solar power, with a total capacity exceeding 1.1 million MWac. Its prospective projects alone account for about 35% of all global planned solar. Beyond installation capacity, China also produces over 80% of the world’s solar panel materials and components. The U.S. and India Follow The United States and India follow distantly, at 237,947 MWac and 170,742 MWac of total future capacity respectively. Both countries are seeing strong growth in utility-scale projects, driven by policy support like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and India’s National Solar Mission. Still, their combined future capacity equals less than half of China’s. Emerging Solar Frontiers in Africa and Latin America While traditional solar leaders remain in North America, Europe, and Asia, several emerging markets are gaining momentum. Mauritania, and Colombia, for example, now appear among the top 15, each with over 35,000 MWac in planned projects. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: The Average Cost of Electricity by U.S. State on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Visualizing the State of World Debt 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 World debt reached $111 trillion in 2025, equal to 94.7% of GDP. Japan, Sudan, and Singapore have the highest debt ratios globally, while the U.S. ranks in 11th with a 125% debt-to-GDP ratio. World debt is so high that 23 countries are borrowing more than their GDP, including two countries owing more than double their annual economic output. As debt-to-GDP ratios continue to swell, servicing them is getting more expensive. Strikingly, more than 3.4 billion people live in countries where net interest payments on public debt exceed education or health funding. This graphic shows the countries with the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in 2025, based on data from the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook. World Debt Continues to Climb Below, we rank countries by government debt as a share of GDP: RankCountryGeneral Government Gross Debt (Percent of GDP) 1 Japan230% 2 Sudan222% 3 Singapore176% 4 Venezuela164% 5 Lebanon164% 6 Greece147% 7 Bahrain143% 8 Italy137% 9 Maldives132% 10 Mozambique131% 11 United States125% 12 Senegal123% 13 France117% 14 Zambia115% 15 Canada114% 16 Ukraine109% 17 Belgium108% 18 Cabo Verde106% 19 Bhutan106% 20 United Kingdom103% 21 Sri Lanka101% 22 Spain100% 23 Barbados100% 24 China96% 25 Dominica96% 26 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines94% 27 Bolivia94% 28 Republic of the Congo93% 29 Brazil91% 30 Portugal91% 31 Laos91% 32 Jordan90% 33 Suriname89% 34 Mauritius88% 35 El Salvador88% 36 Egypt87% 37 Finland87% 38 Austria82% 39 India81% 40 Tunisia81% 41 Malawi80% 42 Argentina79% 43 South Africa77% 44 Saint Lucia77% 45 Fiji77% 46 Gabon76% 47 Guinea-Bissau76% 48 Hungary75% 49 The Gambia74% 50 The Bahamas74% 51 Rwanda73% 52 Togo72% 53 Pakistan72% 54 Yemen71% 55 Malaysia70% 56 Israel69% 57 Kenya68% 58 Grenada68% 59 Morocco67% 60 Aruba67% 61 Slovenia67% 62 Uruguay67% 63 South Sudan66% 64 Antigua and Barbuda66% 65 West Bank and Gaza66% 66 Trinidad and Tobago65% 67 Thailand65% 68 Belize65% 69 Germany64% 70 Namibia64% 71 Myanmar64% 72 Palau63% 73 San Marino63% 74 Angola62% 75 Saint Kitts and Nevis62% 76 Romania61% 77 Montenegro61% 78 Dominican Republic60% 79 Poland60% 80 Costa Rica60% 81 Panama60% 82 Slovakia60% 83 Jamaica59% 84 Ghana59% Japan takes the lead with a 230% debt ratio, declining from 235% in the IMF’s April forecast. Despite this, Japan’s new prime minister is planning to revive ‘Abenomics’ through easy monetary policy and billions in subsidies. While this likely does not bode well for its debt pile, Japanese equities surged to record highs after the election. War-torn Sudan follows next, with a 222% debt to GDP, followed by Singapore, at 176%. In Europe, Greece’s debt burden is highest overall, at 147%—nearly double the region’s average. Italy follows next, with a 137% debt ratio, falling from 2020 highs of 155%. Overall, America ranks 11th globally. As it stands, the current federal budget is projected to add $1.8 trillion each year to the $38 trillion debt pile. While the U.S. debt ratio is 125% today, it will likely only continue to rise. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on debt to income by U.S. state.

Published 4 hours ago on November 17, 2025 By Jenna Ross Graphics & Design Jennifer West Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email The following content is sponsored by Terzo Universities Where the Most Alumni Become Entrepreneurs Key Takeaways UC Berkeley has the most undergraduate alumni who have gone on to become entrepreneurs. Out of the top 20 universities producing entrepreneurs, 15 are located in the U.S. Israel’s Technion and the University of Toronto moved up the ranking the most compared to 2024. Behind every headline-grabbing startup is a story that often begins on a university campus. It’s where many founders meet their co-founders, pitch their first investors, or build the early versions of their product. So which universities turn the most alumni into entrepreneurs? This infographic was created in partnership with Terzo for our Markets in a Minute series, which features quick economic insights for executives. We explore which institutions are fueling the next generation of innovation through their alumni.  The Top Universities with Entrepreneurial Alumni To see how universities stack up, we used data from PitchBook based on an analysis of more than 173,000 VC-backed founders who raised capital between January 1, 2014, and September 1, 2025. The U.S. dominates the list, serving as the home base for 15 out of the top 20 universities. However, universities with entrepreneurial alumni are expanding outside the U.S., with Israel’s Technion (+6 gain in rank vs 2024) and the University of Toronto (+8 gain in rank vs 2024) both seeing significant jumps in the 2025 ranking. RankUniversityEntrepreneur Count 1University of California, Berkeley1,804 2Stanford University1,519 3Harvard University1,355 4University of Pennsylvania1,206 5Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)1,131 6Cornell University944 7Tel Aviv University865 8University of Texas, Austin850 9University of Michigan, Ann Arbor845 10Technion - Israel Institute of Technology783 11University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign751 12Yale University710 13University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)679 14Columbia University671 15Princeton University656 16University of Southern California (USC)644 17University of Toronto643 18University of Waterloo639 19Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay627 20Duke University625 Since companies can have more than one founder, and founders can attend multiple schools, the same company or individual may count toward multiple universities. Based on undergraduate degrees, UC Berkeley has the most alumni who became entrepreneurs. For example, Anthony Levandowski attended UC Berkeley and later co-founded Google’s self-driving car program, now known as Waymo. While a student at Berkeley, Levandowski participated in a self-driving vehicle race put on by the Department of Defense. The early technology he and others developed during the race became the basic structure for Waymo.  Stanford and Harvard University round out the top three. Both schools offer a variety of paths to support entrepreneurs, including Stanford’s StartX accelerator program and Harvard’s Innovation Labs. Interestingly, these institutions also top the list of universities producing the most billionaires. Why The Ranking of Entrepreneurs Matters for Leaders For senior executives, the metric of alumni entrepreneurs offers more than a chance to see where their alma mater falls. It signals environments that nurture independent thinkers capable of launching high‑growth ventures.  Alumni who become entrepreneurs often have autonomy, initiative, and a bias toward innovation. Companies looking to recruit such mindsets, whether through partnerships, acquisitions or talent‑pipelines, may benefit from tracking schools that consistently produce entrepreneurs. The fact that 15 of the top 20 schools are U.S.‑based may also influence global talent strategies. Great insights, like these university trends, start with great data. NirvanAI is an all-in-one AI system that turns your company’s contract data into actionable information. See NirvanAI in action and learn how it helps you make decisions with confidence. More from Terzo Economy1 week ago Mapped: Where Workers Are Supporting the Most Seniors In many advanced economies, the number of retirees is climbing while the working-age population shrinks. What are the countries where workers are supporting the most seniors? 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See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. The World’s Biggest Empires of History, on a Visual Timeline 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 This visual timeline attempts to plot all of the world’s empires throughout history, based on geographic area and size. The rise and fall of familiar civilizations, like the Romans, Mongols, or Ottomans can be seen, as well as modern powerhouses like the U.S. or China. Attempting to plot this all on one timeline is bold, but also comes with its many challenges and some omissions. All of the world’s biggest empires. All on one timeline. At least that was the goal set out to achieve with the World GeoHistogram, a teaching creation by the Michigan Geographic Alliance at Central Michigan University. You can check out their teaching materials and educational resources at their website. How the Visual Timeline Works The World GeoHistogram combines geography and time into one unified visual framework that details the rise and fall of empires. The diagram is composed of vertical columns representing broad world-geographic regions (i.e., Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central and South Asia, East Asia, Oceania). The vertical axis is time, and it is “tilted” so that time periods closer to modernity have more space and prominence. Finally, the world’s biggest empires are plotted on the visual timeline, similar in spirit to the Histomap. Not only can you see the size and loose extent of an empire, but you can also use the GeoHistogram to make parallel connections between them that help tell the story. Examples of Connections and Stories There are no limits to the number of stories that can be made from the timeline, since it includes all of history. But here are a couple that stick out to us: Alexander’s Conquest of Persia Below you can see Ancient Greece’s very sudden and brief expansion, replacing Persia, in the timeline: This represents Alexander the Great’s famous conquest, and subsequent fracturing of his kingdom into successor states. In this slab of the GeoHistogram, you can also see the rise of Rome, their conquering of Carthage, and their great rivals, the Parthians. The Mongol Horde Similar to the impact of Alexander, you can see the work of Genghis Khan in the following piece of the timeline: The Mongols come out of nowhere, and subsequently conquer most of Central Asia, East Asia, and parts of Europe, creating the largest contiguous land empire in history. You can also see who their contemporaries were at the time of these conquests, like the Holy Roman Empire and Mansa Musa (one of the richest humans in history) of Mali. Limitations The World GeoHistoGram is a useful simplification, but its structure inevitably leaves out many societies that don’t fit the “large, literate empire” model. Civilizations without centralized states, written records, or expansive territorial control—such as many Indigenous cultures in the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the Arctic—are largely absent. Likewise, influential nomadic confederations, regional city-states, and complex oral-tradition societies receive little or no representation. As a result, the GeoHistoGram can unintentionally reinforce a narrow view of world history that overlooks diverse, sophisticated civilizations outside the traditional imperial narrative. Learn More on the Voronoi App What are the best selling books of history? See this visualization on Voronoi.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: Countries With the Highest Rates of Forest Loss 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 Brazil ranks first globally, with 2.9 million in net forest loss since 2015. Cambodia saw the fastest rate of deforestation over the last 10 years, averaging 3.3% annually in net forest loss. Since 2015, the world has lost an average of 10.9 million hectares (ha) of forest each year. Deforestation has been most severe in South America and Africa, largely driven by agricultural production. In Brazil, for example, cattle ranching and pasture expansion have played a major role in clearcutting across the Amazon. This graphic shows the countries with the most forest loss since 2015, based on data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Brazil Leads Globally in Forest Loss Here are the top 10 countries by net forest loss over the past decade: RankingCountryNet Loss 2015-2025 (ha)Average Annual Net Change (%) 1 Brazil-2,942,000-0.6 2 Angola-510,000-0.8 3 Tanzania-469,000-1.0 4 Myanmar-290,000-1.0 5 DRC-283,000-0.2 6 Mozambique-267,000-0.8 7 Cambodia-251,000-3.3 8 Peru-239,000-0.4 9 Bolivia-232,000-0.4 10 Paraguay-207,000-1.3 With over 2.9 million ha of forest loss, Brazil accounted for the highest share of deforestation since 2015 by far. While deforestation rates have slowed, the scale of loss is more than the next nine countries combined. More promisingly, however, Brazil’s president Lula da Silva plans to bring deforestation to zero by 2030. The country is home to 486 million ha of forest, the second-highest in the world. Angola, located on the Western coast of Africa, ranks next with 510,000 ha lost. Meanwhile, neighboring country, DRC, stands in fifth with 283,000 ha. Slash-and-burn farming occurs frequently across the region for logging and agricultural purposes. In Asia, Myanmar saw the highest degree of deforestation, known for its abundance of teak. Meanwhile, Cambodia witnessed the fastest rate of loss across the group, averaging 3.3% in net annual change—more than four times greater than Brazil. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the loss of tropical forests by country in 2024.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: Population Change in North American Cities (2005-2024) 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 Charlotte experienced the fastest growth at 93%, rising from 1.5 to 2.9 million residents—the highest percentage gain among major Canadian and U.S. cities. Western and southern metros like Phoenix (+33%) and Orlando (+53%) outpaced northern U.S. counterparts such as New York (+6%) and Chicago (0%), underscoring a southward population shift. Over the past two decades, cities in North America have seen diverging demographic paths. Cities in the southern and western regions have seen explosive growth, while many northern U.S. metros have expanded at a far slower pace—or even plateaued or declined. This visualization shows the population change of 25 major North American metro areas between July 2005 and July 2024, both total and percentage changes over the 19-year span using data from the U.S. Census, StatCan, St. Louis Fed via Hanif Bayat. The Fastest-Growing Cities in the U.S. and Canada Since 2005 Charlotte leads population growth among major North American cities with an astounding 93% population increase, rising from 1.5 to 2.9 million residents. The data table below shows the population growth in both absolute numbers and a percentage basis for major U.S. and Canadian cities. CityPopulation increase 2005-2024 (millions)Percentage population change (2005-2024)Population July 2005 (millions)Population July 2024 (millions) Charlotte1.493%1.52.9 Orlando1.053%1.92.9 Houston2.650%5.27.8 Dallas2.543%5.88.3 Vancouver0.941%2.23.1 Toronto1.937%5.27.1 Phoenix1.333%3.95.2 Tampa0.831%2.63.4 Atlanta1.531%4.96.4 Denver0.729%2.43.1 Seattle0.928%3.24.1 Washington1.223%5.26.4 Minneapolis0.723%3.13.8 Montreal0.821%3.84.6 Inland Empire*0.821%3.94.7 Miami1.120%5.46.5 San Diego0.414%2.93.3 San Francisco0.512%4.14.6 Baltimore0.312%2.62.9 Boston0.511%4.55.0 Philadelphia0.47%5.96.3 New York1.16%18.819.9 Los Angeles0.11%12.812.9 Chicago0.00%9.49.4 Detroit-0.1-2%4.54.4 *Inland Empire refers to the California metro area of Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario. Orlando follows at 53%, with Texas metros like Houston (+50%) and Dallas (+43%) ranking third and fourth. Houston and Dallas have the highest absolute population growth of major American and Canadian cities since 2005 at 2.6 and 2.5 million people respectively. Canadian Cities’ Population Growth Since 2005 All three of Canada’s major cities (Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal) had double-digit population growth in percentage terms. Vancouver’s population rose from 2.2 to 3.1 million, marking a 41% increase, while Toronto expanded more on an absolute basis with 1.9 million new residents, marking 37% growth since 2005. Montreal’s population grew by 0.8 million people from 2005 to 2024, which was a 21% increase. Slower Population Growth in the North and Midwest U.S. Major northern U.S. metros have lagged behind. New York grew just 6%, from 18.7 to 19.8 million people, while Chicago’s population has remained flat over the past two decades. Detroit was the only city which saw its population decline, with a loss of 0.1 million residents or around a 2% decline in percentage terms. These slower, flat, and declining population growth rates reflect broader economic shifts—manufacturing decline, high housing costs, and limited land availability—that have pushed growth southward. This is beyond just these specific cities, as all three states (New York, Illinois, and Michigan) saw their populations decline from 2020 to 2023. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about population changes in countries around the world, check out this graphic which shows European countries’ population changes since 1990 on the Voronoi app.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: The Most Religious States in America 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 Mississippi ranks as the most religious state, with 50% of adults classified as highly religious, followed closely by South Carolina at 46% and both South Dakota and Louisiana at 45%. The least religious states are Vermont (13%), New Hampshire (15%), and Maine (17%), all located in New England. Religion plays a defining role in American culture and politics, but the degree of religiosity varies dramatically by state. This visualization maps out the share of adults who are highly religious based on survey data from the Pew Research Center. The survey was of 36,908 adults, conducted July 2023 to March 2024, with religiousness based on prayer frequency, attendance at religious services, belief in God, and the importance of religion in life. Which U.S. States are the Most Religious? Mississippi leads as America’s most religious state, with 50% of adults surveyed categorized as highly religious. The table below shows the share of residents in each U.S. state who are considered highly religious: RankStateShare of people who are highly religious 1Mississippi50.3% 2South Carolina45.6% 3South Dakota44.7% 4Louisiana44.5% 5Tennessee43.5% 6Utah42.2% 7North Carolina40.6% 8Arkansas40.3% 9Alabama39.6% 10Kansas38.1% 11Georgia38.0% 12North Dakota37.9% 13Oklahoma37.9% 14Idaho37.3% 15Kentucky36.9% 16Indiana36.3% 17Texas35.7% 18Virginia34.8% 19New Mexico34.4% 20Missouri33.0% 21Montana32.9% 22Wyoming31.1% 23Illinois31.1% 24Nebraska29.9% 25Florida29.7% 26Michigan29.6% 27West Virginia29.5% 28New Jersey29.0% 29Delaware28.6% 30Ohio28.5% 31Minnesota27.3% 32Wisconsin27.0% 33Maryland26.7% 34Arizona26.7% 35Pennsylvania26.5% 36Alaska26.4% 37New York24.6% 38Washington24.5% 39California23.9% 40Colorado23.7% 41Connecticut23.0% 42Rhode Island21.7% 43Iowa21.3% 44Hawaii20.6% 45Massachusetts19.6% 46Oregon19.1% 47Nevada18.7% 48District of Columbia18.2% 49Maine17.2% 50New Hampshire15.3% 51Vermont13.4% South Carolina follows Mississippi with 46% of adults highly religious, with South Dakota and Louisiana tied next at 45%. The data highlights a strong concentration of religious adherence in the American South. States like Tennessee (44%), North Carolina (41%), and Arkansas (40%) demonstrate the cultural legacy of the “Bible Belt,” where Christianity remains woven into America’s religiosity. The Least-Religious States in America In contrast, the Northeast and much of the West Coast are markedly less religious. New England stands out for its secularism with the three least-religious states in America: Vermont (13%), New Hampshire (15%) and Maine (17%). Alongside New England, western states like Nevada (20%) and Oregon (21%) show lower levels of religious engagement, with California only slightly higher at 24%. Overall, the national average of highly religious adults sits at 31%, with the difference between the top and bottom states—Mississippi’s 50% versus Vermont’s 13%—illustrating just how much religiosity varies across the United States. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about religion around the world, check out this graphic which shows the world’s most popular religions.

See more visuals like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: Countries That Eat the Most Meat Per Capita 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 The Kingdom of Tonga, a remote island nation located west of Australia, is the world’s leading meat eater. Other meat-loving countries include Mongolia (primarily goat and lamb), the U.S. (mostly chicken and beef), and Israel (also heavily chicken and beef). Meats are some of the world’s most popular sources of protein, though regional appetites are often shaped by differences in wealth, culture, and local agriculture. In this graphic, we visualize the countries that eat the most meat at a per capita level based on data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO). Data & Discussion The data for this visualization comes from the UN FAO, accessed via World Population Review. It measures the annual amount of meat consumed per person, in kilograms, across countries worldwide in 2022. RankCountryMeat Consumption per capita (kg) 1 Tonga148 2 Mongolia132 3 St. Vincent and the Grenadines124 4 Hong Kong SAR123 5 United States123 6 Marshall Islands118 7 Argentina113 8 Israel113 9 Macau113 10 Australia112 11 Bahamas108 12 Nauru108 13 Samoa105 14 Spain105 15 Brazil98.8 16 Portugal98.4 17 French Polynesia96.2 18 Belarus94.5 19 Croatia94.2 20 Iceland93.4 21 Antigua and Barbuda92.9 22 Chile92.1 23 Saint Lucia91.8 24 Canada91.0 25 Ireland90.7 26 Saint Kitts and Nevis89.7 27 Barbados88.9 28 Qatar88.8 29 Taiwan88.5 30 Montenegro88.4 31 Bahrain88.1 32 New Zealand86.6 33 Luxembourg86.1 34 France84.6 35 United Kingdom84.1 36 Latvia83.7 37 South Korea83.4 38 United Arab Emirates83.2 39 New Caledonia82.5 40 Kuwait82.4 41 Russia81.7 42 Poland81.6 43 Lithuania81.4 44 Bolivia79.8 45 Dominica79.4 46 Greece78.9 47 Panama78.7 48 Austria78.0 49 Grenada77.6 50 Guyana77.5 51 Mexico77.5 52 Seychelles76.7 53 Hungary76.6 54 Cyprus76.3 55 Serbia74.6 56 Italy73.6 57 Norway72.2 58 Finland71.6 59 Germany71.3 60 Malaysia70.8 61 China70.6 62 Kazakhstan70.2 63 Estonia68.9 64 Tuvalu68.2 65 Sweden68.1 66 Romania67.9 67 Denmark67.0 68 Switzerland66.7 69 Gabon65.4 70 Malta65.4 71 South Africa65.2 72 Netherlands65.1 73 Jamaica64.9 74 Belgium64.5 75 Uruguay63.8 76 Colombia62.9 77 Trinidad and Tobago62.6 78 Micronesia62.4 79 Bulgaria60.8 80 Cuba60.6 81 Slovakia60.6 82 Slovenia60.4 83 Japan60.4 84 Costa Rica60.3 85 Mauritius60.1 86 Armenia59.5 87 Turkmenistan59.0 88 Suriname58.9 89 Papua New Guinea58.8 90 Saudi Arabia58.5 91 Dominican Republic57.8 92 Zimbabwe56.6 93 Peru54.3 94 Vietnam53.6 95 Ecuador53.3 96 Albania53.2 97 Belize52.0 98 Fiji51.9 99 Republic of the Congo49.1 100 Chad48.9 101 Bosnia and Herzegovina48.9 102 Ukraine48.0 103 Turkey46.8 104 Guatemala46.0 105 Libya45.5 106 Oman44.9 107 El Salvador42.9 108 Kiribati42.9 109 Uzbekistan42.4 110 North Macedonia42.3 111 Azerbaijan40.5 112 Lebanon40.3 113 Georgia40.2 114 Honduras39.5 115 Maldives38.9 116 Moldova38.8 117 Cape Verde38.8 118 Kyrgyzstan38.2 119 Jordan37.9 120 Venezuela36.9 121 Tajikistan35.9 122 Central African Republic35.7 123 Vanuatu35.3 124 Philippines35.1 125 Mauritania33.7 126 Nicaragua32.5 127 Egypt32.4 128 Paraguay32.2 129 Iran31.9 130 Morocco31.5 131 Malawi30.8 132 Tunisia30.2 133 Laos30.0 134 Timor-Leste29.8 135 Comoros29.3 136 Botswana29.3 137 Namibia27.9 138 Eswatini26.1 139 Thailand25.9 140 Burkina Faso24.9 141 Gambia23.3 142 Angola23.3 143 Iraq22.0 144 South Sudan21.7 145 Sao Tome and Principe21.3 146 Senegal21.1 147 Pakistan21.1 148 Liberia20.4 149 Myanmar20.1 150 Haiti19.7 151 Sudan19.4 152 Indonesia19.2 153 Zambia18.1 154 Algeria18.1 155 Benin17.8 156 Ghana17.7 157 Nepal16.8 158 Syria16.6 159 Solomon Islands16.1 160 Yemen16.0 161 Bhutan15.7 162 Cameroon15.0 163 Djibouti14.7 164 Guinea-Bissau13.7 165 Guinea12.9 166 Cambodia12.4 167 Sri Lanka11.9 168 Tanzania11.8 169 Somalia11.3 170 Ivory Coast11.2 171 Lesotho11.2 172 Mozambique11.1 173 Kenya10.9 174 Togo10.7 175 Uganda9.6 176 Sierra Leone9.5 177 Mali7.7 178 Nigeria7.6 179 Niger7.6 180 Afghanistan6.8 181 India6.6 182 Ethiopia6.6 183 Rwanda6.2 184 Madagascar5.5 185 Bangladesh4.4 186 DR Congo4.0 187 Burundi3.7 Top 5 Beef Eaters The top five beef eaters are Argentina (46 kg/person), Zimbabwe (44.4), the U.S. (38), Israel (36.1), and Brazil (34.6). Argentina leads thanks to its long-standing asado culture (traditional Argentinian barbeque), where beef is both a national tradition and a staple of everyday meals. Close behind is Zimbabwe, where beef plays a large part in the national diet, making the country an outlier in the massive Africa region. Top 5 Pork Eaters The top five pork eaters are Croatia (57.4 kg/person), Spain (56.5), Montenegro (53.5), Hong Kong (52.6), and Poland (51.6). At the top are Croatia and Spain, where pork features prominently in everything from cured meats to regional stews. Montenegro and Hong Kong also rank highly, each with strong cultural preferences for pork across everyday meals. In Montenegrin cuisine, one of the most well-known specialties is Njeguški pršut, a dry-cured ham similar to Italian prosciutto. Top 5 Chicken Eaters The top five chicken eaters are Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (94.1kg/person), Tonga (90.6), Marshall Islands (74.8), Samoa (74.8), and Israel (70.8). All of these countries, with the exception of Israel, are island nations. Chicken is an affordable, accessible protein source that is easier to raise in places with limited land. Top 5 Goat & Lamb Eaters The top five goat and lamb eaters are Mongolia (68.5 kg/person), Bahrain (23.4), New Caledonia (21.9), Turkmenistan (20.3), and Chad (19.0). Mongolia eats the most goat and lamb by a wide margin, reflecting its pastoral lifestyle. The country’s landscape is harsh and infertile, making crops difficult to grow. The fat of the animal is also vital for survival in the cold. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Countries With the Biggest Food Supplies on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: The World’s Most Powerful Rivers 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 The Amazon is the most powerful river in the world with an average flow rate of 224,000 m³/s. Its discharge could fill more than 83 Olympic-sized swimming pools every single second. Missing from this chart is the Nile, which has a lower average discharge (3,075 m³/s) because of massive water loss to evaporation through the arid Sahara desert. Rivers are the arteries of our planet, moving freshwater across continents and shaping entire ecosystems. Our latest visualization ranks the world’s 30 most powerful rivers measured by their average flow rate, shining a spotlight on waterways whose sheer volume dwarfs anything humans can engineer. The data for this visualization comes from Wikipedia’s compiled list of river discharges, which aggregates measurements from hydrological services and academic studies around the globe. The Amazon’s Unmatched Output At 224,000 m³ of water per second, the Amazon releases more flow than the next four rivers on the list combined. If it were a pump, the river could fill 83 Olympic-sized swimming pools every second. RankRiver SystemRegionAverage Flow Rate (m³/s)Countries 1Amazon–Ucayali–ApurímacSouth America224,000 PER, COL, BRA 2Ganges-Brahmaputra-MeghnaAsia42,800 IND, BGD, CHN 3CongoAfrica41,400 COD, COG, AGO 4OrinocoSouth America39,000 VEN, COL 5Yangtze (Chang Jiang)Asia31,900 CHN 6Río de la PlataSouth America27,225 ARG, URY 7MississippiNorth America21,300 USA 8YeniseiAsia20,200 MNG, RUS 9LenaAsia18,300 RUS 10St. LawrenceNorth America17,600 CAN, USA 11MekongAsia15,856 CHN, MMR, LAO, THA, KHM, VNM 12Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady)Asia15,112 MMR 13ObAsia13,100 RUS 14AmurAsia12,360 CHN, RUS 15TocantinsSouth America11,796 BRA 16Pearl (Xi)Asia10,700 CHN 17MackenzieNorth America9,800 CAN 18VolgaEurope8,380 RUS 19MagdalenaSouth America8,058 COL 20NigerAfrica7,900 GIN, MLI, NER, BEN, NGA 21ColumbiaNorth America7,407 USA, CAN 22FlyOceania7,355 PNG, IDN 23YukonNorth America6,860 CAN, USA 24SalweenAsia6,600 CHN, MMR, THA 25DanubeEurope6,510 DEU, AUT, SVK, HUN, HRV, SRB, ROU, BGR, MDA, UKR 26KapuasAsia6,012 IDN 27IndusAsia5,589 CHN, IND, PAK 28MamberamoOceania5,500 IDN 29SepikOceania5,000 PNG 30EssequiboOceania4,951 GUY Note: Countries listed are along the main stem, not the full drainage basin. Tributary flows are not listed separately, they are accounted for in the discharge of the primary outlet river system. A primary river is one that terminates in the sea/ocean or a terminal water body (e.g., the Caspian Sea), whereas tributaries flow into another river. The Amazon’s vast drainage basin—covering an area roughly the size of the contiguous U.S.—collects rainfall from nine countries. The river’s low-lying gradient allows that water to surge unimpeded toward the Atlantic. Even in its driest months, the Amazon moves enough water to equal the peak flow of most other major rivers, underscoring its outlier status in the global hydrological system. Related: The Amazon rainforest was named after the river. See how the forest plays a critical role in global food supply. Asia’s Dense Network of Giant Waterways While South America claims the undisputed champion in the Amazon, Asia dominates the rest of the top 10. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, Yangtze, Yenisei, and Lena systems all exceed 18,000 m³/s. These rivers drain the towering Himalayas and the Siberian taiga, channeling seasonal snowmelt and monsoon rains into fertile floodplains that support over a billion people. Rapid economic growth along their banks makes the stability of their flow regimes critical. From irrigation in India’s breadbasket to hydropower in China’s industrial heartlands, Asia’s great rivers remain lifelines for energy and food security. Related: The Indo–Gangetic plain supports 9-14% of the world’s entire population. The Longest Rivers Aren’t Always the Most Powerful Africa’s mighty Congo is the lone representative from the continent in the top five, but its 41,400 m³/s rank shows how the equatorial rainforests centralize runoff into a single channel. North America’s Mississippi and St. Lawrence illustrate how large basins paired with moderate precipitation translate into respectable yet smaller discharges. Meanwhile, Europe’s Volga and Danube barely crack the list, reflecting the continent’s temperate climate and complex network of dams and diversions. Finally, rivers in Oceania such as the Fly, Mamberamo, and Sepik punch above their watershed size thanks to Papua New Guinea’s torrential rainfall, reminding us that local climate can outweigh geography. Notable in its absence is the world’s longest river, the Nile. It has a lower average discharge (3,075 m³/s) because of massive water loss to evaporation through the arid Sahara desert. Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Wettest and Driest Countries on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Mapped: U.S. Incarceration Rates by 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 The U.S. incarceration rate stands at 614 per 100,000 people, one of the world’s highest. Southern states have the most prisoners per capita, while Massachusetts ranks lowest nationally. Millions of prisoners are detained in America, but incarceration rates vary widely by state. Overall, detaining inmates costs an estimated $182 billion each year across 1,566 state prisons, 3,116 local prisons, and 98 federal facilities. Despite being the world’s largest economy, America has the fourth-highest incarceration rate globally. This graphic shows prisoners per 100,000 people by state, based on data from the Prison Policy Initiative. Incarceration Rates Are Highest in the South Below, we rank states by incarceration rates, using 2021 state-level data applied to the 2024 national prison population: StateIncarceration Rate (per 100,000 people) Louisiana1,067 Mississippi1,020 Arkansas912 Oklahoma905 Alabama898 Kentucky889 Georgia881 Tennessee817 South Dakota812 Wyoming785 Montana758 Texas751 Alaska744 Indiana721 Idaho720 Missouri713 Arizona710 Florida705 Virginia679 West Virginia674 Kansas648 New Mexico647 Ohio621 Wisconsin615 Nevada610 South Carolina606 Nebraska591 Pennsylvania589 North Dakota560 North Carolina559 Colorado556 Iowa550 Delaware539 Michigan535 Oregon494 California494 Maryland475 Illinois433 Utah396 Washington373 Hawaii367 Connecticut326 Minnesota323 New York317 New Hampshire278 Maine272 New Jersey270 Rhode Island254 Vermont245 Massachusetts241 U.S. Overall614 With 1,067 prisoners per 100,000 people Louisiana has a staggeringly high rate of people behind bars. Not only is this nearly double the national average, it is more than 12 times higher than in Canada. Despite being the “incarceration capital of the world”, it has the second-highest murder rate in the country, after Mississippi. Making matters worse, several prisoners, including juveniles, face life sentences in Louisiana without the chance of parole. As we can see, Southern states make up eight of the 10 highest incarceration rates, disproportionately impacting people of color. Over the past 25 years, penalties for non-violent offenses have also become increasingly severe, with detainees serving longer sentences. By contrast, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island have the lowest rates in the nation—however, they remain higher than most countries. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the cost per prisoner by U.S. state.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Charting the Relationship Between Democracy and Corruption 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. Highly democratic countries consistently report lower levels of political corruption, especially in Europe. No countries in the dataset are rated as both highly democratic and highly corrupt. Authoritarian regimes show a wide range of corruption levels, but none approach the values achieved by democracies. How does the level of democracy in a country influence corruption? According to new data from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project and a visualization by Our World in Data, the correlation is clear: democratic societies tend to be less corrupt. The chart maps countries across two indices: Electoral Democracy (measuring free, fair, and meaningful elections) and the Political Corruption Index (focused on bribery and public theft), both scaled from 0 to 1. Exploring the Democracy-Corruption Correlation Here is a full list of selected countries with their scores across both indices, based on the latest V-Dem data: EntityPolitical Corruption Index (2024)Electoral Democracy Index (2024) Afghanistan0.670.08 Albania0.630.51 Algeria0.670.26 Angola0.550.34 Argentina0.390.71 Armenia0.370.62 Australia0.030.86 Austria0.110.84 Azerbaijan0.900.18 Bahrain0.510.12 Bangladesh0.910.20 Barbados0.070.79 Belarus0.420.16 Belgium0.030.89 Benin0.190.50 Bhutan0.160.56 Bolivia0.660.58 Bosnia and Herzegovina0.760.51 Botswana0.240.59 Brazil0.440.80 Bulgaria0.580.65 Burkina Faso0.390.16 Burundi0.780.18 Cambodia0.900.19 Cameroon0.930.29 Canada0.030.84 Cape Verde0.260.76 Central African Republic0.850.30 Chad0.950.20 Chile0.080.84 China0.550.07 Colombia0.390.70 Comoros0.840.28 Congo0.830.25 Costa Rica0.200.86 Cote d'Ivoire0.620.43 Croatia0.260.72 Cuba0.590.18 Cyprus0.160.77 Czechia0.100.87 Democratic Republic of Congo0.920.33 Denmark0.000.92 Djibouti0.680.25 Dominican Republic0.710.71 East Timor0.220.73 Ecuador0.650.65 Egypt0.730.19 El Salvador0.680.34 Equatorial Guinea0.840.18 Eritrea0.740.07 Estonia0.030.90 Eswatini0.570.13 Ethiopia0.550.26 Fiji0.290.52 Finland0.020.85 France0.050.87 Gabon0.720.23 Gambia0.270.63 Georgia0.190.48 Germany0.020.84 Ghana0.640.67 Greece0.240.75 Guatemala0.710.60 Guinea0.860.16 Guinea-Bissau0.810.28 Guyana0.430.49 Haiti0.770.22 Honduras0.750.54 Hong Kong0.080.17 Hungary0.500.44 Iceland0.020.84 India0.670.40 Indonesia0.760.48 Iran0.780.17 Iraq0.840.35 Ireland0.030.90 Israel0.120.72 Italy0.200.80 Jamaica0.180.80 Japan0.060.82 Jordan0.420.27 Kazakhstan0.710.27 Kenya0.540.55 Kosovo0.270.65 Kuwait0.310.29 Kyrgyzstan0.800.33 Laos0.740.13 Latvia0.070.84 Lebanon0.840.35 Lesotho0.540.66 Liberia0.880.61 Libya0.820.20 Lithuania0.170.80 Luxembourg0.030.87 Madagascar0.830.42 Malawi0.720.58 Malaysia0.320.52 Maldives0.420.56 Mali0.750.20 Malta0.190.79 Mauritania0.850.33 Mauritius0.450.49 Mexico0.560.51 Moldova0.330.63 Mongolia0.720.50 Montenegro0.500.62 Morocco0.640.26 Mozambique0.730.30 Myanmar0.830.08 Namibia0.280.62 Nepal0.620.67 Netherlands0.020.82 New Zealand0.010.86 Nicaragua0.940.15 Niger0.570.24 Nigeria0.930.50 North Korea0.680.08 North Macedonia0.750.56 Norway0.010.88 Oman0.260.17 Pakistan0.820.31 Palestine/Gaza0.370.10 Palestine/West Bank0.440.21 Panama0.470.73 Papua New Guinea0.720.46 Paraguay0.800.58 Peru0.660.63 Philippines0.850.44 Poland0.100.73 Portugal0.160.83 Qatar0.370.09 Romania0.380.63 Russia0.790.17 Rwanda0.420.20 Sao Tome and Principe0.280.67 Saudi Arabia0.330.02 Senegal0.300.62 Serbia0.750.32 Seychelles0.050.74 Sierra Leone0.500.44 Singapore0.030.41 Slovakia0.280.75 Slovenia0.060.72 Solomon Islands0.600.67 Somalia0.880.17 Somaliland0.590.42 South Africa0.560.73 South Korea0.160.73 South Sudan0.830.16 Spain0.100.83 Sri Lanka0.460.66 Sudan0.800.14 Suriname0.170.77 Sweden0.010.88 Switzerland0.020.89 Syria0.740.15 Taiwan0.230.80 Tajikistan0.850.17 Tanzania0.250.42 Thailand0.660.39 Togo0.760.36 Trinidad and Tobago0.090.76 Tunisia0.410.43 Turkey0.820.29 Turkmenistan0.890.15 Uganda0.800.27 Ukraine0.610.39 United Arab Emirates0.110.10 United Kingdom0.040.83 United States0.050.84 Uruguay0.050.85 Uzbekistan0.830.22 Vanuatu0.290.80 Venezuela0.970.20 Vietnam0.490.17 Yemen0.910.13 Zambia0.360.51 Zimbabwe0.820.27 At a glance, Denmark stands out as the best performer, with near-perfect scores for democracy and minimal corruption. Conversely, authoritarian regimes like Myanmar, Russia, and China have low democracy scores and relatively high corruption, though corruption levels vary even among less democratic states. Interestingly, no country appears in the upper-right quadrant, combining high democracy with high corruption, emphasizing the strong inverse relationship. Why Democracies Tend to Be Cleaner As outlined in V-Dem’s policy brief, democracies inherently support anti-corruption mechanisms. These include: Independent courts and investigative bodies Active civil societies and free media Checks and balances that discourage misuse of public office These structures make it harder for corrupt activities to go unnoticed or unpunished. In contrast, authoritarian systems often lack such safeguards, allowing corruption to flourish unchecked. Comparing with Perceptions of Corruption While this dataset relies on expert-based assessments, public perception also plays a role in understanding corruption. For more context, see our previous post on which countries are perceived as the most corrupt globally. Learn More on the Voronoi App Explore more political data like this in our related post on The State of Democracy Around the World.

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. The 20 Highest Paying Careers That Don’t Need a College Degree 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. Air traffic controllers top the list with a median wage of $144,580. Several skilled trades like elevator repair and power plant operation pay over $100,000 annually. Rising demand and shifting perspectives are making blue-collar jobs more attractive to younger generations. The U.S. labor market is evolving, and so are the pathways to high-paying careers. While a college degree has long been considered essential for financial success, new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that numerous careers offer six-figure salaries without requiring a four-year diploma. The visualization above, by Julie Peasley, breaks down the top 20 highest paying jobs that don’t require a college degree, from nuclear reactor operators to transportation managers. Here are the top 20 jobs by median salary: RankOccupation (U.S.)Median Annual Wage (2024, USD) 1Air Traffic Controller$144,580 2Commercial Pilot (Non-Airline)$122,670 3Nuclear Power Reactor Operator$122,610 4Elevator and Escalator Installer and Repairer$106,580 5First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives$105,980 6Power Plant Distributor and Dispatcher$103,600 7Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager$102,010 8Power Plant Operator$99,670 9Petroleum Pump System Operator, Refinery Operator, and Gauger$97,540 10Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,580 11Postmaster and Mail Superintendent$92,730 12Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer$92,560 13Farmer, Rancher, and Agricultural Manager$87,980 14Transportation Inspector$85,750 15Gambling Manager at Casino or Racetrack$85,580 16Subway and Streetcar Operator$84,830 17First-line Supervisor of Sales Workers (Non-retail)$84,130 18Signal and Track Switch Repairer$83,600 19Gas Plant Operator$83,400 20Transit and Railroad Police$82,320 Air traffic controllers ($144,580), commercial pilots ($122,670), and nuclear reactor operators ($122,610) take the top three spots, with many trade-heavy and supervisory roles also appearing above the $100,000 threshold. The Rise of High-Paying Blue-Collar Careers A growing number of Americans are reconsidering the cost-benefit equation of college, especially as student debt burdens rise. Trade jobs are not only paying more, but also seeing increased interest from Gen Z workers looking for faster, debt-free entry into the workforce. Many of these roles require certification, apprenticeships, or specialized training. For example, air traffic controllers must complete a rigorous FAA training program, but no degree is necessary. Similarly, commercial pilots flying non-airline routes, such as charter or medevac, often need licenses but not a bachelor’s degree. Skilled Trades Dominate the List What stands out in this ranking is the sheer number of high-paying skilled trades: Elevator and escalator installers ($106,580) Power plant operators ($99,670) Petroleum pump system operators ($97,540) These careers offer strong wages without the need for a college degree, often relying on apprenticeships or vocational training instead. Another key factor driving renewed interest in these careers is their reputation as being relatively “AI-proof.” Unlike many white-collar jobs facing disruption from artificial intelligence and automation, skilled trades typically require hands-on work in dynamic environments, making them less susceptible to technological replacement. For many young workers, this blend of job security and solid pay is an increasingly attractive proposition. Education vs. Earnings While these careers are exceptions to the rule, it’s still true that more education often leads to higher earnings on average. Our previous post, Charted: U.S. Salary by Education Level, shows how median income rises steadily with each level of formal education. Learn More on the Voronoi App View the related post: How Much More Does a Graduate Degree Earn by State?

Published 3 hours ago on November 14, 2025 By Ryan Bellefontaine Graphics & Design Zack Aboulazm Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Email The following content is sponsored by Payactiv ‎ View the full-size version of this graphic Explainer: What is Earned Wage Access and Why Do You Need it? Key Takeaways Employer-integrated Earned Wage Access unlocks payroll-verified, already-earned wages, causing workers to avoid taking on new debt. Conversely, direct-to-consumer estimated advances bet on future pay, use bank pulls, and trap workers in debt cycles. Offering responsible, employer-integrated EWA boosts stability, morale, and retention while cutting turnover costs. Workers are navigating tight budgets as everyday costs climb. Tools that bridge timing gaps now shape whether people fall behind or finally catch their breath. Created in partnership with Payactiv, this graphic contrasts employer-integrated access to already-earned pay with direct-to-consumer estimated advances, showing how verification, repayment, and employer involvement drive different outcomes for workers and organizations. How Earned Wage Access Works Employer-sponsored Earned Wage Access (EWA) connects directly to employee Time & Attendance and payroll systems. Employees can securely unlock wages they’ve already earned, not guesses about future income. Because access is based on employer-verified hours, amounts are precise, predictable, and aligned with actual pay. Repayment is simple: on the regular pay cycle, the employer settles with the provider, so workers aren’t stuck repaying a lender or juggling collections. When properly structured, this model is often treated as non-credit because it’s access, not an advance. Over time, this model helps workers transition from crisis management to stability, supporting savings habits, dignity, and reducing day-to-day financial stress. This model is also very in demand. In Visa’s Earned Wage Access Insights Report, 95% of employees say they’d be interested in working for an employer who offers Earned Wage Access. What Estimated Wage Advances Do Estimated wage advance apps target workers directly, bypassing employer payroll. Instead of verified hours, they rely on projected earnings, which can misalign with reality if shifts change, hours drop, or income varies. Repayment typically pulls from a worker’s own bank account and involves “instant transfer” fees, tips, and credit-like charges, or paycheck reroutes. As these costs and shortfalls accumulate, they can create debt spirals, anxiety, broken autopay, and bank switching—shifting risk back onto people who can least afford it. Why Real EWA Matters The real difference isn’t just speed. It’s who is in the partnership, how pay is verified, and how repayment flows. Employer-integrated EWA provides workers with a safer way to access their earned wages, while direct-to-consumer estimated advances create a two-way relationship that resembles debt. Demand for responsible EWA is strong, and employers that offer integrated access often see higher morale, better retention, and lower turnover costs—sometimes in the millions. The Bottom Line If it’s earned, it’s access. If it’s estimated, it’s an advance. Earned Wage Access reinforces the worker–employer relationship while supporting long-term stability, and workers are asking for it. Find out more in Payactiv’s EWA Blueprint Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Enjoying the data visualization above? *Subscribe Related Topics: #payday loans #loans #salary #jobs #wages Click for Comments var disqus_shortname = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com"; var disqus_title = "Explainer: What is Earned Wage Access and Why Do You Need it?"; var disqus_url = "https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/pay01-what-is-earned-wage-access-and-why-do-you-need-it/"; var disqus_identifier = "visualcapitalist.disqus.com-184439"; You may also like Economy4 days ago Charted: America’s 2.1 Million Federal Workers We break down America’s 2.1 million federal workers by agency, revealing the massive scale of defense and veterans’ services. Jobs6 days ago Visualized: Where School Teachers Earn the Most in America We visualized average teacher salaries by state, showing how pay ranges from under $50,000 to over $90,000. 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See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Ranked: America’s Most Visited Websites 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 Google reigns supreme with 16.2 billion visits in July, outpacing runner-up YouTube by nearly three times the traffic. ChatGPT ranks in 10th, with 864 million monthly visits. As the most visited website in America, Google’s traffic climbed over 3% month-over-month, reaching 16.2 billion visits in July. Google continues to dominate the digital landscape—alongside major tech players like Meta’s Facebook and Amazon. Meanwhile, even with its rapid adoption, ChatGPT still trails more established sites such as Reddit, Bing, and Yahoo. This graphic shows the most visited websites in the U.S. as of July 2025, based on data from Similarweb. America’s Top 20 Most Visited Websites Here are America’s top 20 most frequently visited websites: RankingDomainMonthly VisitsJuly 2025 1Google16.2B 2YouTube5.7B 3Facebook2.6B 4Amazon2.5B 5Reddit2B 6Bing1.6B 7Yahoo1.6B 8Instagram1.1B 9X1B 10ChatGPT864M 11Wikipedia715M 12LinkedIn567M 13eBay520M 14Walmart493M 15New York Times462M 16The Weather Channel447M 17TikTok444M 18Microsoft 365 (office.com)426M 19Fandom381M 20United States Postal Service360M Today, the big story is ChatGPT’s phenomenal rise—now ranking as the 10th-most visited website overall. Globally, 30% of ChatGPT queries are for work-related tasks, highlighting both its expanding role in the workplace and the chatbot’s widening international presence. In fact, it stands as the fourth most-visited website in India. Meanwhile, the New York Times (#15) saw their month-over-month traffic decline 2.6%. In fact, it was the only domain across the top 20 to see traffic fall. AI search overviews and shifting search patterns, in particular, may be driving these declines. By contrast, The Weather Network (#16) saw the fastest monthly traffic growth of 20.1%, as extreme heat and severe storms hit the country. It was followed by Amazon, with 9.7% growth, and ChatGPT, with a 8.9% increase. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the top domains cited by artificial intelligence.

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app. Use This Visualization Countries With the Most GDP Per Capita Growth (2020-2025) 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 Liechtenstein’s GDP per capita has grown by $67,713 since 2020, the largest absolute gain globally. Guyana saw the sharpest percentage increase in GDP per capita, surging 351% in five years, fueled by its rapidly expanding oil industry. Since 2020, U.S. GDP per capita has grown by $25,081, the seventh-highest increase in the world. Robust financial markets and economic resilience have supported the economy, even as inflation strained consumer wallets. Outside of America, there have been similar success stories, with some countries even doubling their GDP per capita in that relatively short span of time. This graphic shows countries with the biggest gains in wealth growth since 2020, based on data from the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook. The Top Countries by GDP Per Capita Growth Here are the top 20 countries by GDP per capita growth in the past five years, in nominal terms based on U.S. dollars: RankCountryGDP per Capita Dollar Increase 2020-2025RankCountryGDP per Capita % Increase 2020-2025 1 Liechtenstein$67,7131 Guyana351% 2 Ireland$42,9142 Georgia135% 3 Macao$37,8203 Kyrgyz Republic119% 4 Iceland$35,9124 Armenia110% 5 Singapore$33,0715 Türkiye108% 6 Luxembourg$29,2486 Albania106% 7 U.S.$25,0817 Venezuela102% 8 Switzerland$24,9118 Macao102% 9 Guyana$24,4259 Bulgaria100% 10 Norway$23,60810 Haiti99% 11 Qatar$20,47911 Montenegro99% 12 Netherlands$19,64412 Burundi98% 13 San Marino$19,62813 Tajikistan92% 14 Malta$17,44014 Maldives91% 15 Aruba$17,09115 Serbia89% 16 UK$16,43016 Moldova89% 17 Denmark$15,50517 Uzbekistan86% 18 Israel$15,41418 São Tomé and Príncipe86% 19 Belgium$14,48419 Croatia82% 20 Cyprus$14,11720 Poland78% Liechtenstein soars above the rest, with GDP per capita rising $67,713 since 2020. Underscoring this jump is the fact that its currency is tied to the Swiss franc, which rose 20% against the U.S. dollar over the period. At the same time, the country stands as a hub for advanced, competitive manufacturing. The country also has many working commuters from neighboring nations, and this helps up drive up domestic wealth measures like GDP per capita. Ireland ranks in second, with a $42,914 jump in GDP per capita. Several Big Tech and pharmaceutical companies are headquartered in the country, further driving up the nation’s wealth. If we look at GDP per capita in terms of percentage gains, Guyana is a clear global outlier. Since 2020, GDP per capita has skyrocketed 351%. Guyana’s 11 billion barrel oil discovery is one of the world’s largest in decades, significantly fueling GDP growth. Meanwhile, several countries across Eastern Europe and Asia have witnessed the sharpest gains in GDP per capita globally, with Georgia, Kyrgz Republic, Armenia, and Türkiye standing in the top five. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s richest countries in 2025.