Healthcare prices vary substantially across the U.S., with the gap between the highest- and lowest-cost states approaching 47 index points.

This map ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia by their healthcare cost index in 2026, with the national average set at 100.

The data for this visualization comes from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), using data from the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index.

The healthcare component is based on listed prices for doctor, dentist, and optometrist visits, along with commonly used drugs.

Massachusetts and Alaska Lead the Ranking

Massachusetts has the highest healthcare index at 131.8, meaning costs are nearly 32% above the national benchmark.

Massachusetts is home to a dense network of major hospitals, universities, and research institutions. High wages and operating costs can also contribute to higher healthcare prices.

Alaska follows closely at 130.7. Its geography creates a very different cost structure, with remote communities often facing limited provider competition and higher transportation and staffing expenses.

Delivering medical services across large distances can make routine care more expensive.

High Costs Cluster in the Northeast and West

The top of the ranking has a clear regional tilt, with eight of the 10 highest-cost states located in the Northeast or West.

New Jersey has an index of 115.8 and Maine stands at 114.7, while Connecticut and New York both come in at 108.9. High labor, real estate, and operating costs can contribute to higher prices across the region.

Western states also feature prominently. Oregon ranks fifth nationally at 115.3, followed by Hawaii at 113.1, California at 111.1, and Washington at 110.3.

The South Has Some of the Lowest Healthcare Costs

At the opposite end of the ranking, Mississippi has the lowest healthcare index at 85.1.

Alabama follows at 85.6, while Arkansas stands at 85.8. Tennessee, at 88.7, and West Virginia, at 89.5, also rank among the least expensive.

Overall, the gap between Massachusetts and Mississippi is 46.7 index points, underscoring the wide variation in routine healthcare prices across the country.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: U.S. States With the Most Financial Distress on Voronoi.

Ranked: Countries With the Highest Debt-to-GDP Ratios

Debt can sit on very different parts of an economy’s balance sheet. In Japan, the largest burden sits with the government. In Switzerland, households stand out. And in Luxembourg, corporate borrowing towers over the size of the economy.

This graphic ranks debt across those three sectors using Q4 2025 credit-to-GDP data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), covering 43 major economies. The figures measure credit to the non-financial sector as a share of GDP and exclude financial corporations, so bank borrowing is not counted.

Which Countries Carry the Most Debt?

Luxembourg has the highest combined debt-to-GDP ratio in the dataset at 446.4%, followed by Hong Kong at 406.5% and Japan at 369.5%. But those totals reflect very different sources of debt across each economy.

The table below shows government, household, and corporate debt as a share of GDP for all 43 economies, ranked by their combined total:

Rank	Country	Debt as a Share of GDP, Q4 2025 (%)
		Government	Household	Corporate	Total
1	Luxembourg	26.4	61.2	358.8	446.4
2	Hong Kong	78.0	87.8	240.7	406.5
3	Japan	194.5	61.1	113.9	369.5
4	Singapore	166.2	44.0	127.2	337.4
5	France	116.0	59.7	155.8	331.5
6	Canada	100.2	100.6	118.3	319.1
7	Netherlands	44.4	93.8	166.3	304.5
8	China	99.3	58.0	142.8	300.1
9	Belgium	107.9	56.8	117.9	282.6
10	Norway	54.2	87.3	135.4	276.9
11	Switzerland	24.7	123.0	128.9	276.6
12	Finland	88.5	62.9	114.5	265.9
13	Sweden	34.6	82.1	146.8	263.5
14	United States	116.4	68.1	72.2	256.7
15	Denmark	27.9	84.1	140.8	252.8
16	South Korea*	45.7	88.6	110.4	244.7
17	Greece	146.5	38.1	59.3	243.9
18	United Kingdom	102.2	73.6	59.0	234.8
19	Italy	137.1	35.8	58.5	231.4
20	Australia	52.1	114.0	62.1	228.2
21	Malaysia	65.2	69.8	88.6	223.6
22	Spain	100.7	42.8	76.5	220.0
23	Portugal	89.7	53.9	74.2	217.8
24	Thailand	59.1	87.5	68.5	215.1
25	New Zealand	53.3	91.1	70.1	214.5
26	Austria	81.5	41.6	83.9	207.0
27	Germany	63.4	48.9	87.8	200.1
28	Brazil	93.3	37.6	55.5	186.4
29	India	83.9	47.8	54.5	186.2
30	Israel	67.9	42.8	73.1	183.8
31	Chile	41.6	43.8	86.8	172.2
32	Hungary	74.7	18.3	72.5	165.5
33	Ireland	32.8	23.8	92.4	149.0
34	South Africa	79.0	33.5	33.2	145.7
35	Czechia	44.2	31.4	53.8	129.4
36	Russia	18.7	21.4	84.7	124.8
37	Colombia	65.3	25.5	28.9	119.7
38	Poland	59.8	22.1	34.7	116.6
39	Argentina	80.7	5.7	23.2	109.6
40	Saudi Arabia	31.7	31.7	45.9	109.3
41	Mexico	49.2	17.4	21.3	87.9
42	Indonesia	40.5	15.5	25.1	81.1
43	Türkiye	23.9	10.1	38.9	72.9

Government debt is concentrated in Southern Europe and East Asia, with Greece (146.5%), Italy (137.1%), France (116.0%), Spain (100.7%), and Portugal (89.7%) all in the top 15 alongside Japan and Singapore (166.2%).

Singapore’s second-place government figure is not what it looks like. By law, the proceeds of Singapore Government Securities cannot be spent on the budget. Most are issued to the national pension fund and invested, leaving the state with more assets than debt and a AAA credit rating.

Household debt is concentrated among wealthy economies with expensive housing and deep mortgage markets, led by Switzerland, Australia (114.0%), Canada (100.6%), the Netherlands (93.8%), and New Zealand (91.1%).

Corporate debt is especially high in Northern Europe and economies that host multinational financing structures. Luxembourg, Hong Kong, and Singapore (127.2%) all rank among the leaders.

Only three economies rank in the top 10 of more than one column: Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Canada’s government (100.2%), households (100.6%), and companies (118.3%) each owe roughly a year of GDP, which is why the country ranks sixth on combined debt without leading any single category.

Why Small Financial Hubs Rank High in Corporate Debt

The corporate column is the one to read with care. Luxembourg (358.8%), Hong Kong (240.7%), and the Netherlands (166.3%) top it, followed by France (155.8%) and Sweden (146.8%).

Luxembourg, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands are major locations for multinational holding companies and corporate treasury operations. Intragroup loans booked through these entities can therefore produce very large corporate debt figures relative to the host economy’s GDP. That makes these ratios partly a reflection of where multinational financing is structured, rather than simply the debt burden of locally operating companies.

Ireland (92.4%) has similar dynamics, which helps explain why it ranks 16th for corporate debt while sitting near the bottom for government debt (32.8%) and household debt (23.8%).

China’s 142.8% corporate debt reflects borrowing by state-owned enterprises and property developers, a load that has grown alongside the country’s expanding bond market. In sixth place, China is the only large emerging economy in the corporate top 10.

Where Households Carry the Most Debt

Switzerland’s position at the top of the household ranking is particularly notable because the country has one of Europe’s lowest homeownership rates.

For decades, Swiss tax law taxed homeowners on the imputed rental value of their homes while allowing them to deduct mortgage interest, which rewarded keeping a mortgage rather than paying it down. Voters abolished that system in September 2025, with the change taking effect no earlier than 2028.

Canada has the most indebted households in the G7 at 100.6%, well ahead of the UK (73.6%) and the U.S. (68.1%). The American figure is notable for how far it has fallen: U.S. households owed 98.4% of GDP at the end of 2007, and the country now ranks 14th for household debt while placing fifth for government debt at 116.4%.

Looking across all three categories shows why headline debt figures can be misleading. Japan’s debt is concentrated on the government balance sheet, Switzerland’s is unusually household-heavy, while Luxembourg’s enormous ratio is driven primarily by corporations. The same overall measure can therefore reflect very different economic structures and risks.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: Countries With the Most Government Debt in 2026 on Voronoi.

How many mistakes can you make on a driving theory test and still pass? In Greece, the answer is just one.

This graphic ranks countries by the minimum percentage of correct answers required to pass their general Class B driving theory exams. The data comes from AutoviaTest, with countries using non-comparable scoring systems excluded.

Where Driving Theory Tests Are Toughest

Here are the 25 countries with the highest passing thresholds, according to AutoviaTest:

Rank	Country	Pass Mark
1	Greece	97%
2	Japan	95%
3	Vietnam	91%
4	New Zealand	91%
5	Australia	91%
6	Spain	90%
7	Italy	90%
8	Portugal	90%
9	Ukraine	90%
10	Iceland	90%
11	Luxembourg	90%
12	Kuwait	90%
13	Qatar	90%
14	Singapore	90%
15	Latvia	90%
16	Colombia	90%
17	Liechtenstein	90%
18	Netherlands	88%
19	France	88%
20	Estonia	88%
21	Ireland	88%
22	Andorra	88%
23	Monaco	88%
24	Israel	87%
25	United Kingdom	86%

Greece and Japan are the clear outliers, requiring scores of 97% and 95%, respectively. Below them, the ranking becomes much tighter, with 15 countries clustered between 90% and 91%. Europe dominates the upper end overall, accounting for 64% of the top 25.

In Greece, One Wrong Answer Is All You Get

Greece’s exam consists of 30 multiple-choice questions completed in 35 minutes, with candidates needing at least 29 correct answers. The test covers traffic signs, right-of-way, speed limits, vehicle safety, and other road regulations.

That demanding standard exists alongside continuing road-safety challenges. AutoviaTest reports that Greece had about 6.1 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, above the EU average despite substantial improvement since 2000.

Passing the test is also only one part of road safety. Vehicle reliability matters too, with some car brands reporting far fewer problems than others.

Japan’s Driving Tests Are Getting Even Tougher

Japan requires a 95% score on its general theory exam and combines this with rigorous practical requirements. The country’s licensing process can also be challenging for some foreign residents converting an overseas license, who may need to complete both written and practical tests.

Japan is now tightening requirements for another group: drivers over 75 with previous traffic violations. New practical-test requirements are expected to add a direction-change exercise designed to test proper accelerator and brake use. According to Japan’s National Police Agency, drivers over 75 accounted for around 18% of fatal accidents in the previous year.

Hard Tests Don’t Automatically Mean Safe Roads

A high theory-test pass mark does not necessarily mean a country’s overall licensing process is harder, since question difficulty, practical exams, and testing rules also vary. Nor does a strict passing threshold automatically translate into safer roads. WHO-based rankings cited by Atlas & Boots place Guinea, Libya, and Haiti among countries with the highest road-traffic death rates, while Japan is among the safest.

For travelers, unfamiliarity creates another layer of risk. A survey of 2,000 motorists by Scrap Car Comparison found that driving on the opposite side of the road was the most commonly cited concern. Around one-third of countries drive on the left, while most of the world drives on the right.

Local traffic conditions can matter just as much as national rules—something also evident when comparing America’s worst cities for drivers.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To explore how driving has become safer over time, see How Has Car Safety Improved Over 60 Years? on the Voronoi app.

Urban trees can reduce heat, help manage stormwater, and make streets more comfortable for pedestrians. But measuring how green a city feels at street level is more complicated than simply counting parks.

This ranking uses data from Treepedia, developed by the MIT Senseable City Lab in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, to compare tree canopy visible from streets across major global cities.

Which Cities Have the Greenest Streets?

The following table shows each city’s Green View Index.

Rank	City	Green View Index (%)
1	Tampa	36.1
2	Breda	29.3
3	Singapore	29.3
4	Oslo	28.8
5	Sydney	25.9
6	Vancouver	25.9
7	Montreal	25.5
8	Cambridge	25.3
9	Xalapa	24.0
10	Durban	23.7
11	Johannesburg	23.6
12	Sacramento	23.6
13	Frankfurt	21.5
14	Geneva	21.4
15	Veracruz	21.4
16	Amsterdam	20.6
17	Seattle	20.0
18	Toronto	19.5
19	Miami	19.4
20	Boston	18.2
21	Tel Aviv	17.5
22	Guadalajara	17.3
23	León	16.5
24	Turin	16.2
25	Los Angeles	15.2
26	Buenos Aires	14.5
27	Franca	13.7
28	New York	13.5
29	Cape Town	13.4
30	London	12.7
31	São Paulo	11.7
32	Quito	10.8
33	Kobe	9.4
34	Paris	8.8

Beyond Tampa’s lead, the top of the ranking is geographically diverse. Breda and Singapore tie for second at 29.3%, followed by Oslo at 28.8%, while Sydney and Vancouver tie at 25.9%.

North American cities have a strong showing near the top. Five rank among the top 12, including Tampa, Vancouver, Montreal, Cambridge, and Sacramento.

What Does the Green View Index Measure?

Treepedia’s Green View Index runs from 0 to 100 and estimates the percentage of tree canopy visible at a given location. Its methodology analyzes Google Street View panoramas using computer vision, providing a pedestrian-level perspective of greenery rather than a satellite view.

This distinction matters because a city with large parks may not necessarily score highly if those trees are not visible from its streets. Treepedia also covers a selection of prominent cities with suitable Street View imagery rather than every urban area worldwide.

As a result, the ranking is best understood as a comparison of street-level greenery among the cities included in Treepedia, not a definitive ranking of every city worldwide.

Why Does Tampa Rank First?

Tampa’s subtropical climate provides favorable growing conditions, while maintaining an urban canopy also requires active management. The city runs sustainability and community initiatives through its Green Team, including tree planting and other environmental projects.

Protecting mature trees is especially important because replacing canopy is a long-term process. Tampa also regulates the removal and replacement of protected trees, helping preserve greenery as the city develops.

More broadly, the ranking highlights an important distinction in urban greening: large parks alone do not necessarily translate into greener-looking streets. Trees integrated into sidewalks, neighborhoods, and transportation corridors have a more direct effect on what pedestrians see.

Why Street-Level Greenery Matters

Street trees can cool urban environments through shade and evapotranspiration while helping mitigate air pollution and absorb stormwater. As climate extremes intensify, researchers are increasingly emphasizing urban vegetation as part of climate adaptation and sustainable city planning.

Recent research on street-level vegetation also highlights the importance of targeting greening efforts so access to greenery is distributed more equitably across neighborhoods.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To see how U.S. cities compare on urban greenery, check out How Green Are America’s Cities in 2025? on the Voronoi app.

Five-year depreciation varies dramatically by model, with a spread of more than 50 percentage points between the best and worst performers in this ranking.

This graphic ranks cars with the highest and lowest five-year depreciation in 2026, based on data from iSeeCars. The automotive research firm analyzed more than 950,000 five-year-old used vehicles sold between March 2025 and February 2026, with prices adjusted to 2026 dollars.

The study compares each vehicle’s average used price with its original manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or MSRP. Lower depreciation means a vehicle retained a larger share of its original purchase price.

Porsche Sports Cars Hold Their Value Best

The Porsche 718 Cayman stands out as the strongest performer, depreciating by just 9.6% over five years.

That works out to an average decline of only $6,988 from its original MSRP of approximately $72,800. The Porsche 911 follows at 11.1%, while the Chevrolet Corvette ranks third at 18.7%.

Rank	Model	Avg 5-Year Depreciation	Avg $ Difference from MSRP
1	Porsche 718 Cayman	9.6%	$6,988
2	Porsche 911	11.1%	$15,533
3	Chevrolet Corvette	18.7%	$13,365
4	Toyota Tacoma	19.9%	$6,426
5	Toyota Tundra	21.2%	$8,746
6	Honda Civic	22.9%	$5,828
7	Subaru BRZ	23.7%	$8,489
8	Toyota GR Supra	24.0%	$13,963
9	Toyota RAV4 Hybrid	25.2%	$7,731
10	Toyota Corolla Hatchback	25.5%	$6,220
11	Toyota 4Runner	25.5%	$10,697
12	Lexus RC 300/350	26.6%	$12,674
13	Ford Mustang	26.8%	$9,205
14	Toyota Corolla	27.6%	$6,328
15	Toyota Sienna	28.5%	$11,530

Sports cars take four of the top seven spots, with the Porsche 718 Cayman and 911 joined by the Chevrolet Corvette and Subaru BRZ. The results show that some enthusiast models can retain value far better than the broader market despite their relatively high purchase prices.

Toyota Models Dominate the Low-Depreciation Rankings

Known for its long-standing reputation for vehicle reliability, Toyota has a particularly strong showing among models that hold their value.

The Tacoma and Tundra rank fourth and fifth, depreciating 19.9% and 21.2%, respectively. Toyota’s seven entries span pickups, SUVs, compact cars, and a minivan, suggesting that the brand’s resale strength extends well beyond a single model or vehicle category.

EVs and Luxury Vehicles Lose Value Fastest

At the other end of the ranking, the Nissan LEAF has the highest five-year depreciation at 63.1%. The Volkswagen ID.4 follows at 62.1%, while the Tesla Model S loses 62.0%.

Rank	Model	Avg 5-Year Depreciation	Avg $ Difference from MSRP
1	Nissan LEAF	63.1%	$17,743
2	INFINITI QX80	62.8%	$52,631
3	Volkswagen ID.4	62.1%	$28,010
4	Tesla Model S	62.0%	$58,907
5	Land Rover Range Rover	61.7%	$69,856
6	BMW 7 Series	61.6%	$61,141
7	Tesla Model X	61.2%	$61,216
8	Ford Mustang Mach-E	60.8%	$22,976
9	BMW 5 Series (hybrid)	59.5%	$44,921
10	INFINITI QX60	58.3%	$30,099
11	Land Rover Range Rover Sport	58.3%	$45,272
12	Audi Q5 (hybrid)	58.2%	$34,063
13	Land Rover Discovery	57.9%	$34,878
14	Tesla Model Y	57.8%	$26,020
15	Audi A8 L	57.6%	$54,824

Six EVs rank among the 15 fastest-depreciating vehicles: the Nissan LEAF, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Tesla Model Y.

Older EVs can face resale pressure as newer models offer improvements in range, charging speeds, and technology, while changes in new-vehicle pricing can also affect used values.

A newer EV may therefore be more competitive than a five-year-old model on range, charging performance, or software.

Luxury vehicles also feature prominently. The Land Rover Range Rover loses 61.7% of its value, equal to an average decline of $69,856 from MSRP, the largest dollar loss among the models shown. The BMW 7 Series, INFINITI QX80, and Range Rover Sport also post steep declines.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the cheapest car brands to own and maintain.

Trade balances can vary dramatically relative to the size of an economy.

Using data from the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, this graphic maps trade surpluses and deficits around the world as a share of GDP.

How Trade Balances Compare Around the World

Trade balances range from large surpluses among export-heavy energy producers and manufacturing hubs to sizable deficits in economies that buy more from abroad than they sell.

The table below compares 190 economies by their trade balance in goods and services as a share of GDP. Positive figures indicate a surplus, while negative figures indicate a deficit.

Rank	Country	Trade Balance 2025 (% of GDP)
1	Macao	43.2%
2	Gabon	35.1%
3	Bahrain	33.2%
4	Papua New Guinea	28.9%
5	UAE	27.8%
6	Libya	24.1%
7	Ireland	22.9%
8	Luxembourg	21.7%
9	Brunei Darussalam	21.1%
10	Qatar	19.5%
11	Singapore	16.3%
12	Aruba	15.3%
13	Guyana	14.9%
14	Taiwan	14.5%
15	Turkmenistan	14.0%
16	Guinea	13.9%
17	Laos	13.7%
18	Burkina Faso	12.9%
19	Netherlands	12.3%
20	Slovenia	10.7%
21	Malta	10.4%
22	Oman	10.2%
23	Norway	10.0%
24	Iran	9.8%
25	Côte d'Ivoire	9.3%
26	Hungary	8.9%
27	Kuwait	8.8%
28	Czech Republic	8.7%
29	Chad	8.1%
30	Ghana	7.8%
31	Malaysia	7.5%
32	Equatorial Guinea	7.2%
33	Costa Rica	7.1%
34	Mongolia	7.0%
35	Angola	6.4%
36	Djibouti	6.1%
37	China	5.5%
38	Kazakhstan	4.5%
39	Peru	4.1%
40	Lithuania	3.6%
41	Poland	3.5%
42	Cyprus	3.2%
43	Spain	3.1%
44	Switzerland	3.0%
45	Germany	2.7%
45	Russia	2.7%
47	Denmark	2.4%
48	South Korea	2.3%
49	Belgium	2.2%
50	Myanmar	2.1%
50	Italy	2.1%
52	Slovak Republic	2.0%
53	Ecuador	1.9%
54	Vietnam	1.8%
55	Chile	1.6%
56	Indonesia	1.5%
57	Tunisia	1.1%
58	Panama	0.5%
58	Israel	0.5%
58	Portugal	0.5%
61	Austria	0.2%
62	Brazil	0.1%
62	Australia	0.1%
64	Argentina	-0.3%
64	Sweden	-0.3%
66	Uruguay	-0.4%
67	Nigeria	-0.5%
67	Saudi Arabia	-0.5%
67	Eswatini	-0.5%
70	Cambodia	-0.6%
70	New Zealand	-0.6%
72	Tanzania	-0.7%
73	Thailand	-0.8%
74	Canada	-0.9%
74	Japan	-0.9%
76	France	-1.2%
77	Mexico	-1.6%
78	Türkiye	-1.8%
79	Democratic Republic of the Congo	-2.0%
79	Azerbaijan	-2.0%
79	Finland	-2.0%
82	Zambia	-2.1%
82	Bolivia	-2.1%
84	Estonia	-2.2%
85	Trinidad and Tobago	-2.3%
86	Republic of Congo	-2.6%
87	Albania	-2.7%
87	Bulgaria	-2.7%
89	Zimbabwe	-3.0%
89	Belarus	-3.0%
89	United Kingdom	-3.0%
92	U.S.	-3.2%
93	Gambia	-3.3%
94	Algeria	-3.4%
94	Iraq	-3.4%
96	South Africa	-3.5%
97	Niger	-3.7%
98	Benin	-3.9%
98	Belize	-3.9%
98	Latvia	-3.9%
101	Greece	-4.2%
101	Iceland	-4.2%
103	India	-4.3%
104	Colombia	-4.5%
105	Senegal	-4.6%
106	Sierra Leone	-4.7%
106	Dominican Republic	-4.7%
108	Venezuela	-5.2%
108	Croatia	-5.2%
110	South Sudan	-5.5%
110	Romania	-5.5%
112	Bangladesh	-6.1%
113	Sri Lanka	-6.6%
113	Guinea-Bissau	-6.6%
115	Mali	-7.1%
116	Serbia	-7.2%
117	Botswana	-7.4%
118	Seychelles	-7.7%
119	Kenya	-8.1%
120	Cameroon	-8.3%
120	Bahamas	-8.3%
122	Sudan	-8.6%
123	Suriname	-8.7%
124	Philippines	-9.0%
125	Pakistan	-9.4%
126	Central African Republic	-10.0%
127	Mozambique	-11.0%
128	Egypt	-11.3%
128	Armenia	-11.3%
130	Morocco	-11.4%
131	Madagascar	-11.7%
132	Liberia	-12.2%
132	Ethiopia	-12.2%
134	Uganda	-12.6%
135	Marshall Islands	-12.7%
136	Hong Kong	-12.8%
137	Togo	-13.4%
138	Afghanistan	-13.6%
139	Mauritius	-13.9%
140	Solomon Islands	-14.0%
140	Haiti	-14.0%
142	Paraguay	-14.5%
143	Sao Tomé and Principe	-14.8%
143	Fiji	-14.8%
145	Uzbekistan	-15.3%
146	Bosnia and Herzegovina	-15.7%
147	Rwanda	-15.8%
147	Burundi	-15.8%
149	Mauritania	-16.2%
150	North Macedonia	-16.4%
151	Nicaragua	-16.7%
152	Samoa	-16.8%
153	Jordan	-17.0%
154	Honduras	-17.2%
155	Georgia	-17.5%
156	Guatemala	-17.6%
157	Malawi	-18.0%
158	Namibia	-18.3%
159	Jamaica	-18.9%
160	Comoros	-20.1%
161	Somalia	-20.3%
162	Nauru	-20.5%
163	Barbados	-22.5%
164	Ukraine	-23.0%
165	El Salvador	-24.8%
166	Montenegro	-27.7%
167	Nepal	-28.9%
168	Moldova	-30.5%
169	Dominica	-31.6%
170	Vanuatu	-33.2%
171	Saint Kitts and Nevis	-34.8%
172	Saint Lucia	-34.9%
173	Tonga	-35.6%
174	Bhutan	-38.0%
175	Tajikistan	-38.7%
176	Antigua and Barbuda	-39.9%
177	Micronesia	-40.0%
178	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	-40.1%
179	Maldives	-41.4%
180	Andorra	-42.4%
181	Grenada	-43.5%
182	Cabo Verde	-44.0%
183	Palau	-46.1%
184	Tuvalu	-46.6%
185	Kyrgyz Republic	-46.9%
186	Lebanese Republic	-48.2%
187	Lesotho	-54.4%
188	Yemen	-56.4%
189	Timor-Leste	-61.4%
190	Kiribati	-165.3%

Two of the world’s largest economies sit on opposite sides of the trade balance.

China ran a trade surplus equal to 5.5% of GDP in 2025, compared with a 3.2% deficit in the United States. In goods alone, China’s trade surplus reached a record $1.2 trillion in 2025.

Germany and South Korea also recorded surpluses of 2.7% and 2.3% of GDP, respectively. Germany’s export base is anchored by cars and machinery, while South Korea is a global powerhouse in semiconductors.

Several other major economies ran deficits, including India (-4.3%), the UK (-3.0%), France (-1.2%), Canada (-0.9%), and Japan (-0.9%).

Why Some Countries Run Much Larger Trade Surpluses

Energy exports help explain some of the largest surpluses. The UAE, Qatar, Oman, Norway, and Kuwait all benefit from sizable oil and gas exports, while economies such as Ireland, Singapore, and Taiwan play major roles in pharmaceuticals, technology, and semiconductors.

Trade deficits, meanwhile, do not necessarily signal economic weakness. A deficit simply means a country imports more goods and services than it exports. The U.S., for example, was the world’s largest goods importer in 2025 at roughly $3.5 trillion, even as it ranked second globally in exports.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the biggest shifts in U.S. trade in 2026.

The United States stands out dramatically in the 2026 Radford/FGCU Report on Serial Killer Statistics, which compiles identified serial killers by country.

These figures reflect documented cases rather than the true prevalence of serial murder. Differences in law enforcement, case classification, record accessibility, and reporting can significantly affect country totals.

The U.S. Dominates Documented Cases

The following table shows countries with at least 10 identified serial killers, excluding offenders whose crimes spanned multiple countries. Radford University defines a serial killer as an offender who commits the unlawful killing of two or more victims in separate events.

Rank	Country	Identified Serial Killers	% of Serial Killers
1	United States	3,803	62.91
2	England	188	3.11
3	Russia	172	2.85
4	Australia	153	2.53
5	Japan	145	2.40
6	India	135	2.23
7	South Africa	132	2.18
8	Canada	130	2.15
9	Germany	105	1.74
10	Italy	102	1.69
11	France	97	1.60
12	Mexico	73	1.21
13	China	69	1.14
14	Brazil	46	0.76
15	Poland	31	0.51
16	Spain	31	0.51
17	Hungary	30	0.50
18	Austria	25	0.41
19	Colombia	24	0.40
20	Netherlands	21	0.35
21	Belgium	19	0.31
22	Czech Republic	18	0.30
23	Argentina	18	0.30
24	Sweden	16	0.26
25	Türkiye	16	0.26
26	Thailand	15	0.25
27	Scotland	14	0.23
28	Nigeria	14	0.23
29	Pakistan	14	0.23
30	Greece	13	0.22
31	Kenya	13	0.22
32	Iran	13	0.22
33	Ukraine	12	0.20
34	South Korea	11	0.18

The gap between first and second place is enormous. The U.S. has 3,803 identified serial killers, more than 20 times England’s total of 188. Russia ranks third with 172, followed by Australia (153) and Japan (145).

This disparity does not necessarily mean Americans are inherently more likely to become serial killers. Radford University researcher Mike Aamodt has argued that U.S. cases are easier to identify and document because police, prison, and public records are relatively accessible.

As a result, these figures are best understood as a ranking of identified cases, not the true prevalence of serial murder. Countries with less accessible records may have cases that were never identified or documented. Similar measurement challenges affect comparisons of the world’s most dangerous countries, where results depend heavily on which crimes are measured and recorded.

Why Have Serial Killings Declined?

Serial killing in the U.S. peaked decades ago. Research cited by Northeastern University estimates that nearly 300 known serial killers were active during the 1970s, compared with fewer than 50 during the 2010s, a decline of more than 80%.

Several factors may explain the decline. DNA evidence, surveillance cameras, and improved information sharing between police departments have made it considerably harder for repeat offenders to remain unidentified across multiple crimes.

Changing social behavior may have played a role as well. Hitchhiking and other situations that left people isolated with strangers were more common during the peak decades. The decline also occurred alongside broader changes in violent crime, though homicide rates across regions show that lethal violence remains highly uneven around the world.

Other explanations remain debated. Author Caroline Fraser has explored environmental lead exposure as one potential contributor to the earlier surge in violent behavior, while criminologist James Alan Fox has emphasized factors including demographics, improved policing, and advances in forensics. No single theory fully explains the rise and subsequent decline.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

For another data-driven look at mortality, see The Top Causes of Death in the United States on the Voronoi app.

Sixteen years after Instagram launched, its biggest personal accounts have audiences numbering in the hundreds of millions.

This visualization ranks the 20 most-followed people on Instagram as of late August 2026, based on follower counts on the platform. Accounts belonging to brands have been excluded from this ranking.

The Big Two of Soccer

Cristiano Ronaldo leads all individual accounts with 679 million followers, putting him 163 million ahead of Lionel Messi. Only Instagram’s official account has more followers than the 41-year-old Portuguese soccer star.

Ronaldo has transformed his two-decade-long soccer career and massive social media presence into lucrative sponsorship deals. He reportedly earns over $3 million per sponsored post, contributing to his off-field earnings and status as the world’s highest-paid athlete.

The table below ranks the world’s 20 most-followed people on Instagram.

Rank	Account	Millions of Followers (2026)	Profession
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	679	Athlete
2	Lionel Messi	516	Athlete
3	Selena Gomez	403	Actress
4	Dwayne Johnson	381	Actor
5	Kylie Jenner	381	Media Personality
6	Ariana Grande	363	Actress & Musician
7	Kim Kardashian	344	Media Personality
8	Beyonce	299	Musician
9	Khloe Kardashian	291	Media Personality
10	Justin Bieber	286	Musician
11	Kendall Jenner	277	Media Personality
12	Taylor Swift	273	Musician
13	Virat Kohli	272	Athlete
14	Neymar	242	Athlete
15	Jennifer Lopez	240	Actress & Musician
16	Kourtney Kardashian	209	Media Personality
17	Miley Cyrus	205	Actress & Musician
18	Katy Perry	195	Musician
19	Zendaya	177	Actress
20	Kevin Hart	172	Actor

Ronaldo’s longtime rival, Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi, ranks second with 516 million followers. The Inter Miami captain recently announced his retirement from international soccer on Instagram, sparking reactions around the world.

Messi has also produced the most-liked post in Instagram history. His carousel celebrating Argentina’s victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup has received more than 75 million likes.

Actors, Musicians, and Kardashians

Following the two soccer legends is a string of American celebrities, led by Selena Gomez with 403 million followers. After beginning her career as a singer and actress on Disney Channel, the 34-year-old Gomez used her social media reach to help build a fortune through her Rare Beauty cosmetics company.

Next are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kylie Jenner, both with 381 million followers. Jenner’s sisters and half-sisters are also heavily represented: Kim Kardashian has 344 million followers, Khloé Kardashian has 291 million, Kendall Jenner has 277 million, and Kourtney Kardashian has 209 million.

Unlike platforms such as X, Instagram’s most-followed people include no politicians or traditional business leaders as of 2026.

Virat Kohli Nearly Matches Taylor Swift

While Americans account for 14 of the top 20 spots, several of Instagram’s largest personal accounts belong to international sports stars. Brazil’s Neymar has 242 million followers, while Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has 286 million.

One of the closest comparisons in the ranking is between Taylor Swift and Virat Kohli. Swift ranks 12th with 273 million followers, just one million ahead of the Indian cricket star. Kohli’s enormous audience reflects both his status as one of cricket’s biggest names and India’s position as Instagram’s largest national market.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Curious whether the next generation plans to stay on Instagram? Check out What Are Gen Z’s Favorite Social Media Platforms? on Voronoi.

What would a map of U.S. rivers look like if their size represented water flow rather than geography?

This visualization from the Pacific Institute redraws major American rivers according to their average discharge, or the volume of water flowing through them.

The result dramatically changes the familiar map of the country’s waterways. The Mississippi system dominates much of the central and eastern United States, while many rivers across the West become remarkably thin.

U.S. Major Rivers Scaled by Water Flow

The Mississippi immediately dominates the flow-adjusted map, reflecting both its enormous discharge and the vast river basin it draws from.

Below are the five largest rivers in the contiguous U.S. by average discharge, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs):

Rank	River	Avg. discharge
1	Mississippi	593,000 cfs
2	Ohio	281,000 cfs
3	Columbia	262,000–273,000 cfs
4	Atchafalaya	225,000 cfs
5	Missouri	70,000–76,000 cfs

The Mississippi is the world’s seventh most powerful river by annual flow rate and ranks first in North America.

The map also highlights an important distinction between river length and discharge. The Missouri stretches farther than the Mississippi by some measurements, but carries only a fraction as much water.

Of the five rivers above, only the Columbia lies outside the Mississippi River system. The Ohio and Missouri are tributaries of the Mississippi, while the Atchafalaya is a distributary.

West vs. East

One of the map’s sharpest contrasts is between the water-rich river network of the East and the much thinner waterways of the West.

The Columbia is the major western standout. Its full river system is even larger than shown here, since its considerable tributary network extends into Canada.

The Pacific Institute notes that the Colorado is particularly interesting because its flow rate decreases as it approaches the ocean, largely because of significant withdrawals by cities and farms.

The Rio Grande, which forms much of the U.S.-Mexico border, is barely visible in this context. Once much more powerful, climate change and increasing withdrawals have contributed to stretches of the river struggling to reach the ocean.

Another Look: River Basins of North America

For another perspective on the rivers of the United States and North America, the image below maps river basins across the continent:

River Basins of North America (Credit: Adam Symington)

See all of the maps, which visualize the river basins in North America as well as on every other continent, in this post here.