Visual CapitalistModify

2025-12-24 21:10:54

Visualizing the Relationship Between Country Size and GDP

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.

When comparing countries, two common metrics are land area and GDP. But how closely are they actually related?

This visualization, created by Julie Peasley, juxtaposes the land area and economic output of the 30 largest countries in the world. It draws from World Bank GDP data and Wikipedia’s country size estimates, offering a unique look at just how different these measures can be.

Here’s the full data used in the visualization:

While China is slightly larger in land area than the U.S. (by about 72,000 sq. km), America’s GDP is over $10 trillion higher. Meanwhile, Russia and Canada—two of the largest countries—fall behind in economic output, illustrating the lack of a strong link between size and GDP.

Does Geographic Size Influence GDP?

Looking at this data, there’s no strong correlation between landmass and economic output. According to a 2023 research paper, GDP is more strongly influenced by population and infrastructure than sheer physical size.

For instance, India, with only a third of the U.S. or China’s landmass, ranks third in GDP due to its massive population and growing industrial base. On the flip side, Australia and Canada boast vast territories but smaller populations, limiting their economic scale.

Outliers That Punch Above Their Weight

Several countries in the visualization illustrate this dynamic vividly:

• Japan and Germany: Relatively small in landmass but economic powerhouses, ranking high in global GDP.
• Indonesia: The fourth most populous country, yet its GDP lags behind similarly sized countries due to development disparities.
• Brazil: A mix of large area and moderate economic power, it sits in the middle of the pack.

As this chart shows, while landmass can support economic activity (through agriculture, resource extraction, etc.), it does not guarantee high GDP. In fact, many of the most prosperous countries are relatively small but highly industrialized and urbanized.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Looking to explore more comparisons like this? Check out Comparing the Land Area of the 15 Largest Countries in the World on the Voronoi app.

2025-12-24 21:10:19

Countries That Work on December 25th

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.

Christmas Day is often viewed as a near-universal public holiday. In many parts of the world, December 25th brings nationwide closures, family gatherings, and religious observances.

Across Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, however, millions of people still go to work on December 25th as if it were any other day.

The data for this visualization comes from World Population Review. It highlights countries where Christmas is not recognized as a public holiday, meaning government offices, schools, and businesses typically remain open.

Where Christmas Is Not a Day Off

Countries that do not observe Christmas as a public holiday span multiple regions and belief systems. They include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bhutan, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam, and Yemen, among others.

Country	Aprox. Population (2025)
China (excl. HK & Macau)	1.41 billion
Japan	123 million
Vietnam	101 million
Iran	90 million
Turkey	86 million
Thailand	71 million
Algeria	46 million
Afghanistan	43 million
Morocco	38 million
Saudi Arabia	37 million
Uzbekistan	36 million
Yemen	35 million
North Korea	26 million
Taiwan	23 million
Somalia	18 million
Cambodia	17 million
Tunisia	12 million
Tajikistan	11 million
Azerbaijan	10 million
United Arab Emirates	10 million
Israel	10 million
Libya	7 million
Turkmenistan	6 million
Mauritania	5 million
Oman	5 million
Kuwait	4 million
Mongolia	3 million
Qatar	3 million
Bahrain	2 million
Comoros	1 million
Bhutan	800,000
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	600,000
Maldives	500,000

In many of these nations, Christianity is not the dominant religion, and public holidays instead reflect Islamic, Buddhist, or secular traditions.

Celebration vs. Public Recognition

Not recognizing Christmas as a public holiday does not necessarily mean it is banned or ignored. In several countries, Christian minorities are still free to celebrate privately or through church services. Workers may take personal leave if permitted, and festive traditions may persist in limited forms.

Taiwan presents a unique example. December 25th is a public holiday, but not because of Christmas—it marks Constitution Day. As a result, most people have the day off, even though Christmas itself is not the official reason.

Turkey, meanwhile, currently does not recognize any Christian religious holidays at the national level. However, in December 2025, Syriac member of parliament George Aryo proposed legislation to make Christmas an official public holiday, citing multiculturalism and equal citizenship.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The world’s top 10 spoken languages in 1996 versus 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2025-12-24 02:22:41

The Online Marketplaces Getting AI Traffic

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.

Online shopping is increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. From product discovery to price comparison, AI tools are now acting as intermediaries between consumers and digital storefronts.

This visualization shows which online marketplaces are receiving the most referral traffic from AI sources and how concentrated this traffic is among a handful of major players.

The data for this visualization comes from Similarweb. It tracks AI-generated referral traffic between July 2024 and June 2025, measuring both share of referrals and total visit volumes.

Amazon’s Outsized Lead

Across all platforms, AI tools drove an estimated 25.9 million referrals over the 12-month period.

Amazon stands far ahead of every other marketplace. The platform captured 46% of all AI-driven marketplace traffic, totaling roughly 11.9 million visits. This dominance reflects Amazon’s massive product catalog, strong brand recognition, and deep integration into search and recommendation ecosystems.

AI tools tend to surface comprehensive, reliable results, which favors platforms with Amazon’s scale.

Big-Box Retailers and Marketplaces Follow

Behind Amazon, Walmart secured 12% of AI referrals, or about 3.1 million visits. Etsy followed closely with 11%, reflecting strong AI interest in niche goods. eBay rounded out the top tier with 9% of referrals.

Traditional retailers like Target and Wayfair each captured around 6% of AI traffic.

Smaller Platforms

Beyond the top six marketplaces, AI traffic drops off sharply. Costco, Sam’s Club, Temu, and Zazzle each received between 1% and 2% of referrals, amounting to a few hundred thousand visits apiece. Collectively, all other marketplaces accounted for just 5% of AI-driven traffic.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: The Top Factors That Build AI Trust on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2025-12-23 23:44:22

Top Exporters of Christmas Decorations

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.

Christmas decorations are a global business, with supply chains that stretch across continents well before the holiday season begins. From ornaments and lights to artificial trees and festive displays, most of these products are manufactured and shipped months in advance.

This graphic highlights the world’s largest exporters of Christmas decorations in 2024. The data for this visualization comes from UN Comtrade via Statista.

China’s Overwhelming Lead

China is by far the world’s largest exporter of Christmas decorations. In 2024, it shipped $5.97 billion worth of festive goods globally. This figure is more than 20 times larger than that of the second-ranked exporter.

Rank	Country	Decorations Exports
1	China	$5.9B
2	Netherlands	$249M
3	India	$117M
4	Cambodia	$103M
5	Poland	$92M
6	Germany	$77M
7	U.S.	$60M
8	Mexico	$32M
9	France	$30M
10	Denmark	$30M

China’s dominance reflects its massive manufacturing base, cost efficiencies, and deep integration into global retail supply chains. For many countries, Christmas decorations are almost synonymous with Chinese production.

Europe’s Specialized Exporters

The Netherlands ranks second, exporting roughly $249 million in Christmas decorations. While small compared to China, the country acts as a key logistics and re-export hub within Europe.

Germany, Poland, France, and Denmark also appear among the top exporters. These countries often focus on higher-quality or niche products, including premium ornaments, lighting, and traditional designs that cater to European and North American markets.

Rising Asian and Regional Suppliers

Beyond China, several Asian countries play growing roles in this market. India exported $117 million worth of Christmas decorations in 2024, while Cambodia shipped about $103 million. These countries are increasingly attractive to manufacturers looking to diversify supply chains.

Mexico and the U.S. also appear in the top 10, reflecting regional production aimed at serving nearby markets more efficiently and reducing shipping times.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Biggest Importers in 2024 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2025-12-23 21:06:10

Chart: Countries Stockpiling the Most Gold Since 2000

Since the turn of the century, central banks have been steadily increasing their gold reserves, a trend that has sharply accelerated in the last few years. As global trust in traditional reserve currencies like the U.S. dollar is being tested by inflation, sanctions, and shifting alliances, many nations are turning to gold as a strategic store of value.

This chart by Aneesh Anand visualizes the net additions to official gold reserves from 2000 to 2024, using data from the World Gold Council, IMF, World Bank, and other central banking sources.

Who’s Stacking?

Here’s a closer look at the top countries stockpiling gold in the 21st century:

Russia leads all countries with a stunning increase of 1,948 tonnes of gold since 2000, narrowly edging out China’s 1,885 tonnes. Together, these two powers account for more than half of all gold stockpiled by central banks in the period.

Why Are Russia and China Hoarding Gold?

The dramatic increase in gold holdings by Russia and China is part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar. After facing Western sanctions, Russia has accelerated its dedollarization strategy, favoring gold to protect reserves from seizure or devaluation.

China’s motives are also strategic. Amid trade tensions with the U.S. and a growing desire to internationalize the yuan, Beijing has been quietly amassing gold, often through discreet central bank purchases and reported transfers from domestic mines.

Russia and China have even engaged in historic bilateral gold trade deals that bypass the U.S. financial system.

These moves align with a broader trend, where central banks now hold more gold than U.S. Treasuries, underscoring gold’s rising appeal in a geopolitically fragmented world.

Emerging Markets Follow Suit

While Russia and China dominate in volume, several emerging economies are also rapidly accumulating gold:

• India (+518 tonnes) has boosted reserves in response to currency volatility and inflation concerns.
• Türkiye (+501 tonnes) has leaned on gold amid economic turbulence and lira devaluation.
• Poland and Kazakhstan have each added hundreds of tonnes as part of diversified reserve strategies.

Meanwhile, Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar are increasing gold holdings as part of broader economic diversification under Vision 2030 and related national strategies.

Gold’s Enduring Allure

According to Discovery Alert, central banks are expected to remain net buyers of gold through 2025 and beyond. As inflationary fears, geopolitical fragmentation, and currency diversification needs persist, gold remains a neutral and enduring store of value, especially for nations seeking independence from Western financial systems.

2025-12-23 19:12:12

China Still Dominates Critical Mineral Refining in 2030

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.

The energy transition hinges on the availability of refined critical minerals. Where will they come from in the future?

This visualization shows the projected refining shares by 2030, based on data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the International Energy Agency.

With one major exception, the data shows that one country will dominate future refining shares. China.

China to Dominate the Future of Critical Mineral Refining

By 2030, China will play a dominant role in lithium, rare earth elements (REEs), cobalt, and graphite, controlling nearly 60% of all critical mineral refining. Such concentrated processing capacity offers efficiencies that may lower costs but heightens geopolitical risk for downstream buyers.

It also leaves limited room for late-moving countries looking to gain share without major capital commitments.

Country	Nickel	Copper	Lithium	REE	Cobalt	Graphite (Synthetic)	Graphite (Natural)
China	6.24%	44.63%	60.86%	86.11%	71.42%	85.16%	70.50%
Indonesia	71.24%	—	—	—	—	—	6.30%
Russia	3.26%	—	—	—	—	—	—
DRC	—	7.96%	—	—	—	—	—
India	—	6.41%	—	—	—	3.06%	—
Chile	—	—	11.59%	—	—	—	—
Argentina	—	—	11.58%	—	—	—	—
United States	—	—	—	5.14%	—	2.79%	7.22%
Malaysia	—	—	—	2.27%	—	—	—
Finland	—	—	—	—	5.87%	—	0.69%
Canada	—	—	—	—	5.73%	—	4.47%
South Korea	—	—	—	—	—	—	3.56%
Australia	—	—	—	—	—	—	2.01%
Sweden	—	—	—	—	—	—	1.84%
Morocco	—	—	—	—	—	—	1.15%
Saudi Arabia	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.94%
Uganda	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.72%
Tanzania	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.58%
Other	19.27%	40.99%	15.98%	6.49%	16.97%	8.98%	—

Nickel’s Outlier: Indonesia Leads, China Trails

Nickel is the one mineral where China is not on top. Indonesia will command over 71.24% of refined nickel by leveraging its large ore reserves, expanding low-cost refineries, and enforcing a ban on raw ore exports.

China’s share is just 6.24%, with Russia at 3.26% and the rest of the world spread across “Other” at 19.27%. This shift positions Indonesia as a price-setting force in nickel used for stainless steel or EV batteries.

Copper Is More Fragmented; North America Plays Niche Roles

Copper refining is relatively diversified. China holds 44.63%, but “Other” countries make up 40.99%, indicating broader global refining capacity.

The U.S. appears notably in rare earths (REEs) at 5.14%, while Finland and Canada register meaningful shares in cobalt at 5.87% and 5.73%, respectively.

These footholds can strengthen regional EV supply chains, but they still pale in comparison to China’s scale.

Learn More on the Voronoi App 

If you enjoyed this graphic, make sure to check out this graphic that shows how global coal consumption is still rising.