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2026-03-22 00:44:21

Mapped: Which Gulf States Depend Most on Tourism?

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Bahrain and the UAE stand out as the Gulf’s most tourism-reliant economies, with visitor spending playing a much larger role in their economies than in neighboring states.

This map by Iswardi Ishak breaks down international tourism receipts as a share of GDP across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies based on UN Tourism data, revealing which economies are most exposed to swings in global travel demand.

Tourism’s Role Across Gulf Economies

Below, we break down tourism receipts as a share of GDP in GCC economies, as well as others for comparison:

Country/Territory	Int'l Tourism Receipts as % of GDP	Total Int'l Tourism Receipts (USD Billions)
Bahrain	10.6%	5
United Arab Emirates	10.3%	57
Greece	9.1%	23.4
Thailand	8.1%	42.7
Spain	6.2%	106.5
Hong Kong	5.5%	22.5
Singapore	4.4%	23.8
Türkiye	4.1%	56.3
Qatar	3.8%	8.4
Saudi Arabia	3.3%	41
Italy	2.5%	58.7
Oman	2.4%	2.6
France	2.4%	77
Kuwait	1.4%	2.3
Japan	1.4%	54.7
India	0.9%	35
U.S.	0.8%	214
China (Mainland)	0.2%	39.7

The UAE and Bahrain each derive more than 10% of GDP from international tourism, placing them among the most tourism-exposed economies globally. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Oman remain far less dependent on international visitors.

Tourism as a Diversification Strategy

Across the Gulf, tourism has been central to economic diversification strategies aimed at reducing reliance on oil. The UAE stands out as the region’s most tourism-dependent major economy, with Dubai in particular positioning itself as a global travel hub.

Bahrain, while smaller, also leans heavily on tourism, though much of it is regional, with visitors frequently arriving from neighboring Saudi Arabia. In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is anchored by religious travel, particularly the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

Countries like Qatar and Oman fall somewhere in between, investing heavily in tourism infrastructure but still deriving a relatively modest share of GDP from the sector.

Rising Risks from Regional Conflict

However, the region’s growing reliance on tourism also introduces new vulnerabilities. As tensions escalate in the Middle East, recent strikes on infrastructure and explicit warnings that tourist sites could be targeted have raised concerns across global travel markets.

Industry analysts warn that prolonged conflict could have a chilling effect on international travel demand, particularly in perceived high-risk regions. This creates a direct economic risk for countries like the UAE and Bahrain, where tourism is a key pillar of growth.

Even Saudi Arabia faces potential disruption, especially if instability affects major religious gatherings that attract millions annually.

How the GCC Compares Globally

Globally, tourism-dependent economies vary widely. Countries like Greece (9.1%) and Thailand (8.1%) derive significant shares of GDP from tourism, while larger economies like the U.S. (0.8%) and China (0.2%) are far less reliant.

The GCC’s top performers now rival established tourism markets, but with geopolitical risks rising, that reliance could quickly turn into a vulnerability.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Explore more data on global tourism trends in this post: Which Country Gains The Most From Tourism?

2026-03-21 22:37:04

Ranked: Which Countries See Their People as Most Moral

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.

People in most countries tend to see their fellow citizens as moral. But one country stands apart: the United States is the only place in Pew’s 2025 survey where a majority of respondents said their compatriots are not moral.

This graphic ranks 25 countries by the share of respondents who said people in their country are moral, based on Pew Research Center’s Spring 2025 Global Attitudes Survey.

The Most Moral Countries Worldwide

Canada and Indonesia lead among surveyed countries, with 92% of respondents in both countries generally believing in their fellow citizens’ morality.

Canada edges slightly ahead, with 7% of respondents saying their compatriots are immoral, compared to 8% in Indonesia.

The following table reflects the percentage of respondents who answered that people in their country were either moral or immoral.

Country	Fellow Citizens are Moral	Fellow Citizens are Not Moral
Indonesia	92	8
Canada	92	7
Sweden	88	12
India	88	9
Australia	85	14
Mexico	83	17
Japan	83	16
UK	82	17
Netherlands	80	19
South Korea	78	22
Kenya	72	28
Germany	72	27
Nigeria	71	29
Spain	71	28
Argentina	70	29
Poland	70	28
Hungary	68	31
Israel	68	27
South Africa	63	36
Italy	59	40
Greece	55	44
France	55	43
Türkiye	51	49
Brazil	51	48
U.S.	47	53

The mix of countries at the top challenges common assumptions about what drives these perceptions. Indonesia and India (88%) are highly diverse societies, yet they rank alongside more homogeneous countries like Japan (83%) and Hungary (68%).

Meanwhile, the relatively equal responses between countries like Canada and Indonesia, or India and Sweden (both 88%), also dispel notions about the distinguishing factor being tied to the economic development level of the country.

The Sole Outlier

One country does emerge as a clear outlier in this ranking.

In contrast to their northern neighbors in Canada, a whopping 53% of respondents in the U.S. answered that they believe their fellow citizens are immoral. This is the only country where a positive social opinion was the minority.

A few factors may help explain the unique responses by American respondents, including deep political polarization and worsening tribalism across the country, as well as long-running national debates surrounding religion and gun violence.

Notably, while rising numbers of members of both mainstream political parties believe their opponents to be immoral, in this survey Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents were far likelier than their Republican counterparts to answer negatively.

American Peers Around the World

While the U.S. is the only country where most respondents declared their fellow citizens immoral, other countries do also reflect relatively divided views of their national citizenry.

This trend can be found not only in large developing countries like Brazil and Türkiye (both 51%) but also established Western European democracies like France (55%) and Italy (59%).

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Survey: The Countries Most Optimistic About 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-03-21 20:04:50

How 50 Global Cities Rank for Raising a Family

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Not every city is created equally when it comes to raising a family. From cost of living to access to green spaces, each city offers different parental perks.

This world map compares 50 major cities worldwide for raising children, incorporating data from a 2026 index created by Compare the Market that weighs diverse variables.

The index specifically evaluates cities based off safety, happiness, cost of living, family benefits, parental leave, child vaccination rates, green spaces, child activities, education spending to reach an aggregate score.

Australia: The Clear Favorite for Raising a Family

No country is better represented than Australia, which has four cities in the top 10 due in part to the country’s relative safety and happiness scores. Brisbane even clinches the first-place spot, helped in large part by its vast number of open green spaces and parks.

The data table below lists the ranking of 50 global cities for raising a family, alongside their score in the index:

Rank	City	Index Score
1	Brisbane	6.457
2	London	5.992
3	Auckland	5.460
4	Helsinki	5.305
5	Sydney	5.239
6	Perth	5.120
7	Melbourne	5.056
8	Stockholm	5.008
9	Berlin	4.969
10	Seoul	4.904
11	Paris	4.637
12	New Delhi	4.591
13	Prague	4.542
14	Copenhagen	4.449
15	Barcelona	4.377
16	Lisbon	4.352
17	Wellington	4.344
18	Rome	4.328
19	Vienna	4.234
20	Madrid	4.234
21	Manchester	4.111
22	Tokyo	4.090
23	Brussels	4.060
24	Amsterdam	4.020
25	Munich	3.969
26	Santiago	3.929
27	Mumbai	3.901
28	New York	3.895
29	Toronto	3.794
30	Rio de Janeiro	3.775
31	Montreal	3.762
32	Osaka	3.676
33	Chicago	3.634
34	Dallas	3.633
35	Frankfurt	3.630
36	São Paulo	3.579
37	Zurich	3.551
38	San Francisco	3.528
39	Milan	3.500
40	Houston	3.389
41	Johannesburg	3.307
42	Washington D.C.	3.274
43	Bogotá	3.266
44	Los Angeles	3.225
45	Istanbul	3.222
46	Cape Town	3.180
47	Buenos Aires	3.040
48	Phoenix	2.982
49	Durban	2.752
50	Mexico City	2.425

Given the high placement of Sydney (5th), Perth (6th), and Melbourne (7th) as well, Australian cities offer a strong mix of affordability, parental leave benefits, and public spaces for families.

Beyond Australia, Oceania is also well represented due to New Zealand’s two entries, including Auckland (3rd) and Wellington (17th).

The European Center of Gravity

Led by London (2), Europe is the center of gravity for family-friendly cities, with four cities in the top 10.

Northern European cities like Helsinki (4) and Stockholm (8) perform especially well, although Mediterranean metropolises such as Barcelona (15) and Rome (18) also score favorable rankings.

The most expensive city on the list, Zurich, scores a 37th-place finish, while Europe’s largest city, Istanbul, manages to eke out a position at 45.

Lower-Ranked Cities in the Americas

Notably, not a single city in the Americas reaches the top half of the list.

New York, the most populous city in the United States, leads the hemisphere with the #29 position.

Within Latin America, lower prices and higher happiness scores are offset by safety concerns and weaker parental benefits.

Santiago (26) and Rio de Janeiro (30) lead the region, while Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico each see their respective capital cities in the bottom quintile of the list.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Global Cost of Living Index 2026 on Voronoi.

2026-03-21 00:47:14

Ranked: The Deadliest Types of Extreme Weather Worldwide

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.

Extreme weather has caused more than 832,000 deaths worldwide since 1995, along with trillions in economic damage. But the human toll varies widely by hazard.

This visualization compares the deadliest types of extreme weather worldwide from 1995 to 2024, based on data from Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index 2026, revealing how fatalities and economic losses differ across hazards.

Heat Waves Are the Deadliest Weather Hazard

More than 832,000 people died due to extreme weather events from 1995 to 2024, which also caused $4.5 trillion in direct economic damage — almost as much as the UK’s GDP.

Below, we show how different extreme weather events stack up. The data reveals a clear divide between events that cause the most fatalities and those that drive the greatest economic losses.

Heatwaves were the deadliest type of extreme weather events, accounting for 278,395 global fatalities. Heat can exacerbate existing health conditions, while heat stroke can be life-threatening.

However, it had the lowest economic loss at $32.9 billion, highlighting that it can be a silent killer without a trail of destruction behind it like other extreme weather events.

Some of the deadliest heatwaves took place in typically mild regions. In 2022, over 60,000 people died in Europe amid extreme heat, while 56,000 people perished in a 2010 Russian heatwave.

Storms followed closely with 274,750 fatalities; they also racked up the largest bill, at $2.6 trillion. Some countries are more exposed than others, facing storms and cyclones on a recurring basis.

Myanmar experienced significant losses in 2008 when Cyclone Nargis caused over 138,000 fatalities, while in Honduras Hurricane Mitch caused $7 billion worth of damage and 14,000 deaths. Both countries have high risks of hurricanes and hazards.

Flooding, which includes both flash floods and river floods, was responsible for 205,452 deaths and $1.3 trillion of economic damage.

Drought and wildfires were responsible for 25,283 and 2,791 excess deaths, respectively. They cost countries $287.0 billion and $177.6 billion in direct damage.

Other events, including cold waves, severe winter conditions, mass movement and glacier lake outburst floods, collectively saw 45,611 deaths and resulted in the second-lowest level of economic damage, at $65 billion.

Disproportionate Impact on the Global South

The Climate Risk Index noted that extreme weather events disproportionately impact the Global South; six out of 10 of the most affected countries between 1995 and 2024 were lower-middle-income, per the report.

Such countries are on the frontlines of climate change but have the least economic capacity to adapt to it.

The need to support developing nations has been widely recognized. At COP30 in Brazil, international governments agreed to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate action and triple adaptation financing by 2035.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about how extreme weather affects the economy, check out this graphic which charts its impact on the U.S.

2026-03-20 21:23:13

The World’s Happiest Countries, Ranked Each Year (2015–2025)

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Over the last decade, the world’s happiest countries have remained remarkably consistent at the top, with Nordic nations dominating the rankings year after year. But beneath that stability, there have been notable shifts—including Costa Rica’s recent surge into the top five and the disappearance of countries like Canada and Australia from the top 10.

This chart tracks how the world’s happiest countries have moved up and down the rankings each year since 2015, based on survey data from over 140 countries compiled by Gallup and published in the 2026 World Happiness Report

Finland has now held the top spot for nine consecutive years, while several longtime contenders have slipped or dropped out entirely.

The Dominance of Finland and Northern Europe

Scandinavian and Northern European countries overall have dominated the top of the leaderboard over the last decade, with Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden consistently scoring alongside Finland among the top five countries worldwide.

The following tables highlight annual rankings in 2015 and 2025 of the world’s happiest countries. Each year’s score is averaged with the previous two years, meaning 2015’s results reflect data from 2013–2015.

Rank	Country	Score (2015)
1	Denmark	7.526
2	Switzerland	7.509
3	Iceland	7.501
4	Norway	7.498
5	Finland	7.413
6	Canada	7.404
7	Netherlands	7.339
8	New Zealand	7.334
9	Australia	7.313
10	Sweden	7.291

And here’s how the top 10 looked in 2025, the most recent year covered:

Rank	Country	Score (2025)
1	Finland	7.764
2	Iceland	7.54
3	Denmark	7.539
4	Costa Rica	7.439
5	Sweden	7.255
6	Norway	7.242
7	Netherlands	7.223
8	Israel	7.187
9	Luxembourg	7.063
10	Switzerland	7.018

The Nordic model’s success in building relatively egalitarian and prosperous societies is often cited as a key reason for these consistently high rankings.

In addition, given the methodology’s subjective nature, social and cultural norms almost certainly factor into the countries’ consistently high scores relative to other regions of Europe and the world.

Beyond Scandinavia and the Nordics

Meanwhile, Western European peers have also been mainstays in the last decade’s annual top 10 rankings.

The Netherlands has placed at least seventh every year of the 2015-2025 period, while Luxembourg has made regular appearances in the top 10 since 2019.

Switzerland has made appearances in every year’s top 10 with the exception of 2024, although its overall ranking has substantially dropped since its second-place peak in 2015. Austria, a regular top 10 scorer up to 2020, has made no post-pandemic appearances.

Non-European Entries From Around the World

Beyond Europe, countries from every continent except Africa and South America have ranked among the 10 happiest countries worldwide between 2015 and 2025.

Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have each made sporadic appearances in the years up to 2024, while Israel has been a regular high-scorer since it first entered the top 10 in 2021.

Two Latin American countries have also made appearances in recent years, with Mexico reaching tenth in 2024 and Costa Rica soaring to a dramatic fourth-place finish in 2025.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing Happiness Across the Americas on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-03-20 19:36:23

How Much Rent Has Risen in 30 Major U.S. Cities Since 2020

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Rents across major U.S. cities have surged 36% since 2020, reflecting the ripple effects of pandemic migration, tight housing supply, and rising demand in Sun Belt metros.

Using data from Zillow, this visualization compares rent inflation across 30 major U.S. cities between 2020 and January 2026, revealing where prices have climbed the fastest, and where growth has been more subdued.

Some cities have seen rent increases of more than 50%, while others have experienced significantly slower growth despite already high housing costs.

Miami Saw the Biggest Rent Increase Since 2020

Since 2020, Miami has seen the fastest rent growth in the U.S., with prices soaring 53%.

Back in 2020, rent in Miami cost $1,725, based on typical mid-market rents adjusted for the local housing mix.

By January 2026, it climbed to $2,645, now higher than rents in Seattle and Washington, DC. This coincided with a pandemic-era migration wave that added roughly 250,000 residents to the region.

Tampa ranks second, with 50% rent inflation. While monthly rent remains more affordable than Miami, at $1,986, prices have shot up by $664. Even more strikingly, the Tampa Bay region grew by 497,000 residents, likely owing to its relative affordability.

Rent Inflation Varies Across California Cities

While Riverside and San Diego saw among the fastest-growing rents nationwide, San Francisco price growth was muted.

Riverside rents boomed 48% as residents moved away from costlier California metros. Over the period, rents jumped $795, reaching $2,464 per month, marking the third-highest increase across cities analyzed.

By contrast, San Francisco saw the slowest rent growth, rising just 13% since 2020. Amid growing affordability concerns, roughly 116,000 residents left the city, helping ease pressure on rental prices.

Notably, Austin followed a similar pattern of slower rent growth, with prices rising 14% over the period. Unlike San Francisco, however, the key factor was record apartment construction that significantly increased supply and moderated rent increases.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s top 20 cities with sky-high rent.