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Ranked: The Most Consistent U.S. Power Sources

2026-04-01 02:48:00

Published

3 hours ago

on

The following content is sponsored by National Public Utilities Council
A graphic comparing the capacity factor of different fuel sources in the U.S. Capacity factor percentages are represented by spheres of each respective fuel.

Ranked: The Most Consistent U.S. Power Sources

Key Takeaways

  • Nuclear leads major U.S. power sources with a 91% capacity factor in 2025.
  • Geothermal, biomass, and combined cycle natural gas also post strong reliability scores.
  • Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) such as Duke Energy and Georgia Power are planning around firm generation as data center demand rises.

Reliable electricity is gaining value as utilities plan for AI-led growth and a more digital economy.

Capacity factor helps compare the fitness of power sources on this topic because it shows which technologies deliver the steadiest output over time.

This graphic, in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council, shows the most consistent U.S. power sources using data from the EIA.

Why Capacity Factor Matters

Capacity factor compares actual generation with the maximum possible output over a full year. As a result, it offers a simple way to see which power sources can run hardest when demand rises.

Here is a table that shows U.S. power sources ranked by 2025 capacity factor.

Energy Source Capacity Factor (2025)
Nuclear 91%
Geothermal 66%
Biomass 59%
Natural Gas (Combined Cycle) 58%
Wood 57%
Coal 49%
Hydroelectric 35%
Wind 34%
Solar (Photovoltaic) 24%
Petroleum (Steam Turbine) 11%

Among the major energy sources powering the U.S. today, one standout winner is nuclear.

Nuclear Leads the Ranking

Nuclear posts a 91% capacity factor, far ahead of geothermal at 66% and biomass at 59%. That lead helps explain why firm, emission-free generation remains central as U.S. data center power demand climbs.

The combined cycle variant of natural gas, with its capacity factor of 58%, is the current go-to source in the U.S. for meeting the jump in electricity demand from AI and data centers because utilities can add firm gas-fired generation faster than many other always-available options.

Meanwhile, a low capacity factor is one of the biggest downsides of wind (34%) and solar (24%), as it limits how often they can produce at high levels compared with more consistent sources. Utilities must often pair them with storage, backup generation, or grid upgrades to maintain reliability as demand grows.

How IOUs Are Responding

Several U.S. investor-owned utilities are prioritizing expanding energy capacity for the source with the highest capacity factor.

For example, Duke Energy filed an early site permit application on December 30, 2025, for a potential nuclear site at Belews Creek in North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Georgia Power’s approved 2025 IRP is designed to meet the needs of a growing Georgia, showing how major investor-owned utilities are planning for higher loads with firm generation, grid upgrades, and long-range strategy.

Together, those moves show why capacity factor matters beyond a ranking. It helps utilities identify which power sources can support growth, strengthen resilience, and keep decarbonization plans moving.

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Mapped: America’s Data Center Construction Boom

2026-04-01 01:24:09

Map of U.S. data centers under construction by state

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Mapped: America’s Data Center Construction Boom

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

  • Texas leads the U.S. with 140 data centers under construction, just ahead of Virginia with 136.
  • Texas and Virginia are the only states with more than 100 projects underway as of March 2026.
  • The buildout is highly uneven: 12 states have none under construction, while 11 have fewer than five.

America’s data center buildout is increasingly concentrated in a handful of states as AI demand drives a new wave of digital infrastructure investment. Texas and Virginia alone account for far more projects under construction than most of the country combined.

This map shows the number of data centers currently under construction in each U.S. state as of March 2026, based on data from Aterio.

Data Centers Under Construction by U.S. State, 2026

Texas leads data construction by a narrow margin, but the bigger story is how sharply development clusters around states with access to land, power, connectivity, and favorable permitting.

Rank State Data Centers Under Construction
1 Texas 140
2 Virginia 136
3 Georgia 56
4 Ohio 51
5 Arizona 35
6 Nevada 29
7 Indiana 23
8 Mississippi 21
9 Illinois 19
10 Iowa 15
11 Oregon 14
12 North Carolina 12
12 South Carolina 12
12 Wisconsin 12
12 Maryland 12
16 Pennsylvania 11
16 Louisiana 11
18 Utah 10
19 Oklahoma 9
20 Missouri 8
20 Alabama 8
20 Wyoming 8
23 California 6
23 Colorado 6
25 Nebraska 5
25 New Mexico 5
27 Minnesota 4
27 North Dakota 4
29 Washington 3
29 New York 3
29 Tennessee 3
32 Florida 2
32 New Jersey 2
32 Kentucky 2
32 Arkansas 2
32 Idaho 2
37 Michigan 1
37 Kansas 1
39 Massachusetts 0
39 Connecticut 0
39 Delaware 0
39 New Hampshire 0
39 District Of Columbia 0
39 West Virginia 0
39 Montana 0
39 Maine 0
39 Rhode Island 0
39 South Dakota 0
39 Hawaii 0
39 Vermont 0

U.S. data center capacity is set to expand rapidly as artificial intelligence drives a new wave of infrastructure demand. Meeting that demand will require enormous investment in power, land, and construction, and the buildout is already well underway. Big Tech is expected to spend $700 billion on AI data centers this year alone, helping accelerate projects across a small number of key states.

Texas leads the nation with 140 data centers under construction, narrowly ahead of Virginia with 136. They are the only two states with more than 100 projects underway as of March 2026, putting them well ahead of the rest of the country.

After those two, there is a sharp drop to Georgia at 56 and Ohio at 51. That gap highlights just how concentrated the current buildout is, with most states seeing only modest activity. In fact, 12 states have no data centers under construction at all, while another 11 have fewer than five.

Virginia’s strength is centered in Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” one of the world’s most important internet hubs. The region’s dense fiber connectivity, established cloud presence, and proximity to major population and enterprise centers have helped attract operators including Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft.

A huge portion of global internet traffic passes through the region, which is only set to grow as more data centers are established.

Clashes With Communities

The same factors attracting data center developers, especially access to power and land, are also creating new bottlenecks.

In fast-growing markets, the surge in electricity demand is beginning to test grid capacity and raise questions about how quickly utilities can keep pace. In Texas, developers have created levels of demand that could be impossible to meet.

The boom has also sparked resistance in some communities near proposed sites. In rural Georgia, for instance, residents cite widespread concerns about sound, light, and environmental pollution. In addition, one resident says a data center has caused her private well to run dry; data centers are water-intensive operations because they use water for cooling.

As a result, policymakers in some states and municipalities are considering tighter rules on future development, ranging from stricter environmental reviews to temporary pauses on new projects.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the data center buildout, check out this graphic showing which states are winning and losing the most market share.

Ranked: The Fastest-Growing Major Economies in 2025 & 2026

2026-03-31 23:36:00

Published

6 hours ago

on

The following content is sponsored by Hinrich Foundation
Radial bar chart showing projected real GDP growth of major economies, using data from the IMF.

The Fastest-Growing Major Economies in 2025 & 2026

   

Key Takeaways

  • India leads global growth, with GDP forecast at 6.6% in 2025 and 6.2% in 2026, well ahead of all major economies.
    •        
  • Southeast Asia remains resilient, with Indonesia sustaining 4.9% growth across both years.
    •        
  • Advanced economies lag behind, with the U.S. (~2%) and Europe (~1% or less) highlighting a widening global growth divide.
    •        

As the global economy adjusts elevated levels of geopolitical uncertainty, growth is becoming increasingly uneven. This divergence is reshaping where economic power and opportunity will emerge in the years ahead.

This graphic, created in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, provides visual context to the economies driving global growth in 2025 and 2026.

Data comes from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook. It’s part of a deep dive report, India’s Reckoning: How geopolitics and trade are testing India’s development strategy and the global balance of power.

Emerging Markets Drive Global Growth

The global economy is entering a phase of uneven expansion. Emerging markets are firmly in the driver’s seat, according to IMF projections. 

India stands out as the fastest growing major economy, projected to expand at more than triple the pace of most developed nations (6.2% in 2026).

Country Real GDP Growth 2025 (%) Real GDP Growth 2026 (%)
🇮🇳 India 6.6 6.2
🇮🇩 Indonesia 4.9 4.9
🇨🇳 China 4.8 4.2
🇧🇷 Brazil 2.4 1.9
🇺🇸 U.S. 2.0 2.1
🇬🇧 UK 1.3 1.3
🇯🇵 Japan 1.1 0.6
🇫🇷 France 0.7 0.9
🇷🇺 Russia 0.6 1.0
🇩🇪 Germany 0.2 0.9

Close behind, Indonesia and China are expected to maintain strong momentum, with expansion rates above 4% for 2025 and 2026. 

A Widening Growth Gap

In contrast, advanced economies are facing slower, more constrained growth. The U.S. is forecast to grow modestly at around 2%, while countries like Japan, France, and Germany are expected to hover below 1% for 2026.

This divergence reflects structural differences, from demographics and productivity to investment cycles, and signals a broader shift in where future economic expansion will occur.

For investors and policymakers, this growing gap underscores the importance of looking beyond traditional markets for opportunities.

Go Deeper

India’s rise is reshaping the global economic landscape. But as growth accelerates, the country faces a reckoning: translating economic scale into shared prosperity while navigating intensifying geopolitical competition.

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Ranked: Where China Has Invested Most in the Last 20 Years

2026-03-31 22:19:09

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Graphic showing the destinations of Chinese overseas investment between 2005 and 2025.

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Where China Has Invested Most in the Last 20 Years

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

  • Between 2005 and 2025, Chinese companies invested over $1.5 trillion overseas.
  • Over half of this amount went to just ten countries.
  • The U.S. was the largest single investment destination, receiving over $204 billion in investments.

As China has grown to become the world’s second-largest economy, its role in global markets has also shifted. Whereas once China was primarily seen as a destination for international investment, in recent decades it has become an increasingly large investment source itself.

This graphic maps out China’s overseas investment since 2005, highlighting the distribution of Chinese foreign direct investment in different countries using data from the China Global Investment Tracker (CGIT) co-produced by the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation.

Between 2005 and 2025, Chinese companies invested over $1.5 trillion abroad, with over half of this investment ($806.8 billion) heading to just 10 countries. Only transactions valued at $100 million or more were included.

The Reality of Sino-American Investment Ties

No country has received more Chinese investment since the country’s opening than the United States, into which $204.14 billion has been invested by Chinese companies between 2005 and 2025. The largest single reported investment in the U.S. was Shuanghui’s $7.1 billion acquisition of Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, in 2013.

The data table below provides an overview of the dozens of Chinese investment destinations worldwide:

Rank Country Chinese Investment in $B (2005-2025)
1 🇺🇸 United States 204.14
2 🇦🇺 Australia 108.12
3 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 106.58
4 🇧🇷 Brazil 78.88
5 🇨🇭 Switzerland 62.87
6 🇨🇦 Canada 57.28
7 🇩🇪 Germany 56.34
8 🇮🇩 Indonesia 49.37
9 🇸🇬 Singapore 46.11
10 🇫🇷 France 37.07
11 🇷🇺 Russia 34.25
12 🇵🇪 Peru 29.10
13 🇲🇾 Malaysia 27.93
14 🇮🇹 Italy 25.75
15 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 25.22
16 🇳🇱 Netherlands 21.95
17 🇨🇩 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 19.93
18 🇫🇮 Finland 18.48
19 🇨🇱 Chile 17.55
20 🇮🇳 India 17.28
21 🇸🇪 Sweden 17.25
22 🇱🇦 Laos 16.82
23 🇵🇰 Pakistan 16.56
24 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 15.70
25 🇮🇶 Iraq 15.56
26 🇰🇭 Cambodia 14.59
27 🇰🇷 Korea, South 14.31
28 🇻🇳 Vietnam 14.21
29 🇬🇾 Guyana 14.04
30 🇭🇺 Hungary 13.80
31 🇪🇸 Spain 13.54
32 🇦🇷 Argentina 13.21
33 🇯🇵 Japan 12.78
34 🇮🇱 Israel 12.73
35 🇬🇳 Guinea 12.11
36 🇵🇹 Portugal 11.80
37 🇹🇭 Thailand 11.73
38 🇿🇦 South Africa 11.73
39 🇬🇷 Greece 9.66
40 🇪🇬 Egypt 8.75
41 🇨🇴 Colombia 8.35
42 🇳🇬 Nigeria 8.28
43 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 8.16
44 🇮🇪 Ireland 8.12
45 🇳🇴 Norway 7.97
46 🇩🇲 Dominica 7.96
47 🇪🇨 Ecuador 7.96
48 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 7.74
49 🇲🇲 Myanmar 7.09
50 🇹🇷 Türkiye 6.83
51 🇿🇲 Zambia 6.78
52 🇲🇽 Mexico 6.50
53 🇧🇪 Belgium 5.83
54 🇷🇸 Serbia 5.76
55 🇳🇪 Niger 5.57
56 🇦🇴 Angola 5.50
57 🇲🇿 Mozambique 4.92
58 🇮🇷 Iran 4.72
59 🇲🇳 Mongolia 4.66
60 🇬🇭 Ghana 4.65
61 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 4.59
62 🇻🇪 Venezuela 4.57
63 🇵🇭 Philippines 4.38
64 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 4.38
65 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 4.30
66 🇳🇦 Namibia 4.21
67 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 3.85
68 🇲🇦 Morocco 3.82
69 🇳🇿 New Zealand 3.80
70 🇸🇾 Syria 3.76
71 🇴🇲 Oman 3.73
72 🇧🇳 Brunei 3.59
73 🇺🇬 Uganda 3.32
74 🇦🇫 Afghanistan 3.07
75 🇧🇼 Botswana 2.85
76 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 2.79
77 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 2.77
78 🇨🇬 Congo, Republic of the 2.61
79 🇵🇱 Poland 2.61
80 🇨🇲 Cameroon 2.58
81 🇹🇿 Tanzania 2.58
82 🇰🇪 Kenya 2.32
83 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 2.30
84 🇰🇵 Korea, North 2.00
85 🇯🇴 Jordan 1.96
86 🇸🇰 Slovakia 1.86
87 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan 1.79
88 🇹🇩 Chad 1.63
89 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 1.62
90 🇸🇮 Slovenia 1.39
91 🇹🇼 Taiwan 1.22
92 🇨🇾 Cyprus 1.20
93 🇯🇲 Jamaica 1.17
94 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 1.17
95 🇳🇵 Nepal 1.12
96 🇦🇹 Austria 1.11
97 🇪🇷 Eritrea 1.07
98 🇶🇦 Qatar 1.05
99 🇹🇯 Tajikistan 1.00
100 🇩🇿 Algeria 0.96
101 🇨🇿 Czechia 0.86
102 🇩🇰 Denmark 0.84
103 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire 0.79
104 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda 0.74
105 🇲🇺 Mauritius 0.74
106 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.73
107 🇩🇯 Djibouti 0.70
108 🇰🇼 Kuwait 0.65
109 🇲🇱 Mali 0.60
110 🇱🇷 Liberia 0.52
111 🇨🇺 Cuba 0.50
112 🇾🇪 Yemen 0.47
113 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 0.44
114 🇲🇹 Malta 0.44
115 🇧🇴 Bolivia 0.40
116 🇧🇾 Belarus 0.40
117 🇬🇦 Gabon 0.40
118 🇬🇪 Georgia 0.37
119 🇸🇷 Suriname 0.36
120 🇧🇸 Bahamas 0.35
121 🇵🇦 Panama 0.31
122 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 0.30
123 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 0.27
124 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 0.27
125 🇸🇩 Sudan 0.26
126 🇭🇷 Croatia 0.22
127 🇲🇼 Malawi 0.20
128 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 0.20
129 🇹🇬 Togo 0.19
130 🇺🇦 Ukraine 0.18
131 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 0.17
132 🇲🇬 Madagascar 0.15
133 🇹🇳 Tunisia 0.13
134 🇷🇼 Rwanda 0.12
135 🇲🇻 Maldives 0.11
136 🇼🇸 Samoa 0.11
137 🇲🇪 Montenegro 0.10
138 🇭🇳 Honduras 0.00

Major foreign investments and acquisitions are subject to approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which in recent years has grown increasingly skeptical of Chinese investment as U.S.-China relations have worsened.

However, 2025 still saw over $3.79 billion in new investments, indicating that even growing bilateral competition does not mean full economic decoupling between the world’s two largest economies.

The Remainder of the Top 10

Following the U.S., a majority of the top 10 Chinese investment destinations since 2005 are large, developed Western economies like Australia ($108.1 billion), Switzerland ($62.9 billion), Canada ($57.3 billion), Germany ($56.3 billion), France ($37.1 billion), and the United Kingdom ($106.6 billion).

There are two major emerging-market exceptions to this, Brazil ($78.9 billion) and Indonesia ($49.4 billion), both of which are BRICS+ partners of China. Brazil was the top investment destination worldwide in 2025, receiving over $7.31 billion in capital from major Chinese firms such as State Grid and China Communications Construction.

Singapore, a city-state of just over 6 million people, has seen over $46 billion in investment since 2005, a figure roughly equivalent to that seen in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most-populous country, reflecting the value of a mature and diversified economy in attracting Chinese investment.

One notable exception from the top 10: India, the world’s fourth-largest economy and a BRICS+ giant, which received only $17.3 billion in Chinese investment over this period, a consequence perhaps of Sino-Indian diplomatic and economic tensions.

The Role of State-Owned Corporations

Unlike other major investor peers like Germany, Japan, or the U.S., China’s outward investment activity is dominated by state-owned enterprises in key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and logistics.

For example, State Grid, a utility giant and the world’s third-largest company by overall revenue behind only Walmart and Amazon, has invested over $33 billion abroad since 2005, with particularly massive investments in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Russia, and the Philippines.

Other state-owned energy conglomerates such as China National Petroleum Corporation and China Three Gorges have also invested tens of billions of dollars overseas in recent decades, seeking both to secure resources for China’s growing demand while also addressing infrastructure gaps in emerging markets.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing China’s $18.6 Trillion Economy on Voronoi.

Mapped: Each State’s Share of Total U.S. Exports

2026-03-31 20:02:29

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Map showing each state's share of U.S. exports in 2025.

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Mapped: Each State’s Share of Total U.S. Exports

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 $450.3B in exports, Texas alone accounts for 21.8% of the national total, more than double California’s share.
  • Just a handful of states dominate—the top six exceed the rest of the country combined.
  • Energy exports power Texas and Louisiana, while tech and aerospace drive coastal states.

America’s $2.1 trillion export economy is not only massive, it is highly concentrated geographically.

A small group of states dominates America’s trade footprint, powered by energy, advanced manufacturing, and technology. From Texas’s oil and gas shipments to California’s tech-driven supply chains, regional industries play an outsized role in shaping the country’s global trade position.

This map breaks down each state’s share of total U.S. exports in 2025, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

A Highly Concentrated Export Economy

In 2025, just six states drove more exports than the rest of the country combined.

Texas stands firmly at the top, with $450.3 billion in exports. Its dominance has been fueled by a surge in oil and gas shipments, which more than doubled between 2020 and 2025 amid strong European demand and expanding LNG infrastructure.

California ranks second, contributing 9.1% of total exports ($188.4 billion). Its export mix is led by high-value technology goods, with computer equipment alone reaching $25.5 billion in 2025.

Rank State Share of Total 2025 Value
1 Texas 21.8% $450.3B
2 California 9.1% $188.4B
3 New York 7.4% $153.1B
4 Louisiana 4.5% $93.4B
5 Illinois 3.9% $80.0B
6 Florida 3.8% $78.9B
7 Indiana 3.3% $68.8B
8 Washington 3.2% $65.3B
9 Georgia 2.9% $60.3B
10 Michigan 2.8% $58.3B
11 Ohio 2.7% $55.9B
12 Pennsylvania 2.5% $52.2B
13 Kentucky 2.5% $50.6B
14 Arizona 2.2% $44.4B
15 New Jersey 2.1% $44.2B
16 North Carolina 2.1% $43.8B
17 Massachusetts 1.9% $38.8B
18 South Carolina 1.9% $38.5B
19 Tennessee 1.8% $37.7B
20 Oregon 1.4% $28.0B
21 Wisconsin 1.3% $27.1B
22 Alabama 1.1% $23.7B
23 Minnesota 1.1% $23.5B
24 Utah 1.1% $22.4B
25 Virginia 0.9% $19.0B
26 Missouri 0.9% $18.7B
27 Connecticut 0.9% $17.7B
28 Maryland 0.8% $16.5B
29 Iowa 0.8% $16.2B
30 New Mexico 0.7% $15.3B
31 Kansas 0.7% $14.6B
32 Mississippi 0.7% $14.2B
33 Nevada 0.6% $12.7B
34 Colorado 0.5% $11.0B
35 North Dakota 0.4% $8.6B
36 Nebraska 0.4% $7.8B
37 Oklahoma 0.4% $7.5B
38 New Hampshire 0.3% $7.2B
39 Alaska 0.3% $6.7B
40 Arkansas 0.3% $6.6B
41 Delaware 0.3% $5.5B
42 West Virginia 0.2% $4.6B
43 Idaho 0.2% $4.6B
44 Rhode Island 0.2% $4.2B
45 Dist of Columbia 0.2% $3.7B
46 Maine 0.2% $3.2B
47 Montana 0.1% $2.1B
48 Vermont 0.1% $2.1B
49 Wyoming 0.1% $2.0B
50 South Dakota 0.1% $1.9B
51 Hawaii 0.02% $0.4B

With $153.1 billion in exports, New York follows in third place with a 7.4% share, seeing the fastest-rising annual export growth nationally.

In 2025, exports increased 63%, driven by precious metals refining. As a global hub for refining gold, silver, and copper, exports soared amid strong foreign demand.

Louisiana, ranked fourth, exported $93.4 billion worth of goods. As the largest LNG exporter in the U.S., it accounted for roughly 60% of the country’s LNG shipments in 2025.

Meanwhile, aerospace exports continue to anchor several states’ trade performance. Florida (3.8%), Washington (3.2%), and Georgia (2.9%) all rank among the leading exporters, each posting at least 9% annual growth.

The Fastest-Growing Export States

Beyond the top exporters, several states are seeing rapid growth driven by key industries.

Arizona (+37%) and New Mexico (+27%) benefited from booming semiconductor demand, tied to global supply chain shifts and rising investment in AI infrastructure. Notably, New Mexico’s semiconductor exports have grown more than fourfold since 2022, reaching $7 billion.

Precious metals also played a major role in export growth. Alongside New York, states like Utah (+23%) and Nevada (+22%) saw strong gains due to refining activity.

Overall, as global demand shifts and new industries emerge, these geographic patterns will continue to evolve, reshaping where—and how—the U.S. competes on the world stage.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on China’s top trading partners in 2025.

Ranked: The Countries With the Most Data Centers

2026-03-31 05:32:00

Click to view this graphic in higher-resolution. 

Ranked: The Countries With the Most Data Centers

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. hosts 43% of the world’s data centers, with 4,088 total.
  • Germany and the UK are nearly tied for second place, separated by just one facility.
  • Europe’s FLAP-D corridor remains a global hub for cloud and AI infrastructure.

The U.S. is home to 43% of the world’s data centers, by far the largest share globally.

As artificial intelligence scales, countries are racing to build the infrastructure needed to support it both now and in the future.

Because AI applications require low latency, data centers are increasingly being built closer to end users—fueling a global expansion in capacity.

This treemap graph visualizes which countries have the most data centers, using data from Data Center Map as of March 2026.

Which Country Has the Most Data Centers?

Most of the world’s data centers are in the U.S., at 4,088, which is more than eight times higher than the next country. AI penetration is greater in developed countries, so it also makes sense that data center locations skew this way.

Rank Country Number of Data Centers
1 🇺🇸 United States 4,088
2 🇩🇪 Germany 507
3 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 506
4 🇨🇳 China 369
5 🇫🇷 France 346
6 🇨🇦 Canada 286
7 🇮🇳 India 278
8 🇦🇺 Australia 270
9 🇯🇵 Japan 255
10 🇮🇹 Italy 216
11 🇧🇷 Brazil 204
12 🇪🇸 Spain 195
13 🇳🇱 Netherlands 187
14 🇮🇩 Indonesia 185
15 🇷🇺 Russia 181
16 🇮🇪 Ireland 127
17 🇨🇭 Switzerland 114
18 🇸🇪 Sweden 110
19 🇫🇮 Finland 105
20 🇵🇱 Poland 99
21 🇳🇴 Norway 92
22 🇩🇰 Denmark 82
23 🇹🇷 Türkiye 76
24 🇲🇽 Mexico 64
25 🇷🇴 Romania 63
26 🇦🇹 Austria 53
27 🇧🇪 Belgium 48
28 🇵🇹 Portugal 45
29 🇺🇦 Ukraine 37
30 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 31
31 🇨🇿 Czechia 26
31 🇬🇷 Greece 26
33 🇱🇻 Latvia 24
34 🇱🇹 Lithuania 20
34 🇸🇮 Slovenia 20
36 🇨🇾 Cyprus 18
37 🇭🇺 Hungary 17
38 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 16
38 🇭🇷 Croatia 16
40 🇸🇰 Slovakia 13
40 🇷🇸 Serbia 13
42 🇪🇪 Estonia 12
42 🇮🇸 Iceland 12
42 🇲🇹 Malta 12
45 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 7
46 🇲🇩 Moldova 6
47 🇬🇪 Georgia 4
47 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4
49 🇲🇨 Monaco 3
49 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 3
51 🇧🇾 Belarus 2

Germany, which has the largest population in the European Union, is the second most data center-dense country at 507. The UK is close behind at 506.

Many data centers are clustered around the traditional FLAP-D corridor of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin, which are close to metropolitan hubs and financial markets that need fast cloud and, increasingly, AI connections.

It makes sense, then, that France trails closely at 346, though China sits between it and the UK at 369 data centers.

Canada, India, and Australia—large countries with ample land to develop—are next in line, home to 270 data centers or more.

At the bottom of the dataset is Belarus, with two data centers, along with Monaco and Azerbaijan, which both have three.

The Future of Data Centers

As the world aggressively builds out its data center capacity, key questions remain around where infrastructure will go, given the finite nature of land and resources.

Some developers are investing in co-benefits for local communities to aid buy-in. In Ireland, for instance, which had a moratorium on data centers until late last year, an AWS data center feeds its excess heat into a district heating network for social housing and public buildings.

Others are exploring more radical ideas, like putting data centers into orbit.

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To learn more about AI, check out this graphic, which shows which countries use Claude.ai the most.