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Ranked: The Most Productive Countries in the World

2026-04-14 21:49:53

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app.

Horizontal bar chart showing GDP generated per hour worked by OECD countries.

Use This Visualization

Ranked: The Most Productive Countries in the World

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

  • Ireland ranks #1 in GDP per hour at $151, far ahead of its peers—but the figure is heavily influenced by multinational corporations.
  • European economies dominate the top of the ranking, with Norway and Luxembourg also exceeding $120 per hour.
  • The U.S. generates $97 per hour—above average, but behind many smaller, high-income economies.

Not all hours worked generate the same economic value.

This chart ranks OECD countries by GDP per hour worked, a common measure of productivity. The gap at the top is striking: Ireland produces over 50% more per hour than most advanced economies.

However, these figures come with an important caveat. In countries like Ireland and Luxembourg, productivity is significantly boosted by multinational firms shifting profits, which can inflate GDP relative to actual domestic output.

Using data from the OECD, this visualization highlights where workers appear most productive—and what drives those differences.

GDP per Hour Worked by Country

With output per hour at $151 in purchasing power parity-adjusted dollars, Ireland stands well above its peers.

This table shows GDP per hour worked by country in 2023, in PPP-adjusted dollars, which account for differences in cost of living:

Country GDP Per Hour Worked
Purchasing Power Parity Dollars
🇮🇪 Ireland $151
🇳🇴 Norway $132
🇱🇺 Luxembourg $125
🇧🇪 Belgium $100
🇨🇭 Switzerland $99
🇩🇰 Denmark $99
🇺🇸 United States $97
🇦🇹 Austria $95
🇮🇸 Iceland $95
🇳🇱 Netherlands $94
🇩🇪 Germany $94
🇸🇪 Sweden $90
🇫🇷 France $88
🇫🇮 Finland $83
🇦🇺 Australia $79
🇬🇧 United Kingdom $79
🇮🇹 Italy $77
🇨🇦 Canada $75
🇪🇸 Spain $73
🇸🇮 Slovenia $66
🇮🇱 Israel $61
🇨🇿 Czechia $60
🇱🇹 Lithuania $60
🇸🇰 Slovak Republic $60
🇵🇹 Portugal $59
🇯🇵 Japan $56
🇱🇻 Latvia $56
🇳🇿 New Zealand $55
🇰🇷 Korea $55
🇭🇺 Hungary $54
🇵🇱 Poland $54
🇪🇪 Estonia $53
🇬🇷 Greece $45
🇨🇱 Chile $37
🇨🇷 Costa Rica $32
🇲🇽 Mexico $25
🇨🇴 Colombia $21
🏳 OECD Average $71

Ireland’s productivity is heavily influenced by the presence of multinational corporations, particularly in tech and pharmaceuticals. For perspective, Ireland’s productivity drops by 31% to $115 when using gross national income (GNI) as an alternative measure.

Norway ($132) and Luxembourg ($125) also benefit from distinct structural advantages. Norway is supported by its energy sector, while Luxembourg’s finance industry significantly boosts its output. Similarly, Luxembourg’s productivity drops by 54% when measured using GNI.

Countries with a higher concentration of capital-intensive or knowledge-based industries, such as technology, finance, and pharmaceuticals, tend to generate more value per hour.

Meanwhile, economies with larger shares of agriculture, tourism, or lower-value services typically report lower productivity levels.

This helps explain why countries like the U.S. ($97) and Germany ($88) rank above the OECD average of $71, given their strong industrial and innovation-driven sectors, while others fall further down the list.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s 50 largest economies by GDP in 2026.

Every S&P 500 Company in One Giant Chart

2026-04-14 19:48:03

Click to view this graphic in a higher-resolution.

Bubble graphic showing the entire S&P 500 index by company in 2026.

Use This Visualization

Every S&P 500 Company in One Giant Chart

See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • This chart shows all 500 companies in the S&P 500, sized by market cap and grouped by sector.
  • Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft alone make up about 18% of the $57.6 trillion index.
  • A small group of mega-cap companies occupies a disproportionate share of the market.

What does the entire S&P 500 actually look like?

This visualization brings all 500 companies into a single view, with each sized by its share of the index and grouped by sector. It is based on data from Slickcharts as of March 30, 2026.

Each circle represents a company, making it easy to compare how market value is distributed across sectors—and to see which firms dominate the index.

One immediate takeaway is how much space is occupied by just a handful of companies. Just 10 firms now make up over 36% of the S&P 500, up from 23% in 2000.

Ranked: The Top S&P 500 Companies by Index Weight

Nvidia is now the largest company in the S&P 500, with a 7.0% index weight—larger than entire sectors like energy or utilities.

Apple follows with a 6.3% share, while Microsoft ranks third at 4.6%. These three companies account for about 18% of the S&P 500’s total value, while AI-driven firms represent 10 of the top 20 largest companies.

This table ranks every company in the S&P 500 by index weight as of March 30, 2026:

Rank Name Sector Weight %
(Mar 30, 2026)
1 Nvidia Info Tech 7.0%
2 Apple Inc. Info Tech 6.3%
3 Microsoft Info Tech 4.6%
4 Amazon Consumer Discretionary 3.7%
5 Alphabet Inc. (Class A) Communication Services 3.0%
6 Alphabet Inc. (Class C) Communication Services 2.8%
7 Broadcom Info Tech 2.4%
8 Meta Platforms Communication Services 2.4%
9 Tesla, Inc. Consumer Discretionary 2.3%
10 Berkshire Hathaway Financials 1.8%
11 Walmart Consumer Staples 1.7%
12 Lilly (Eli) Health Care 1.4%
13 JPMorgan Chase Financials 1.3%
14 ExxonMobil Energy 1.2%
15 Johnson & Johnson Health Care 1.0%
16 Visa Inc. Financials 1.0%
17 Costco Consumer Staples 0.8%
18 Mastercard Financials 0.8%
19 Chevron Corporation Energy 0.7%
20 Oracle Corporation Info Tech 0.7%
21 Netflix Communication Services 0.7%
22 AbbVie Health Care 0.7%
23 Micron Technology Info Tech 0.6%
24 Bank of America Financials 0.6%
25 Procter & Gamble Consumer Staples 0.6%
26 Coca-Cola Company (The) Consumer Staples 0.6%
27 Palantir Technologies Info Tech 0.6%
28 Home Depot (The) Consumer Discretionary 0.6%
29 Advanced Micro Devices Info Tech 0.6%
30 Caterpillar Inc. Industrials 0.5%
31 Cisco Info Tech 0.5%
32 Merck & Co. Health Care 0.5%
33 GE Aerospace Industrials 0.5%
34 Philip Morris International Consumer Staples 0.5%
35 Applied Materials Info Tech 0.5%
36 Morgan Stanley Financials 0.4%
37 RTX Corporation Industrials 0.4%
38 Lam Research Info Tech 0.4%
39 T-Mobile US Communication Services 0.4%
40 Goldman Sachs Financials 0.4%
41 Wells Fargo Financials 0.4%
42 UnitedHealth Group Health Care 0.4%
43 Linde plc Materials 0.4%
44 IBM Info Tech 0.4%
45 McDonald's Consumer Discretionary 0.4%
46 GE Vernova Industrials 0.4%
47 Verizon Communication Services 0.4%
48 PepsiCo Consumer Staples 0.4%
49 Intel Info Tech 0.4%
50 AT&T Communication Services 0.4%
51 American Express Financials 0.4%
52 Citigroup Financials 0.3%
53 Amgen Health Care 0.3%
54 NextEra Energy Utilities 0.3%
55 Thermo Fisher Scientific Health Care 0.3%
56 Abbott Laboratories Health Care 0.3%
57 KLA Corporation Info Tech 0.3%
58 TJX Companies Consumer Discretionary 0.3%
59 Salesforce Info Tech 0.3%
60 Walt Disney Company (The) Communication Services 0.3%
61 Gilead Sciences Health Care 0.3%
62 Texas Instruments Info Tech 0.3%
63 ConocoPhillips Energy 0.3%
64 Charles Schwab Corporation Financials 0.3%
65 Intuitive Surgical Health Care 0.3%
66 Pfizer Health Care 0.3%
67 Deere & Company Industrials 0.3%
68 Boeing Industrials 0.3%
69 Analog Devices Info Tech 0.3%
70 Uber Industrials 0.3%
71 BlackRock Financials 0.3%
72 Honeywell Industrials 0.3%
73 Union Pacific Corporation Industrials 0.3%
74 Amphenol Info Tech 0.3%
75 Arista Networks Info Tech 0.3%
76 Lockheed Martin Industrials 0.2%
77 Qualcomm Info Tech 0.2%
78 Welltower Real Estate 0.2%
79 Booking Holdings Consumer Discretionary 0.2%
80 Lowe's Consumer Discretionary 0.2%
81 Danaher Corporation Health Care 0.2%
82 Eaton Corporation Industrials 0.2%
83 Chubb Limited Financials 0.2%
84 S&P Global Financials 0.2%
85 Stryker Corporation Health Care 0.2%
86 AppLovin Corporation Info Tech 0.2%
87 Palo Alto Networks Info Tech 0.2%
88 Bristol Myers Squibb Health Care 0.2%
89 Accenture Info Tech 0.2%
90 Intuit Info Tech 0.2%
91 Prologis Real Estate 0.2%
92 Progressive Corporation Financials 0.2%
93 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Health Care 0.2%
94 Altria Consumer Staples 0.2%
95 Capital One Financials 0.2%
96 CME Group Financials 0.2%
97 Medtronic Health Care 0.2%
98 Parker Hannifin Industrials 0.2%
99 Corning Inc. Info Tech 0.2%
100 ServiceNow Info Tech 0.2%
101 Newmont Materials 0.2%
102 Southern Company Utilities 0.2%
103 Constellation Energy Utilities 0.2%
104 Comcast Communication Services 0.2%
105 McKesson Corporation Health Care 0.2%
106 HCA Healthcare Health Care 0.2%
107 Dell Technologies Info Tech 0.2%
108 Duke Energy Utilities 0.2%
109 Starbucks Consumer Discretionary 0.2%
110 Northrop Grumman Industrials 0.2%
111 Adobe Inc. Info Tech 0.2%
112 CrowdStrike Info Tech 0.2%
113 Boston Scientific Health Care 0.2%
114 Waste Management Industrials 0.2%
115 General Dynamics Industrials 0.2%
116 Vertiv Holdings Co Industrials 0.2%
117 Howmet Aerospace Industrials 0.2%
118 Trane Technologies Industrials 0.2%
119 Equinix Real Estate 0.2%
120 Marriott International Consumer Discretionary 0.2%
121 Williams Companies Energy 0.2%
122 Intercontinental Exchange Financials 0.2%
123 Blackstone Inc. Financials 0.2%
124 Marsh & McLennan
Companies, Inc.
Financials 0.2%
125 CVS Health Health Care 0.2%
126 Western Digital Info Tech 0.2%
127 Sandisk Corporation Info Tech 0.2%
128 EOG Resources Energy 0.1%
129 PNC Financial Services Financials 0.1%
130 KKR Financials 0.1%
131 BNY Mellon Financials 0.1%
132 U.S. Bancorp Financials 0.1%
133 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Health Care 0.1%
134 Automatic Data Processing Industrials 0.1%
135 FedEx Industrials 0.1%
136 United Parcel Service Industrials 0.1%
137 Quanta Services Industrials 0.1%
138 Seagate Technology Info Tech 0.1%
139 Freeport-McMoRan Materials 0.1%
140 Sherwin-Williams Materials 0.1%
141 American Tower Real Estate 0.1%
142 O'Reilly Auto Parts Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
143 Nike, Inc. Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
144 Airbnb Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
145 Mondelez International Consumer Staples 0.1%
146 Schlumberger Energy 0.1%
147 Kinder Morgan Energy 0.1%
148 Valero Energy Energy 0.1%
149 Phillips 66 Energy 0.1%
150 Marathon Petroleum Energy 0.1%
151 Moody's Corporation Financials 0.1%
152 Johnson Controls Industrials 0.1%
153 3M Industrials 0.1%
154 CSX Corporation Industrials 0.1%
155 Illinois Tool Works Industrials 0.1%
156 Cadence Design Systems Info Tech 0.1%
157 Synopsys Info Tech 0.1%
158 Ecolab Materials 0.1%
159 Warner Bros. Discovery Communication Services 0.1%
160 Royal Caribbean Group Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
161 Hilton Worldwide Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
162 Ross Stores Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
163 Monster Beverage Consumer Staples 0.1%
164 Colgate-Palmolive Consumer Staples 0.1%
165 Aon Financials 0.1%
166 Cigna Health Care 0.1%
167 Cummins Industrials 0.1%
168 Emerson Electric Industrials 0.1%
169 Republic Services Industrials 0.1%
170 Cintas Industrials 0.1%
171 Motorola Solutions Info Tech 0.1%
172 CRH plc Materials 0.1%
173 American Electric Power Utilities 0.1%
174 General Motors Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
175 DoorDash Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
176 Occidental Petroleum Energy 0.1%
177 Apollo Global Management Financials 0.1%
178 Travelers Companies (The) Financials 0.1%
179 Elevance Health Health Care 0.1%
180 TransDigm Group Industrials 0.1%
181 L3Harris Industrials 0.1%
182 Norfolk Southern Railway Industrials 0.1%
183 Air Products Materials 0.1%
184 Sempra Utilities 0.1%
185 AutoZone Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
186 Baker Hughes Energy 0.1%
187 ONEOK Energy 0.1%
188 Diamondback Energy Energy 0.1%
189 Robinhood Markets, Inc. Financials 0.1%
190 Aflac Financials 0.1%
191 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Financials 0.1%
192 Truist Financial Financials 0.1%
193 Cencora Health Care 0.1%
194 Paccar Industrials 0.1%
195 Fortinet Info Tech 0.1%
196 TE Connectivity Info Tech 0.1%
197 Corteva Materials 0.1%
198 Digital Realty Real Estate 0.1%
199 Simon Property Group Real Estate 0.1%
200 Realty Income Real Estate 0.1%
201 Electronic Arts Communication Services 0.1%
202 Target Corporation Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
203 Targa Resources Energy 0.1%
204 Allstate Financials 0.1%
205 Zoetis Health Care 0.1%
206 Fastenal Industrials 0.1%
207 W. W. Grainger Industrials 0.1%
208 Ciena Corporation Info Tech 0.1%
209 Autodesk Info Tech 0.1%
210 Monolithic Power Systems Info Tech 0.1%
211 Dominion Energy Utilities 0.1%
212 Entergy Utilities 0.1%
213 Exelon Utilities 0.1%
214 Vistra Corp. Utilities 0.1%
215 Xcel Energy Utilities 0.1%
216 Ford Motor Company Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
217 Garmin Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
218 Kroger Consumer Staples 0.1%
219 Hershey Company (The) Consumer Staples 0.1%
220 Nasdaq, Inc. Financials 0.1%
221 MetLife Financials 0.1%
222 Cardinal Health Health Care 0.1%
223 Edwards Lifesciences Health Care 0.1%
224 Idexx Laboratories Health Care 0.1%
225 Becton Dickinson Health Care 0.1%
226 Ametek Industrials 0.1%
227 Carrier Global Industrials 0.1%
228 United Rentals Industrials 0.1%
229 Comfort Systems USA, Inc. Industrials 0.1%
230 NXP Semiconductors Info Tech 0.1%
231 Lumentum Holdings Inc. Info Tech 0.1%
232 Keysight Technologies Info Tech 0.1%
233 Teradyne Info Tech 0.1%
234 Public Storage Real Estate 0.1%
235 Yum! Brands Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
236 Carvana Co. Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
237 Chipotle Mexican Grill Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
238 eBay Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
239 D. R. Horton Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
240 EQT Corporation Energy 0.1%
241 Coinbase Global Financials 0.1%
242 PayPal Financials 0.1%
243 Fifth Third Bancorp Financials 0.1%
244 Ameriprise Financial Financials 0.1%
245 American International Group Financials 0.1%
246 MSCI Financials 0.1%
247 Delta Air Lines Industrials 0.1%
248 Wabtec Industrials 0.1%
249 Old Dominion Industrials 0.1%
250 Rockwell Automation Industrials 0.1%
251 Coherent, Inc. Info Tech 0.1%
252 Datadog Info Tech 0.1%
253 Nucor Materials 0.1%
254 CBRE Group Real Estate 0.1%
255 Ventas Real Estate 0.1%
256 Consolidated Edison Utilities 0.1%
257 Public Service Enterprise Group Utilities 0.1%
258 PG&E Corporation Utilities 0.1%
259 WEC Energy Group Utilities 0.1%
260 Take-Two Interactive Communication Services 0.1%
261 Live Nation Entertainment Communication Services 0.1%
262 EchoStar Corporation Communication Services 0.1%
263 Las Vegas Sands Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
264 Carnival Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
265 Keurig Dr Pepper Consumer Staples 0.1%
266 Archer Daniels Midland Consumer Staples 0.1%
267 Sysco Consumer Staples 0.1%
268 Kenvue Consumer Staples 0.1%
269 Kimberly-Clark Consumer Staples 0.1%
270 Halliburton Energy 0.1%
271 Texas Pacific Land Corporation Energy 0.1%
272 Devon Energy Energy 0.1%
273 Hartford (The) Financials 0.1%
274 State Street Corporation Financials 0.1%
275 Block, Inc. Financials 0.1%
276 Arch Capital Group Financials 0.1%
277 Prudential Financial Financials 0.1%
278 ResMed Health Care 0.1%
279 Axon Enterprise Industrials 0.1%
280 Paychex Industrials 0.1%
281 Roper Technologies Info Tech 0.1%
282 Workday, Inc. Info Tech 0.1%
283 Microchip Technology Info Tech 0.1%
284 Vulcan Materials Company Materials 0.1%
285 Martin Marietta Materials Materials 0.1%
286 Crown Castle Real Estate 0.1%
287 Charter Communications Communication Services 0.1%
288 Expedia Group Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
289 Tapestry, Inc. Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
290 Dollar General Consumer Discretionary 0.1%
291 Kraft Heinz Consumer Staples 0.1%
292 Constellation Brands Consumer Staples 0.1%
293 Coterra Energy 0.1%
294 Expand Energy Energy 0.1%
295 Huntington Bancshares Financials 0.1%
296 M&T Bank Financials 0.1%
297 Cboe Global Markets Financials 0.1%
298 Fiserv, Inc. Financials 0.1%
299 Interactive Brokers Group Financials 0.1%
300 Raymond James Financial Financials 0.1%
301 Willis Towers Watson Financials 0.1%
302 Agilent Technologies Health Care 0.1%
303 GE HealthCare Health Care 0.1%
304 Waters Corporation Health Care 0.1%
305 IQVIA Health Care 0.1%
306 Biogen Health Care 0.1%
307 Copart Industrials 0.1%
308 EMCOR Group, Inc. Industrials 0.1%
309 Ingersoll Rand Industrials 0.1%
310 Otis Worldwide Industrials 0.1%
311 Xylem Inc. Industrials 0.1%
312 United Airlines Holdings Industrials 0.1%
313 Dover Corporation Industrials 0.1%
314 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Info Tech 0.1%
315 Cognizant Info Tech 0.1%
316 Teledyne Technologies Info Tech 0.1%
317 Jabil Info Tech 0.1%
318 Dow Inc. Materials 0.1%
319 LyondellBasell Materials 0.1%
320 Iron Mountain Real Estate 0.1%
321 Vici Properties Real Estate 0.1%
322 Extra Space Storage Real Estate 0.1%
323 Atmos Energy Utilities 0.1%
324 DTE Energy Utilities 0.1%
325 Ameren Utilities 0.1%
326 NRG Energy Utilities 0.1%
327 FirstEnergy Utilities 0.1%
328 PPL Corporation Utilities 0.1%
329 CenterPoint Energy Utilities 0.1%
330 Edison International Utilities 0.1%
331 American Water Works Utilities 0.1%
332 Omnicom Group Communication Services 0.04%
333 Tractor Supply Consumer Discretionary 0.04%
334 Darden Restaurants Consumer Discretionary 0.04%
335 Ulta Beauty Consumer Discretionary 0.04%
336 PulteGroup Consumer Discretionary 0.04%
337 Williams-Sonoma Consumer Discretionary 0.04%
338 Lennar Consumer Discretionary 0.04%
339 Dollar Tree Consumer Staples 0.04%
340 Estée Lauder Companies (The) Consumer Staples 0.04%
341 Bunge Global Consumer Staples 0.04%
342 Tyson Foods Consumer Staples 0.04%
343 Church & Dwight Consumer Staples 0.04%
344 Northern Trust Financials 0.04%
345 W. R. Berkley Corporation Financials 0.04%
346 Citizens Financial Group Financials 0.04%
347 Fidelity National Information
Services
Financials 0.04%
348 Cincinnati Financial Financials 0.04%
349 Ares Management
Corporation
Financials 0.04%
350 Synchrony Financial Financials 0.04%
351 Brown & Brown Financials 0.04%
352 Loews Corporation Financials 0.04%
353 Regions Financial Corporation Financials 0.04%
354 KeyCorp Financials 0.04%
355 Mettler Toledo Health Care 0.04%
356 Dexcom Health Care 0.04%
357 LabCorp Health Care 0.04%
358 Quest Diagnostics Health Care 0.04%
359 Steris Health Care 0.04%
360 Verisk Analytics Industrials 0.04%
361 Rollins, Inc. Industrials 0.04%
362 Hubbell Incorporated Industrials 0.04%
363 Equifax Industrials 0.04%
364 Veralto Industrials 0.04%
365 Fair Isaac Info Tech 0.04%
366 Verisign Info Tech 0.04%
367 Qnity Electronics Info Tech 0.04%
368 ON Semiconductor Info Tech 0.04%
369 Steel Dynamics Materials 0.04%
370 PPG Industries Materials 0.04%
371 CF Industries Materials 0.04%
372 Albemarle Corporation Materials 0.04%
373 AvalonBay Communities Real Estate 0.04%
374 Equity Residential Real Estate 0.04%
375 Eversource Energy Utilities 0.04%
376 CMS Energy Utilities 0.04%
377 NiSource Utilities 0.04%
378 TKO Group Holdings Communication Services 0.03%
379 Ralph Lauren Corporation Consumer Discretionary 0.03%
380 NVR, Inc. Consumer Discretionary 0.03%
381 Lululemon Athletica Consumer Discretionary 0.03%
382 Genuine Parts Company Consumer Discretionary 0.03%
383 General Mills Consumer Staples 0.03%
384 McCormick & Company Consumer Staples 0.03%
385 APA Corporation Energy 0.03%
386 Corpay Financials 0.03%
387 T. Rowe Price Financials 0.03%
388 Principal Financial Group Financials 0.03%
389 Broadridge Financial
Solutions
Financials 0.03%
390 Global Payments Financials 0.03%
391 Humana Health Care 0.03%
392 Moderna Health Care 0.03%
393 Incyte Health Care 0.03%
394 West Pharmaceutical Services Health Care 0.03%
395 Zimmer Biomet Health Care 0.03%
396 Hologic Health Care 0.03%
397 Centene Corporation Health Care 0.03%
398 Viatris Health Care 0.03%
399 Insulet Corporation Health Care 0.03%
400 Leidos Industrials 0.03%
401 J.B. Hunt Industrials 0.03%
402 C.H. Robinson Industrials 0.03%
403 Expeditors International Industrials 0.03%
404 Snap-on Industrials 0.03%
405 Southwest Airlines Industrials 0.03%
406 Fortive Industrials 0.03%
407 Lennox International Industrials 0.03%
408 Textron Industrials 0.03%
409 Jacobs Solutions Industrials 0.03%
410 Huntington Ingalls Industries Industrials 0.03%
411 NetApp Info Tech 0.03%
412 First Solar Info Tech 0.03%
413 HP Inc. Info Tech 0.03%
414 PTC Inc. Info Tech 0.03%
415 Akamai Technologies Info Tech 0.03%
416 F5, Inc. Info Tech 0.03%
417 CDW Info Tech 0.03%
418 Trimble Inc. Info Tech 0.03%
419 Tyler Technologies Info Tech 0.03%
420 Smurfit WestRock Materials 0.03%
421 Packaging Corporation of America Materials 0.03%
422 International Paper Materials 0.03%
423 International Flavors & Fragrances Materials 0.03%
424 DuPont Materials 0.03%
425 Amcor Materials 0.03%
426 Ball Corporation Materials 0.03%
427 SBA Communications Real Estate 0.03%
428 Weyerhaeuser Real Estate 0.03%
429 CoStar Group Real Estate 0.03%
430 Essex Property Trust Real Estate 0.03%
431 Invitation Homes Real Estate 0.03%
432 Kimco Realty Real Estate 0.03%
433 Evergy Utilities 0.03%
434 Alliant Energy Utilities 0.03%
435 Fox Corporation (Class B) Communication Services 0.02%
436 Fox Corporation (Class A) Communication Services 0.02%
437 The Trade Desk, Inc. Communication Services 0.02%
438 Paramount Skydance Corp Communication Services 0.02%
439 News Corp (Class A) Communication Services 0.02%
440 Aptiv Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
441 Deckers Brands Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
442 Best Buy Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
443 Hasbro Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
444 Domino's Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
445 Wynn Resorts Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
446 MGM Resorts Consumer Discretionary 0.02%
447 Hormel Foods Consumer Staples 0.02%
448 Clorox Consumer Staples 0.02%
449 Brown–Forman Consumer Staples 0.02%
450 J.M. Smucker Company (The) Consumer Staples 0.02%
451 Everest Group Financials 0.02%
452 Erie Indemnity Financials 0.02%
453 Franklin Resources Financials 0.02%
454 Assurant Financials 0.02%
455 Globe Life Financials 0.02%
456 Invesco Financials 0.02%
457 Cooper Companies (The) Health Care 0.02%
458 Align Technology Health Care 0.02%
459 Universal Health Services Health Care 0.02%
460 Solventum Health Care 0.02%
461 DaVita Health Care 0.02%
462 Revvity Health Care 0.02%
463 Nordson Corporation Industrials 0.02%
464 IDEX Corporation Industrials 0.02%
465 Pentair Industrials 0.02%
466 Allegion Industrials 0.02%
467 Masco Industrials 0.02%
468 Generac Industrials 0.02%
469 Stanley Black & Decker Industrials 0.02%
470 A. O. Smith Industrials 0.02%
471 Builders FirstSource Industrials 0.02%
472 Supermicro Info Tech 0.02%
473 Jack Henry & Associates Info Tech 0.02%
474 Gartner Info Tech 0.02%
475 Gen Digital Info Tech 0.02%
476 GoDaddy Info Tech 0.02%
477 Zebra Technologies Info Tech 0.02%
478 Avery Dennison Materials 0.02%
479 Mid-America Apartment
Communities
Real Estate 0.02%
480 Regency Centers Real Estate 0.02%
481 Host Hotels & Resorts Real Estate 0.02%
482 Healthpeak Properties Real Estate 0.02%
483 UDR, Inc. Real Estate 0.02%
484 Camden Property Trust Real Estate 0.02%
485 Federal Realty Investment Trust Real Estate 0.02%
486 Pinnacle West Utilities 0.02%
487 AES Corporation Utilities 0.02%
488 News Corp (Class B) Communication Services 0.01%
489 Norwegian Cruise Line
Holdings
Consumer Discretionary 0.01%
490 Pool Corporation Consumer Discretionary 0.01%
491 Molson Coors Beverage Company Consumer Staples 0.01%
492 Conagra Brands Consumer Staples 0.01%
493 Campbell Soup Company Consumer Staples 0.01%
494 FactSet Financials 0.01%
495 Henry Schein Health Care 0.01%
496 Baxter International Health Care 0.01%
497 Bio-Techne Health Care 0.01%
498 Charles River Laboratories Health Care 0.01%
499 Skyworks Solutions Info Tech 0.01%
500 EPAM Systems Info Tech 0.01%
501 Mosaic Company (The) Materials 0.01%
502 BXP, Inc. Real Estate 0.01%
503 Alexandria Real Estate
Equities
Real Estate 0.01%

Berkshire Hathaway is the only financials company in the top 10 by market cap, with its ranking falling from sixth to 10th place since 2023. By contrast, Walmart has climbed to 11th from 29th in just two years amid strong online sales.

Among health care firms, Eli Lilly (#12) has overtaken UnitedHealth Group (#42) as the most valuable company, fueled by sales of its weight-loss drugs.

Why This Concentration Matters

While the top 10 companies’ share of the index has edged down from 41% in 2025, its still-elevated concentration relative to historical levels has real implications:

  • Diversification is shrinking: Index investors are more exposed to a handful of companies than at previous market-cycle peaks
  • Market performance is narrowing: A small group of firms is increasingly driving overall returns
  • The index is evolving: The S&P 500 may no longer broadly reflect the U.S. economy

In effect, the market is behaving less like a 500-company index, and more like a concentrated bet on a few dominant firms. At the center of this shift is the AI boom, illustrating how a single technological wave is reshaping the market’s hierarchy.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on 151 years of S&P 500 returns.

Mapped: The Salary Needed to Live Comfortably in U.S. Cities

2026-04-14 02:48:22

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Graphic showing the salary needed to live comfortably across U.S. cities.

Mapped: The Salary Needed to Live Comfortably in U.S. Cities

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

  • New York and San Jose require nearly $160K a year to live comfortably, the highest among the 56 cities mapped.
  • In much of the U.S., a comfortable lifestyle now effectively means earning six figures.

How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in a major American city? Increasingly, the answer is a six-figure salary.

This map shows the income required for a comfortable lifestyle across 56 U.S. cities, factoring in housing, food, transportation, savings, and discretionary spending.

The data comes from SmartAsset, using the MIT Living Wage Calculator and updated in February 2026.

The Highest-Cost Cities Now Require Nearly $160K

New York tops the list at $158,954, narrowly ahead of San Jose at $158,080.

California accounts for many of the highest-cost cities overall, with Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Sacramento all ranking near the top.

Rank City Salary to live comfortably
1 New York, NY $158,954
2 San Jose, CA $158,080
3 Irvine, CA $151,965
4 Boston, MA $139,776
5 San Diego, CA $136,781
6 San Francisco, CA $134,950
7 Oakland, CA $134,410
8 Honolulu, HI $128,253
9 Seattle, WA $127,296
10 Jersey City, NJ $127,005
11 Arlington, VA $125,882
12 Los Angeles, CA $120,307
13 Riverside, CA $119,974
14 Sacramento, CA $117,021
15 Portland, OR $116,106
16 Washington, DC $111,155
17 Denver, CO $110,781
18 Raleigh, NC $110,490
19 Virginia Beach, VA $110,448
20 Plano, TX $109,242
21 Atlanta, GA $108,451
22 Miami, FL $108,077
23 Charlotte, NC $106,205
24 Phoenix, AZ $106,122
25 Chicago, IL $105,830
26 Tacoma, WA $105,290
27 Newark, NJ $104,125
28 Boise, ID $104,000
29 Tampa, FL $102,710
30 Nashville, TN $102,502
31 Reno, NV $102,419
32 Minneapolis, MN $102,045
33 Anchorage, AK $101,795
34 Madison, WI $101,754
35 Durham, NC $101,296
36 Colorado Springs, CO $100,464
37 Austin, TX $98,550
38 Fort Worth, TX $97,552
39 Richmond, VA $97,178
40 Philadelphia, PA $97,094
41 Dallas, TX $96,970
42 Buffalo, NY $96,221
43 St. Paul, MN $96,054
44 Pittsburgh, PA $95,472
45 Omaha, NE $94,765
46 Orlando, FL $93,475
47 Columbus, OH $92,810
48 Jacksonville, FL $92,518
49 Kansas City, MO $92,144
50 Indianapolis, IN $90,896
51 Houston, TX $89,981
52 Tulsa, OK $88,317
53 Baltimore, MD $87,485
54 Memphis, TN $86,320
55 New Orleans, LA $84,406
56 San Antonio, TX $83,242

Taken together, the top of the ranking highlights how concentrated the highest costs are in a handful of major metros, particularly in California and the Northeast.

Boston, Honolulu, Seattle, and Jersey City also stand out, showing that the highest salary thresholds extend well beyond just a handful of coastal hubs.

Six-Figure Salaries Are Becoming the Norm

A key shift in the data is how quickly six-figure income requirements have spread beyond the most expensive cities.

Beyond the usual high-cost leaders, cities such as Denver, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and Boise now require roughly $100K or more for a comfortable lifestyle. That shift suggests higher living costs are no longer confined to the country’s most expensive coastal markets.

Lower-Cost Cities Still Require Substantial Income

At the lower end of the ranking, the salary needed to live comfortably still remains substantial. San Antonio has the lowest threshold at $83,069, followed by Memphis at $86,444 and Tulsa at $87,690.

Even in the most affordable cities on the map, the income needed for a comfortable lifestyle is far above what many households earn, highlighting how even the most “affordable” major cities now require incomes that were once considered high.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Where Americans Pay the Most Income Tax on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Who Owns America’s $39T Debt

2026-04-13 21:39:04

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Who Owns America’s $39T Debt

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 Federal Reserve holds $4.4T in Treasuries—more than the top three foreign holders combined.
  • Domestic investors hold $17.7T, nearly double foreign ownership at $9.3T.
  • About $7.6T of U.S. debt is owed within government accounts.

Who really finances America’s $39T debt, and how much is held at home versus abroad?

This chart shows where U.S. debt ultimately sits, from domestic investors and foreign governments to the Federal Reserve and internal trust funds.

Data is sourced from Treasury’s daily Debt to the Penny, the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, TIC data, and the Federal Reserve, as of March 19, 2026.

Breaking Down Who Holds U.S. Debt

To finance its growing deficits, the U.S. relies on a wide range of buyers, including domestic institutions, foreign governments, and its own central bank.

The table below shows how U.S. debt is distributed across its largest holders:

Value of U.S. Debt (in Trillions) Share of U.S. Debt
Mutual and Pension Funds 6.6 17%
Banking institutions, Dealers 2.4 6%
Individual Investors 3.0 8%
Other Domestic Holders 5.7 15%
Japan 1.2 3%
United Kingdom 0.9 2%
China 0.7 2%
Other Nations 6.5 17%
Federal Reserve 4.4 11%
Social Security Trust Fund 2.6 7%
Other Government Trust Funds 5.1 13%
Total U.S. Debt 39.0 100%

Of the $39 trillion in gross debt, $31.4 trillion (81%) is held by domestic and foreign investors.

The remaining $7.6 trillion (19%) is intragovernmental debt, reflecting internal government transactions. This total is roughly twice the combined fortune of the world’s top 20 billionaires.

Debt held by the public represents what the U.S. owes to outside investors and directly influences interest rates, borrowing costs, and financial markets. By contrast, intragovernmental debt is money the government owes to itself, primarily through programs like Social Security.

Mutual funds and pension funds are the largest public holders, at $6.6 trillion, reflecting strong demand for safe, liquid assets. The Federal Reserve holds $4.4 trillion on its balance sheet, more than the top three foreign creditors—Japan, the U.K., and China—combined.

Among individuals, Warren Buffett, through his company Berkshire Hathaway, is the largest non-government holder of U.S. Treasury bills, with holdings valued at $339 billion as of Q4 2025.

What Does High U.S. Debt Mean for the Average American?

The U.S. is among the top 10 most indebted countries globally in debt-to-GDP terms, and its debt is growing by about $1 trillion every three months. This trend can affect Americans’ standard of living.

As debt rises, a larger share of the federal budget goes toward interest payments, crowding out spending on priorities like infrastructure, defense, and social programs.

Excessive debt can dampen wage growth and job creation while contributing to higher interest rates, making mortgages, loans, and credit card debt more expensive.

As the national debt continues to rise, its composition and ownership remain critical for understanding risks to financial markets and the broader economy.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about global government debt, check out this graphic, which visualizes the world’s $111 trillion in government debt by country.

Ranked: How Much People Save Around the World

2026-04-13 19:42:28

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Bar chart showing countries by their net household saving rate.

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Ranked: How Much People Save Around the World

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

  • Sweden has the highest savings rate in OECD economies at 16%, more than 3x the U.S. rate.
  • Americans save just 4.9% of income, about half of Mexico’s rate.
  • Some countries, including New Zealand and South Africa, have negative savings rates.

How much of your income do people actually save, and how does your country compare?

This chart ranks household savings rates across major economies using the latest OECD data. It reveals a wide gap between top savers and those struggling to set money aside. In countries like Sweden and Hungary, households save more than 10% of their income. In the U.S., that figure is just 4.9%.

In some cases, the gap is even more striking. Americans save roughly half as much as households in Mexico, highlighting how cost pressures and consumption patterns differ across economies.

How Much People Save by Country

Sweden ranks as the most disciplined saver, with net household savings rates rising nearly eightfold from 2.3% to 16% over the past two decades.

Many European countries also rank at the top of the list. Households continue to set aside a relatively large share of their income, including Hungary (14.3%) and France (12.8%). These elevated rates are often linked to structural factors such as pension systems and aging populations.

The table below shows savings rates by country in 2024, or the latest available data:

Country Net Saving Rate
(% of net disposable income)
🇸🇪 Sweden 16.0%
🇭🇺 Hungary 14.3%
🇨🇿 Czechia 13.7%
🇫🇷 France 12.8%
🇦🇹 Austria 11.7%
🇩🇪 Germany 11.2%
🇳🇱 Netherlands 9.5%
🇪🇸 Spain 9.2%
🇮🇪 Ireland 9.0%
🇩🇰 Denmark 8.5%
🇲🇽 Mexico 8.1%
🇧🇪 Belgium 6.6%
🇵🇱 Poland 6.1%
🇦🇺 Australia 6.1%
🇱🇺 Luxembourg 5.0%
🇨🇦 Canada 5.0%
🇺🇸 United States 4.9%
🇰🇷 South Korea 4.8%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 4.7%
🇵🇹 Portugal 4.5%
🇫🇮 Finland 4.3%
🇮🇹 Italy 4.2%
🇳🇴 Norway 4.2%
🇱🇹 Lithuania 3.8%
🇪🇪 Estonia 3.0%
🇯🇵 Japan 0.9%
🇱🇻 Latvia 0.0%
🇿🇦 South Africa -1.0%
🇳🇿 New Zealand -1.3%

In the middle of the pack, savings rates drop off quickly. The U.S., Canada, and the UK all cluster around 5% or lower, far behind top European savers. The gap is particularly striking when compared globally. U.S. households save about half as much as those in Mexico, and less than one-third of what households in Sweden set aside each year.

At the bottom of the ranking, the picture flips entirely. In countries like New Zealand and South Africa, households are not saving at all. Instead, they are spending more than they earn.

Negative savings rates typically mean people are dipping into past savings or taking on debt to cover everyday expenses, a sign of financial strain rather than choice.

What It Means Going Forward

Savings rates are a key signal of financial resilience.

Countries where households consistently save more tend to have a stronger buffer against inflation, job losses, or economic shocks. Higher savings can also support long-term investment and stability.

On the other hand, persistently low or negative savings rates can point to underlying pressure. When households have little margin to save, economies may become more vulnerable to downturns, rising debt levels, and weaker consumer spending over time.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the global cost of living index in 2026.

Mapped: Only One Country Can Feed Itself Fully

2026-04-12 21:27:32

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Food self-sufficiency by country: which nations can produce a full healthy diet without imports?

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Mapped: Only One Country Can Feed Itself Fully

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

  • Only one country—Guyana—can produce all seven essential food groups domestically.
  • Most countries, including the U.S. and China, fall short in at least one category.
  • Wealth doesn’t guarantee food independence, with many rich nations relying on imports.

Food security isn’t just about producing enough calories—it’s about covering the full range of nutrients needed for a balanced diet.

This map shows how many of seven essential food groups each country can supply domestically, based on data from a Nature Food study. The result reveals a striking gap: just one country can meet all its food needs on its own.

The analysis covers key categories including starchy staples, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, and legumes—offering a more complete picture of national food independence. Even major agricultural producers like the United States and China still depend on imports for at least one of these groups.

Only One Country Covers All Food Groups

Guyana is the only country that can produce enough of all seven essential food groups to meet domestic demand. It not only covers every category, but exceeds needs in starchy staples and fruit—making it a clear global outlier in food independence.

China and Vietnam come close, each covering six out of seven groups. However, both fall short in dairy production, reflecting structural constraints in key sectors. Even top performers still rely on imports for at least one essential category.

Country Self-Sufficient Food Groups (of 7)
🇬🇾 Guyana 7
🇨🇳 China 6
🇻🇳 Vietnam 6
🇵🇾 Paraguay 5
🇳🇿 New Zealand 5
🇺🇾 Uruguay 5
🇻🇺 Vanuatu 5
🇦🇷 Argentina 5
🇧🇷 Brazil 5
🇱🇹 Lithuania 5
🇪🇪 Estonia 5
🇦🇺 Australia 5
🇱🇻 Latvia 5
🇪🇸 Spain 5
🇷🇸 Serbia 5
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 5
🇭🇷 Croatia 5
🇺🇦 Ukraine 5
🇵🇪 Peru 5
🇹🇷 Türkiye 5
🇷🇴 Romania 5
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 5
🇷🇺 Russia 5
🇱🇦 Lao PDR 5
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 5
🇴🇲 Oman 5
🇵🇭 Philippines 5
🇨🇦 Canada 4
🇩🇰 Denmark 4
🇺🇸 United States 4
🇧🇾 Belarus 4
🇳🇱 Netherlands 4
🇵🇱 Poland 4
🇨🇱 Chile 4
🇧🇪 Belgium 4
🇲🇩 Moldova 4
🇫🇷 France 4
🇭🇺 Hungary 4
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 4
🇲🇲 Myanmar 4
🇪🇨 Ecuador 4
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 4
🇸🇳 Senegal 4
🇬🇷 Greece 4
🇦🇱 Albania 4
🇳🇮 Nicaragua 4
🇵🇹 Portugal 4
🇳🇪 Niger 4
🇮🇹 Italy 4
🇮🇱 Israel 4
🇨🇲 Cameroon 4
🇲🇼 Malawi 4
🇧🇴 Bolivia 4
🇦🇲 Armenia 4
🇲🇽 Mexico 4
🇹🇭 Thailand 4
🇲🇱 Mali 4
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 4
🇸🇰 Slovakia 4
🇹🇳 Tunisia 4
🇸🇸 South Sudan 4
🇬🇹 Guatemala 4
🇮🇷 Iran 4
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan 4
🇹🇴 Tonga 4
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4
🇮🇩 Indonesia 4
🇲🇦 Morocco 4
🇳🇵 Nepal 4
🇸🇾 Syrian Arab Republic 4
🇸🇷 Suriname 4
🇮🇸 Iceland 3
🇹🇻 Tuvalu 3
🇮🇪 Ireland 3
🇳🇴 Norway 3
🇨🇷 Costa Rica 3
🇼🇸 Samoa 3
🇨🇫 Central African Republic 3
🇧🇿 Belize 3
🇫🇮 Finland 3
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 3
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 3
🇩🇪 Germany 3
🇸🇩 Sudan 3
🇩🇲 Dominica 3
🇨🇿 Czechia 3
🇲🇰 North Macedonia 3
🇬🇳 Guinea 3
🇬🇭 Ghana 3
🇵🇦 Panama 3
🇹🇿 Tanzania 3
🇸🇪 Sweden 3
🇨🇴 Colombia 3
🇹🇩 Chad 3
🇺🇬 Uganda 3
🇷🇼 Rwanda 3
🇮🇳 India 3
🇧🇬 Bulgaria 3
🇿🇦 South Africa 3
🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire 3
🇨🇾 Cyprus 3
🇹🇯 Tajikistan 3
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 3
🇰🇷 South Korea 3
🇯🇲 Jamaica 3
🇪🇬 Egypt 3
🇱🇧 Lebanon 3
🇧🇮 Burundi 3
🇰🇪 Kenya 3
🇦🇴 Angola 3
🇵🇰 Pakistan 3
🇩🇿 Algeria 3
🇻🇪 Venezuela 3
🇬🇦 Gabon 3
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 3
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 3
🇰🇮 Kiribati 2
🇫🇲 Micronesia 2
🇸🇨 Seychelles 2
🇲🇳 Mongolia 2
🇱🇺 Luxembourg 2
🇦🇹 Austria 2
🇰🇲 Comoros 2
🇳🇦 Namibia 2
🇲🇷 Mauritania 2
🇨🇭 Switzerland 2
🇸🇮 Slovenia 2
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 2
🇧🇯 Benin 2
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 2
🇳🇷 Nauru 2
🇰🇭 Cambodia 2
🇳🇬 Nigeria 2
🇬🇪 Georgia 2
🇲🇪 Montenegro 2
🇫🇯 Fiji 2
🇲🇾 Malaysia 2
🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2
🇭🇳 Honduras 2
🇲🇿 Mozambique 2
🇨🇺 Cuba 2
🇧🇹 Bhutan 2
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 2
🇪🇹 Ethiopia 2
🇿🇲 Zambia 2
🇧🇩 Bangladesh 2
🇧🇼 Botswana 2
🇬🇩 Grenada 2
🇧🇧 Barbados 2
🇱🇨 St. Lucia 2
🇸🇿 Eswatini 2
🇸🇻 El Salvador 2
🇱🇾 Libya 2
🇹🇬 Togo 2
🇳🇨 New Caledonia 2
🇭🇹 Haiti 2
🇯🇴 Jordan 2
🇲🇻 Maldives 1
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 1
🇨🇩 DR Congo 1
🇧🇸 Bahamas, The 1
🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo 1
🇯🇵 Japan 1
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde 1
🇲🇬 Madagascar 1
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste 1
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 1
🇸🇴 Somalia 1
🇲🇺 Mauritius 1
🇬🇲 The Gambia 1
🇱🇷 Liberia 1
🇵🇫 French Polynesia 1
🇰🇼 Kuwait 1
🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis 1
🇲🇹 Malta 1
🇩🇯 Djibouti 1
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda 1
🇱🇸 Lesotho 1
🇧🇭 Bahrain 1
🇭🇰 Hong Kong 1
🇦🇫 Afghanistan 0
🇮🇶 Iraq 0
🇾🇪 Yemen 0
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 0
🇶🇦 Qatar 0
🇲🇴 Macao 0

Wealth Doesn’t Guarantee Food Independence

High-income countries often rank lower than expected. For example, Canada and the United States each cover only four out of seven food groups. Despite strong production in meat, dairy, and grains, both countries depend heavily on imports for fruits and vegetables.

This pattern reflects geography and climate. Northern countries face shorter growing seasons, limiting domestic output of fresh produce. As a result, even advanced agricultural systems cannot fully produce a balanced diet domestically.

Structural Constraints Shape Regional Gaps

The Middle East and North Africa consistently rank among the least self-sufficient regions. Limited water resources play a major role. The region holds roughly 6% of the global population but less than 2% of renewable water supply, restricting agricultural expansion.

Fish production is another major constraint globally. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Asia accounts for 91% of aquaculture output. This concentration leaves many countries dependent on seafood imports, even when they can produce meat or crops domestically.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out this graphic about how 30% of food produced worldwide goes to waste.