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2026-02-17 00:58:53

Visualizing the Critical Minerals Powering the AI Boom

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The artificial intelligence boom is driving an unprecedented buildout of data centers across the United States.

Behind every AI model and cloud server sits a complex web of minerals that make modern computing possible. From semiconductors to cooling systems, these materials form the backbone of digital infrastructure.

This visualization breaks down the critical minerals used in AI data centers—and how reliant the U.S. is on imports for each. The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Semiconductors: America’s Biggest Vulnerability

Semiconductors are the “brains” of AI data centers—and they are highly import dependent. The U.S. is 100% reliant on imports for arsenic, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, indium, and tantalum used in chip production.

It also imports 85% of its platinum and 36% of its palladium needs, both critical for chip manufacturing.

While silicon, the base material for chips, has less than 50% import reliance, many of the trace elements that enable advanced computing are entirely foreign-controlled.

Circuitry and Server Components

Beyond chips, server boards and circuitry require a range of conductive and precious metals. The U.S. imports 64% of its silver and 73% of its tin, both vital for soldering and electrical conductivity.

Copper—essential for wiring and connectivity—has a 45% import reliance. Tantalum, used in capacitors, is 100% imported.

Gold stands out as a rare exception, with 0% net import reliance, offering a small pocket of domestic security in an otherwise globalized supply chain.

Cooling Systems and Data Storage

AI servers generate massive heat loads, making cooling systems crucial. Heat sinks rely on aluminum (47% import reliance) and copper (45%).

Meanwhile, data storage components such as magnets and drives depend on rare earth elements, with 80% import reliance. Barite—used in storage-related applications—has also more than 75% reliance.

China’s Commanding Share

Currently, China dominates the production of most of the critical minerals used in data centers. This near-monopoly has become a major concern for other nations, with the U.S. government currently pushing for increased domestic production of these materials.

In addition to being the leading producer, China also controls much of the refining capacity for many of these minerals. For example, around 90% of rare earths are refined in China.

In the race to dominate AI, access to critical minerals may prove just as important as technological leadership.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out How Much Control China Has Over the World’s Critical Minerals on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-16 23:40:21

The Periodic Table of STEM Careers

STEM careers are projected to grow steadily over the next decade, with some roles expanding nearly 30% and median salaries topping $170,000 per year.

To show how these careers relate to one another, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) created a “periodic table” of STEM occupations. The visual groups jobs into eight major fields and highlights projected employment growth (2024–2034), median wages, and typical education requirements.

The Data Behind the Table

Below is a snapshot of the data behind the visualization, based on BLS employment projections and wage estimates.

Computer and information systems roles stand out for both pay and growth, while math-heavy fields like actuaries and statisticians also rank near the top in median wages. On the other end, technician roles typically require less formal education but offer lower pay and slower growth.

What Qualifies as a STEM Occupation?

According to the BLS, STEM occupations are defined by their heavy use of science, engineering, computer, or mathematical principles. This includes not only well-known roles like software developers or engineers, but also educators, technicians, and researchers who support STEM work across industries.

The BLS STEM table groups these jobs into eight categories: chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, geosciences, life sciences, mathematics, and physics/astronomy. This structure helps show how closely related roles can differ significantly in education requirements and career outcomes.

Which STEM Fields Are Growing the Fastest?

Growth is not evenly distributed across STEM.

Computer science and mathematics occupations—such as information security analysts, data scientists, and statisticians—are projected to grow much faster than average, driven by digital transformation and data-intensive decision-making. Life sciences and environmental science roles are also expanding as healthcare, public health, and climate-related work increase in importance.

These trends reinforce why many of the college degrees with the highest return on investment are concentrated in STEM fields, where demand continues to outpace supply.

Education, Pay, and Career Pathways

The periodic table also makes one thing clear: education matters.

Many of the highest-paying STEM roles require a bachelor’s degree or higher, while positions requiring a master’s or doctoral degree often come with specialized expertise and narrower career tracks. At the same time, associate-level STEM roles can provide accessible entry points into technical careers.

2026-02-16 21:03:40

Mapped: The World’s Countries by Political System

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Nearly three-quarters of the world’s population now lives under autocratic rule, according to the V-Dem Institute’s 2024 Regimes of the World report. That’s the highest share since 1978.

The map above classifies every country into one of four political systems: closed autocracy, electoral autocracy, electoral democracy, or liberal democracy.

The results point to a decades-long shift in global governance, with electoral autocracies now the most common regime type worldwide.

The Four Types of Political Regimes

-Dem classifies countries based on the competitiveness of elections, protection of civil liberties, and the strength of institutional checks and balances.

Here’s how the four categories differ:

1. Closed autocracies have no meaningful multiparty elections and suppress core democratic freedoms. Countries like China, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea fall into this group.
2. Electoral autocracies hold multiparty elections, but they are not free or fair. Media restrictions, weakened opposition, and limited civil liberties are common. This category includes countries such as Russia, India, and Turkey.
3. Electoral democracies conduct free and fair elections and protect basic rights, but may lack strong institutional constraints. Examples include Argentina, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
4. Liberal democracies go further, combining competitive elections with robust rule of law and checks and balances. Countries such as Germany, Japan, United States, and Uruguay are classified in this highest tier.

Scroll down to see how every country is classified.

Autocracy Is the Most Common Regime

Electoral autocracy is now the most common regime type in the world.

This category spans every continent, from Sub-Saharan Africa to South Asia and parts of Latin America. In many cases, democratic institutions still exist on paper, but their independence has eroded.

Large-population countries shifting toward electoral autocracy have an outsized effect on global trends. As a result, even if the number of democracies remains substantial, the share of people living under autocratic rule continues to grow.

Country	Regime
Afghanistan	Closed Autocracy
Albania	Electoral Autocracy
Algeria	Electoral Autocracy
Angola	Electoral Autocracy
Argentina	Electoral Democracy
Armenia	Electoral Democracy
Australia	Liberal Democracy
Austria	Electoral Democracy
Azerbaijan	Closed Autocracy
Bangladesh	Electoral Autocracy
Barbados	Liberal Democracy
Belarus	Closed Autocracy
Belgium	Liberal Democracy
Benin	Electoral Autocracy
Bhutan	Electoral Democracy
Bolivia	Electoral Democracy
Botswana	Electoral Democracy
Brazil	Electoral Democracy
Brunei	Closed Autocracy
Bulgaria	Electoral Democracy
Burkina Faso	Electoral Autocracy
Burundi	Closed Autocracy
Cambodia	Electoral Autocracy
Cameroon	Electoral Autocracy
Canada	Electoral Democracy
Cape Verde	Electoral Democracy
Central African Republic	Electoral Autocracy
Chad	Electoral Autocracy
Chile	Liberal Democracy
China	Closed Autocracy
Colombia	Electoral Democracy
Comoros	Electoral Autocracy
Congo (Brazzaville)	Electoral Autocracy
Costa Rica	Liberal Democracy
Côte d’Ivoire	Electoral Autocracy
Croatia	Electoral Democracy
Cuba	Closed Autocracy
Cyprus	Electoral Democracy
Czechia	Liberal Democracy
Denmark	Liberal Democracy
Dominican Republic	Electoral Democracy
Ecuador	Electoral Democracy
Egypt	Electoral Autocracy
El Salvador	Electoral Autocracy
Eritrea	Closed Autocracy
Estonia	Liberal Democracy
Eswatini	Electoral Autocracy
Ethiopia	Electoral Autocracy
Finland	Liberal Democracy
France	Liberal Democracy
Gabon	Electoral Autocracy
Gambia	Electoral Democracy
Georgia	Electoral Autocracy
Germany	Liberal Democracy
Ghana	Electoral Democracy
Greece	Electoral Democracy
Guatemala	Electoral Democracy
Guyana	Electoral Autocracy
Haiti	Closed Autocracy
Honduras	Electoral Autocracy
Hungary	Electoral Autocracy
Iceland	Liberal Democracy
India	Electoral Autocracy
Indonesia	Electoral Autocracy
Iran	Closed Autocracy
Ireland	Liberal Democracy
Israel	Electoral Democracy
Italy	Liberal Democracy
Jamaica	Liberal Democracy
Japan	Liberal Democracy
Jordan	Electoral Autocracy
Kazakhstan	Closed Autocracy
Kenya	Electoral Autocracy
Kosovo	Electoral Democracy
Kuwait	Electoral Autocracy
Laos	Closed Autocracy
Latvia	Liberal Democracy
Lebanon	Electoral Autocracy
Lesotho	Electoral Democracy
Liberia	Electoral Democracy
Libya	Closed Autocracy
Lithuania	Electoral Democracy
Luxembourg	Liberal Democracy
Madagascar	Electoral Autocracy
Malawi	Electoral Democracy
Malaysia	Electoral Autocracy
Maldives	Electoral Democracy
Malta	Electoral Democracy
Mauritania	Electoral Autocracy
Mauritius	Electoral Autocracy
Mexico	Electoral Autocracy
Mongolia	Electoral Autocracy
Montenegro	Electoral Democracy
Morocco	Electoral Autocracy
Mozambique	Electoral Autocracy
Myanmar	Electoral Autocracy
Nepal	Electoral Democracy
Netherlands	Liberal Democracy
New Zealand	Liberal Democracy
Nicaragua	Electoral Autocracy
Niger	Electoral Autocracy
Nigeria	Electoral Autocracy
North Korea	Closed Autocracy
Norway	Liberal Democracy
Oman	Closed Autocracy
Pakistan	Electoral Autocracy
Panama	Electoral Democracy
Paraguay	Electoral Democracy
Peru	Electoral Democracy
Poland	Electoral Democracy
Portugal	Electoral Democracy
Qatar	Closed Autocracy
Romania	Electoral Democracy
Russia	Electoral Autocracy
Rwanda	Electoral Autocracy
Saudi Arabia	Closed Autocracy
Senegal	Electoral Democracy
Serbia	Electoral Autocracy
Seychelles	Liberal Democracy
Sierra Leone	Electoral Autocracy
Singapore	Electoral Autocracy
Slovakia	Electoral Democracy
Slovenia	Electoral Democracy
Solomon Islands	Electoral Democracy
Somalia	Electoral Autocracy
South Africa	Liberal Democracy
South Sudan	Closed Autocracy
Spain	Liberal Democracy
Sri Lanka	Electoral Democracy
Sudan	Closed Autocracy
Suriname	Electoral Democracy
Sweden	Liberal Democracy
Switzerland	Liberal Democracy
Syria	Closed Autocracy
Taiwan	Liberal Democracy
Tajikistan	Closed Autocracy
Tanzania	Electoral Autocracy
Thailand	Electoral Autocracy
Togo	Electoral Autocracy
Trinidad and Tobago	Electoral Democracy
Tunisia	Electoral Autocracy
Turkey	Electoral Autocracy
Turkmenistan	Closed Autocracy
Uganda	Electoral Autocracy
United Arab Emirates	Closed Autocracy
United Kingdom	Electoral Democracy
United States	Liberal Democracy
Uruguay	Liberal Democracy
Uzbekistan	Closed Autocracy
Vanuatu	Electoral Democracy
Venezuela	Electoral Autocracy
Vietnam	Closed Autocracy
Yemen	Closed Autocracy
Zambia	Electoral Autocracy
Zimbabwe	Electoral Autocracy

Where Liberal Democracy Persists

Liberal democracies are concentrated in Western Europe, parts of East Asia, Oceania, and North America.

Nordic countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Finland remain among the strongest performers. So do nations like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Taiwan.

However, even among established democracies, concerns about polarization, declining trust in institutions, and pressure on judicial independence have intensified in recent years.

While democratic systems still govern many countries, the overall global trend shows autocratic systems expanding their reach in terms of population.

Methodology

The classifications are based on the V-Dem Institute’s 2024 Regimes of the World dataset, which evaluates countries across indicators including electoral integrity, civil liberties, judicial independence, and executive constraints.

Countries are then grouped into one of four regime types to provide a simplified view of the global political landscape.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s 50 Largest Economies by GDP in 2026 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-16 05:02:42

Ranked: Countries with the Most Winter Olympics Medals

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.

This ranking shows the countries with the most all-time Winter Olympics medals, split by gold, silver, and bronze.

Notably, the data does not include medals from Milano Cortina 2026, which is currently in progress.

The data for this visualization comes from the International Olympic Committee. It ranks National Olympic Committees (NOCs) by total Winter Olympic medals.

Norway’s Unmatched Winter Legacy

Norway stands firmly at the top with 405 total medals, including 148 golds across 24 Winter Games.

With a population of just over 5 million, Norway’s dominance is remarkable. The country excels in Nordic skiing, biathlon, and speed skating.

The United States ranks second overall with 330 medals, including 114 golds. Team USA has found success across a broad mix of events, from snowboarding to ice hockey.

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total Medals
1	Norway	148	134	123	405
2	United States	114	121	95	330
3	Germany	105	97	65	267
4	Austria	71	88	91	250
5	Canada	77	72	76	225
6	Soviet Union	78	57	59	194
7	Sweden	65	51	60	176
8	Finland	45	65	65	175
9	Switzerland	63	47	58	168
10	Netherlands	53	49	45	147
11	Italy	42	43	56	141
12	France	41	42	55	138
13	Russia	47	39	35	121
14	East Germany	39	36	35	110
15	South Korea	33	30	16	79
16	China	22	32	23	77
17	Japan	17	29	30	76
18	West Germany	11	15	13	39
19	Great Britain	12	5	17	34
20	Czech Republic	10	11	13	34

Canada, ranked fifth, has earned 225 total medals. The country is especially strong in ice hockey, freestyle skiing, and short track speed skating.

Germany and the Soviet Legacy

Germany ranks third overall with 267 total medals—but has competed in only 13 Winter Games in its current form.

When including East Germany (110 medals) and West Germany (39 medals), the broader German Olympic legacy becomes even more significant.

The Soviet Union, which competed in just nine Winter Games, collected 194 total medals. Russia, listed separately, has added 121 medals across six appearances.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Then & Now: Olympic Superpowers on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-16 02:12:21

Ranked: The Best Countries at Creative Thinking

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Creativity is increasingly seen as a core skill for the modern economy. As automation and AI reshape jobs, the ability to generate original ideas and solve unfamiliar problems is becoming just as important as technical knowledge.

This infographic ranks countries by how well students perform in creative thinking.

The data for this visualization comes from the OECD’s PISA 2022 Creative Thinking assessment. This evaluation measures how effectively students aged 15 and 16 generate original ideas, evaluate them, and refine solutions to real-world problems, with top performers scoring above 40 points.

Singapore Leads by a Clear Margin

Singapore ranks first overall with a mean creative thinking score of 41, making it the only country to cross the 40-point threshold. This result mirrors its strong performance in other PISA domains such as math and science.

The country’s curriculum emphasizes problem-based learning and interdisciplinary thinking, which may help explain its lead, despite perceptions that Singaporeans lack creativity.

Rank	Country	Score
1	Singapore	41
2	South Korea	38
3	Canada	38
4	Australia	37
5	New Zealand	36
6	Estonia	36
7	Finland	36
8	Denmark	35
9	Latvia	35
10	Belgium	35
11	Poland	34
12	Portugal	34
13	Taiwan	33
14	Lithuania	33
15	Spain	33
16	Czechia	33
17	Germany	33
	OECD average	33
18	Macao	32
19	Hong Kong	32
20	France	32
21	Netherlands	32
22	Israel	32
23	Italy	31
24	Malta	31
25	Hungary	31
26	Chile	31
27	Croatia	30
28	Iceland	30
29	Slovenia	30
30	Greece	27

Strong Performance Across Smaller Advanced Economies

A group of advanced economies cluster just below the top spot. Korea and Canada share second place with scores of 38, followed closely by Australia and New Zealand.

Several European countries, including Estonia, Finland, Denmark, and Latvia, also perform above the OECD average.

Most Countries Sit Near the OECD Average

The OECD average score for creative thinking is 33, and many countries fall close to this level. Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and Czechia all score exactly at the average. Toward the bottom, Greece records the lowest score at 27, suggesting larger gaps in creative skill development.

Notably, the United States did not participate in the PISA 2022 creative thinking assessment.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: The Best Countries at Math on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-15 23:45:17

Which Countries Have Nuclear Weapons Ready for Use?

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In February, the expiration of the U.S.–Russia nuclear treaty removed limits on nuclear arsenals for the first time in over 50 years.

While Russia said that it agrees to uphold the limits of the last New START pact if Washington abides, the U.S. says that a new treaty should include China. Beijing, meanwhile, has rejected calls to enter new talks.

This graphic shows nuclear warhead stockpiles by country, based on data from the Federation of American Scientists.

Which Countries Have Nuclear Weapons in 2026?

Below, we show the nuclear warhead stockpiles of countries, which are a subset of total inventories that are assigned to military forces.

Country	Nuclear Warhead Stockpile	Nuclear Warhead Inventory	Change in Stockpile 2020-2025
Russia	4,309	5,459	0.0%
U.S.	3,700	5,117	-1.3%
China	600	600	71.4%
France	290	290	0.0%
UK	225	225	0.0%
India	180	180	20.0%
Pakistan	170	170	6.3%
Israel	90	90	0.0%
North Korea	50	50	233.3%

Together, the U.S. and Russia hold 83% of stockpiled nuclear warheads and roughly 86% of total global inventory.

Over the past five years, America’s stockpile has declined by 1.3%, while Russia’s has remained effectively flat. However, Russia could possibly be expanding its arsenal, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

China ranks third globally, seeing among the fastest-rise in nuclear stockpiles globally. Since 2020, these warheads have increased from 350 to 600, with the country displaying nuclear missiles during a 2024 parade. By some estimates, China is expected to have 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030.

India, meanwhile, ranks sixth globally with 180 warheads. The country’s stockpile has expanded by 20% over the past five years. Pakistan has also grown its stockpile, although to a smaller extent.

Most notably, the current expansion of nuclear arsenals is reversing a 40-year trend of reduction. This shift marks a departure from the relatively stable U.S.-Russia duopoly of the Cold War, potentially ushering in a more intricate and multipolar nuclear era.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the science of nuclear weapons.