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2026-01-12 06:07:45

Visualized: Venezuela’s Crude Oil Exports by Country

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Venezuela holds some of the world’s largest oil reserves, but turning that potential into export revenue depends heavily on where its barrels can actually go.

After Nicolás Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces, Venezuela’s oil industry is set to change significantly. But where were Venezuela’s oil exports going previously?

This visualization shows how Venezuela’s crude oil exports were distributed across destination countries in 2023 using data from Vortexa via the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Where Were Venezuela’s Crude Oil Exports Going?

In 2023, Venezuela exported 211.6 million barrels of crude oil, with more than 90% going to just China and the United States.

The data table below lists each country’s total barrels imported and its share of Venezuela’s exports in 2023:

Country	Barrels of crude oil exports from Venezuela (2023)	Share
China	144,071,000	68.1%
United States	48,467,000	22.9%
Spain	8,533,000	4.0%
Cuba	7,587,000	3.6%
Singapore	1,092,000	0.5%
Bahamas	923,000	0.4%
Malaysia	618,000	0.3%
Russia	358,000	0.2%

China was the dominant destination for Venezuelan crude, importing 144 million barrels in 2023, which represented 68% of all of the South American country’s crude oil exports.

The U.S. was the next largest buyer with 48.5 million barrels imported from Venezuela in 2023, or around 23% of Venezuela’s total crude oil exports that year.

Spain and Cuba were the next two countries with significant amounts of crude oil imports from Venezuela at 8.5 million and 7.6 million barrels, respectively, in 2023.

How China and Venezuela Met Each Other’s Needs

Following the January 2019 U.S. sanctions on PDVSA imposed by the Trump administration—which cut Venezuela’s state oil company off from the U.S. financial system and normal cash sales—a large share of Venezuelan crude exports shifted into oil-for-loans arrangements.

China became the central counterparty, having lent nearly $50 billion over the past decade to Venezuela (now estimated to be $10-$12 billion), receiving crude shipments as debt repayment rather than cash.

While Venezuela’s heavy grade of crude oil is more difficult to refine and yields fewer high-value fuels like gasoline and diesel and more residual products like asphalt, for China this worked out well.

The Asian country’s high asphalt demand is due to its large-scale infrastructure and construction buildouts, and Venezuela’s crude oil offered a cheap supply of necessary resources.

With the U.S. now likely taking control of Venezuela’s oil sector, China will be forced to import more from other trading partners like Russia, Iran, or potentially Canada, which also produces extra-heavy grades of crude oil.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about which countries hold significant crude oil reserves besides Venezuela, check out this graphic on Voronoi.

2026-01-11 23:55:24

Mapped: All of the World’s Volcanic Eruptions in 2025

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

In 2025, volcanic eruptions occurred across a wide range of tectonic settings, from explosive island arcs to submarine volcanoes hidden beneath the ocean surface.

Some events lasted just days, while others continued multi-year or even multi-decade eruptive phases. This map visualizes every volcanic eruption recorded globally during last year.

The data for this visualization comes from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program (GVP). It catalogs confirmed eruptive activity by volcano, location, eruption type, and duration, including eruptions that began before 2025 but remained active throughout the year.

The Pacific Ring of Fire Remains the Most Active

As expected, most eruptions in 2025 occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire. This geologically active zone includes countries such as Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Mexico, the United States, Russia, and several Pacific island nations.

Countries such as Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and Russia recorded numerous active volcanoes. Indonesia alone hosted several long-running eruptions, including Merapi, Semeru, and Ibu. These regions sit atop converging tectonic plates, where magma generation and seismic activity are especially common.

Long-Running Eruptions Dominate Global Activity

Many of the volcanoes active in 2025 were not new eruptions but part of ongoing events that began years or even decades earlier.

Stromboli in Italy has been erupting continuously since 1934, while Yasur in Vanuatu has remained active for centuries. Persistent lava lakes were also observed at volcanoes like Nyiragongo in the DR Congo and Masaya in Nicaragua.

Not all eruptions occur near populated areas. Several submarine eruptions were recorded in 2025, including activity at Ahyi near the Northern Mariana Islands and along the East Pacific Rise.

Remote volcanoes such as Erebus in Antarctica and Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean also remained active. While these eruptions rarely threaten human settlements directly, they are crucial for understanding Earth’s internal processes and long-term volcanic behavior.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out All of the World’s Gold, in One Visual on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-01-11 21:02:00

Mapped: The Currencies of Europe in 2026

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Bulgaria joined the eurozone on January 1st, departing from its national currency, the lev, whose name translates to “lion.”.

Introduced in 1999 and entering circulation in 2002, the euro is the world’s second-largest reserve currency. While 21 of the European Union’s 27 member states use the euro, six do not, including Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Czechia.

This graphic shows the currencies of Europe, based on data from Eurail.

Breaking Down the Currencies of Europe

Below, we show currencies used across the continent of Europe:

Country	Currency
Austria	Euro
Belgium	Euro
Bulgaria	Euro
Croatia	Euro
Cyprus	Euro
Estonia	Euro
Finland	Euro
France	Euro
Germany	Euro
Greece	Euro
Ireland	Euro
Italy	Euro
Latvia	Euro
Lithuania	Euro
Luxembourg	Euro
Malta	Euro
Netherlands	Euro
Portugal	Euro
Slovakia	Euro
Slovenia	Euro
Spain	Euro
Albania	Lek
Belarus	Ruble
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Mark
Czech Republic	Koruna
Denmark	Krone
Hungary	Forint
Iceland	Króna
North Macedonia	Denar
Norway	Krone
Poland	Złoty
Romania	Leu
Russia	Ruble
Serbia	Dinar
Sweden	Krona
Switzerland	Franc
Turkey	Lira
Ukraine	Hryvnia
United Kingdom	Pound Sterling

In total, 21 countries use the euro, covering a population of 350 million people.

Back in 1999, there were 11 countries to first adopt the euro, including Germany, Spain, and Austria. Later, in 2001, Greece adopted the currency, then countries including Slovenia and Malta transitioned over the decade.

While Bulgaria is the most recent country to adopt the currency, it has not been met without controversy. Supporters argue the move could boost trade and deepen economic integration, particularly amid ongoing geopolitical tensions stemming from the Russia–Ukraine war.

Opponents, however, fear the euro could drive inflation. While historical evidence suggests euro adoption has not led to sustained inflation over time, public opinion in Bulgaria remains roughly split.

Of the countries that use their own currency in Europe, Russia is the largest by population, at 146 million. Other post-Soviet states also fall into this category, including Belarus and Ukraine.

In contrast, three countries out of the 15 post-Soviet nations have adopted the euro since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania transitioning between 2011 and 2015.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on Europe population forecasts to 2100.

2026-01-11 03:49:17

Oil Benchmarks Around the World: How Venezuela Compares

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Crude oil is not a uniform product. Its quality varies widely by region, shaping everything from refinery design to global trade flows.

This visualization compares Venezuela’s oil with the world’s most traded crude blends.

The data for this visualization comes from a combination of sources, including Saudi Aramco, ExxonMobil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), S&P Global, PEMEX, and the Canada Energy Regulator. It compares major global crude grades using API gravity, crude type, and sulfur content to show how oil quality differs around the world.

Venezuelan Oil: Heavy and Sour

API gravity measures how heavy or light crude oil is compared to water. Oils above 10° API are lighter and float, while those below 10° API are heavier and sink. In general, lighter crudes are easier to refine into fuels like gasoline and diesel. Heavy crude oils typically produce more residual products, such as asphalt.

Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but most of its production consists of heavy and extra-heavy crude.

The country’s flagship blend Merey 16 has API gravity well below 20°. The oil is also sour, meaning it contains high sulfur levels.

Top Producer	Grade	API Gravity	Crude Type	Sweet / Sour
Saudi Arabia	Arab Super Light	50°	Extra Light	Sweet
Malaysia	Tapis	45.8°	Extra Light	Sweet
U.S.	Eagle Ford	45°	Extra Light	Sweet
Algeria	Saharan Blend	43.2°	Extra Light	Sweet
U.S.	WTI	40°	Light	Sweet
UK, Norway	Brent Blend	40°	Light	Sweet
Nigeria	Bonny Light	37°	Light	Sweet
Oman	Oman Crude	33.2°	Medium	Sour
Russia	Urals	31.7°	Medium	Sour
UAE, Oman	Dubai (Fateh)	31°	Medium	Sour
U.S.	Mars Blend	28.5°	Medium	Sour
Venezuela	Mesa 30	29.1°	Medium	Sour
Mexico	Maya	21°	Heavy	Sour
Canada	Western Canadian Select	21°	Heavy	Sour
Colombia	Castilla	18.8°	Heavy	Sour
Venezuela	Hamaca	17°	Heavy	Sour
Venezuela	Merey 16	15.9°	Heavy	Sour
Venezuela	Boscan	10.1°	Extra Heavy	Sour
Canada	Athabasca Bitumen	8°	Extra Heavy	Sour

Because of these characteristics, Venezuelan crude requires complex and expensive refining processes. Only a limited number of refineries globally are equipped to handle such heavy feedstocks efficiently.

Why Light and Sweet Crudes Dominate Global Trade

Many of the world’s most traded crude oils—such as Brent, WTI, and Arab Light—are light and sweet. With API gravities near or above 40° and low sulfur content (sweet), these crudes are cheaper to process and yield higher proportions of valuable fuels. This makes them attractive benchmarks for global pricing.

Extra-light crudes like Arab Super Light and Tapis sit at the top of the quality spectrum. Their high API gravity and low sulfur content allow refiners to maximize output with minimal processing complexity.

Despite its challenges, heavy crude still plays an important role in global markets. U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, for example, were specifically configured with cokers and other complex units to process high-sulfur, low-API crude crude oils from countries like Venezuela, Mexico, and Canada.

Venezuela is geographically closer to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries than Canada, but most of its crude is heavy and costly to produce. Historically, U.S. refiners purchased significant volumes of Venezuelan heavy crude before sanctions reduced those flows, and Canadian heavy crude has since become the largest foreign heavy crude supply to the U.S. market.

Venezuela’s Rise, Fall, and Changing Role in Global Oil

At its peak in the 1970s, Venezuela produced around 3.5 million barrels per day, representing more than 7% of global oil output at the time.

Since then, production has declined sharply due to underinvestment, infrastructure decay, and geopolitical pressures, including sanctions.

Today, Venezuela’s output averages around 1 million barrels per day, or about 1 % of global supply.

Despite the collapse in production, Chevron continues to operate in Venezuela through joint ventures, maintaining a presence that few other U.S. oil majors have preserved amid sanctions and nationalizations.

Venezuela was also a founding member of OPEC in 1960, alongside Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. However, its influence within the group has diminished as production declined and its ability to meet export commitments weakened.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out All of the World’s Oil Reserves by Country, in One Visualization on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-01-11 01:34:13

Ranked: Beer Consumption per Person by Country in 2024

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.

Beer remains one of the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverages, deeply tied to cultural traditions, social habits, and national identity in many countries.

This infographic ranks countries by their beer consumption per capita in 2024, based on data from Kirin Holdings, which tracks global alcohol consumption trends annually.

Where Do People Drink the Most Beer?

Czechia tops global per-capita beer consumption for the 32nd year in a row, although consumption has been declining for the last two years. Beer has deep historical roots in Czechia stretching back to the 10th century, when brewing first began at the Břevnov Monastery.

The table below shows the top 35 countries by beer consumption per person in 2024:

Rank	Country	Per Capita Consumption (Liters)
1	Czechia	148.8
2	Lithuania	110.6
3	Austria	104.6
4	Ireland	99.0
5	Croatia	95.1
6	Estonia	93.2
7	Spain	91.8
8	Slovenia	88.4
9	Romania	87.4
10	Germany	86.9
11	Panama	86.1
12	Mexico	83.4
13	Poland	83.2
14	Bulgaria	81.4
15	Slovakia	81.0
16	Gabon	80.9
17	Latvia	79.1
18	South Africa	75.2
19	Hungary	74.1
20	Bosnia and Herzegovina	71.4
21	Brazil	70.3
22	Finland	68.7
23	Portugal	66.9
24	United Kingdom	66.3
25	Netherlands	66.2
26	Namibia	66.1
27	Russia	66.1
28	Serbia	65.5
29	United States	65.4
30	Australia	65.0
31	Puerto Rico	61.8
32	Denmark	60.8
33	Belgium	57.4
34	Norway	55.8
35	Laos	55.2

The average Czech drinks 148.8 liters of beer annually, amounting to around 419 standard bottles (355 ml, or 0.75 pints)—double that of many top beer-consuming nations.

Lithuania and Austria follow, each exceeding 100 liters per capita, along with Ireland, home of Guinness. Croatia rounds out the top five countries, which are unchanged from 2023.

While Europe dominates the ranking, beer is also popular in Latin America, with Mexico, Panama, Brazil, and Puerto Rico among the top beer-consuming countries. Notably, Brazil is also the world’s third-largest beer consumer in absolute terms, behind China and the United States.

Why Beer Consumption Differs Globally

Countries with strong beer traditions often combine cultural acceptance, local production, and affordability. In contrast, regions where spirits or wine dominate tend to show lower beer consumption.

Demographics also play a role, with aging populations and younger generations drinking less alcohol overall.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, explore more food, beverage, and lifestyle insights on Voronoi, including The Most Popular Beer in Every U.S. State.

2026-01-10 23:24:37

Ranked: The Countries that Drink the Most Beer

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Beer remains one of the world’s most popular alcoholic beverages. While per-capita drinking often gets the spotlight, total consumption tells a different story, shaped by population size, economic growth, and shifting consumer habits.

This visualization ranks nations by the total volume of beer consumed in 2024. The data for this graphic comes from Kirin Holdings.

China and the U.S. Dominate Global Beer Consumption

China remains the world’s largest beer market by a wide margin, consuming 40.5 billion liters—nearly 21% of global demand.

Despite its size, China’s beer consumption fell by 3.7% year over year. The United States ranks second at 22.3 billion liters, accounting for 11.5% of the global market. Similar to China, U.S. beer consumption edged lower, continuing a long-term trend toward moderation and alternative beverages.

Rank	Country	Billion liters	Global Market Share	Growth (2023-24)
1	China	40.5	20.9%	-3.7%
2	United States of America	22.3	11.5%	-0.5%
3	Brazil	15.3	7.9%	1.1%
4	Mexico	10.8	5.6%	5.4%
5	Russia	9.5	4.9%	9.0%
6	Germany	7.2	3.7%	-2.2%
7	South Africa	4.6	2.4%	4.5%
8	Vietnam	4.6	2.4%	0.6%
9	United Kingdom	4.5	2.3%	1.7%
10	Spain	4.4	2.2%	-1.3%
11	Japan	4.1	2.1%	-2.7%
12	India	3.4	1.8%	14.6%
13	Poland	3.3	1.7%	-1.7%
14	Colombia	2.6	1.4%	3.2%
15	South Korea	2.3	1.2%	0.7%
16	Italy	2.2	1.1%	0.9%
17	France	2.1	1.1%	-1.0%
18	Thailand	2.0	1.0%	5.8%
19	Canada	1.8	0.9%	-0.1%
20	Australia	1.7	0.9%	-2.6%
21	Ethiopia	1.7	0.9%	5.1%
22	Romania	1.7	0.9%	2.0%
23	Philippines	1.7	0.9%	0.3%
24	Ukraine	1.7	0.9%	3.0%
25	Czechia	1.6	0.8%	-0.9%
--	Rest of world	36.4	18.7%	--
--	Global Total	194.1	100.0%	0.5%

Growth Shifts Toward Emerging Markets

Several emerging markets posted notable gains in beer consumption. India recorded the fastest growth among major countries, with volumes rising 14.6% as incomes increase and beer becomes more popular among younger consumers.

Mexico and Russia also stood out, growing by 5.4% and 9.0% respectively.

Europe’s Mixed Picture

Europe remains a key beer-producing and consuming region, but trends vary widely by country.

Germany, the world’s sixth-largest beer market, saw consumption decline by 2.2%, while Czechia—famous for having the highest per-capita beer intake—also posted a modest drop.

In contrast, countries like the UK, Italy, and Romania experienced mild growth.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Most Popular Beer in Every U.S. State on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.