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2026-02-16 05:02:42

Ranked: Countries with the Most Winter Olympics Medals

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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

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.

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.

2026-02-15 21:06:48

Mapped: The Best and Worst U.S. States for Air Quality

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Wyoming’s air contains less than half the particle pollution found in California.

Across the country, fine particle pollution levels range from just over 4 µg/m³ to nearly 12 µg/m³, a gap shaped by wildfire exposure, population density, and industrial activity.

This map ranks all 50 states by average particle pollution, based on EPA data from the America’s Health Rankings 2025 report.

A Breakdown of States Ranked by Air Quality

For the analysis, states were analyzed using 2022 to 2024 average fine particle pollution (µg/m³).

The U.S. average stood at 8.8 µg/m³, exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guideline of 5 µg/m³. That means the average American is breathing air that falls short of global health standards.

Below, we rank states from best to worst by air pollution levels. Where does your state rank?

Wyoming has the best air quality in the U.S., known for its vast stretches of land and the nation’s smallest population.

Adding to this, Wyoming’s city of Casper has the lowest year-round particle pollution across U.S. metros. Cheyenne, meanwhile, ranked eighth overall.

Hawaii ranks second by particle pollution, at 4.7 µg/m³. The state’s low population density, along with strong winds and rainfall, plays a key role in its air quality. While rain helps to clear away pollutants, trade winds bring in fresh air and mitigate the accumulation of air pollutants.

Overall, just three states—Wyoming, Hawaii, and New Hampshire—have air quality that falls within WHO’s guidelines.

In contrast, California has average particle pollution of 11.7 µg/m³, the worst nationwide. Moreover, 88% of Californians live in areas with unhealthy air quality. Several factors drive up pollution in the state including tailpipe emissions, high population density, and its hot climate.

States at the bottom of the rankings tend to combine large populations, dense transportation networks, and significant industrial activity. Trailing California at the bottom of the rankings are Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s most air-polluted cities.

2026-02-15 04:37:51

Mapped: Lightning Strike Hotspots Around the World

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.

Lightning is a global phenomenon, but it does not strike evenly across the planet. Some regions experience lightning activity at rates that are dozens of times higher than the global average, driven by geography, climate, and atmospheric conditions.

The visualization above, created by Julie Peasley, maps the top lightning hotspots on each continent using data from NASA’s Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). It highlights where lightning strikes most frequently based on flash rate density, measured as the number of flashes per square kilometer per year.

Here is the data showing the leading lightning hotspots by region, based on NASA LIS measurements:

Across continents, the pattern is clear. Northern South America and central Africa dominate the rankings, with flash rates that far exceed those seen elsewhere. Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela stands out as the most lightning-prone location on Earth, earning its reputation as the planet’s lightning capital.

Why Do These Lightning Hotspots Exist?

Lightning hotspots tend to form where warm, moist air rises consistently and collides with cooler air aloft. In places like Lake Maracaibo, surrounding mountains help trap heat and moisture, creating ideal conditions for frequent and intense thunderstorms.

Similar dynamics occur in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern India, where strong solar heating and seasonal weather patterns fuel powerful convective storms. These regions see lightning activity on a near-daily basis during peak seasons.

How NASA Measures Lightning From Space

The Lightning Imaging Sensor detects lightning flashes by capturing brief bursts of light from storms as viewed from orbit. According to NASA, LIS data has helped scientists identify global lightning patterns and confirm new lightning capitals in recent years, including findings from instruments aboard the International Space Station.

However, the data comes with geographic limits. LIS primarily tracks lightning between 38° north and south latitude, meaning much of Europe and other higher-latitude regions are not included. As a result, the map reflects where lightning is most intense within the satellite’s coverage zone, not globally without restriction.

2026-02-15 01:11:23

Every Continent Ranked by Number of Countries

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The world’s 195 recognized countries are divided across seven continents, but the distribution is far from equal.

Africa leads with 54 countries, more than any other continent. South America has the fewest, at just 12. Meanwhile, Europe and Asia are counted separately despite sharing the same landmass, a division rooted in history and geopolitics rather than geography alone.

This map ranks every continent by number of countries, using data from World Population Review.

Note: Russia is categorized within Asia, as most of its land area lies there.

Breaking Down Countries by Continent

Below, we show how the 193 UN member states plus the UN observer states of Vatican City and Palestine are distributed across the world’s seven continents.

Africa accounts for 54 countries, the highest total of any continent. It spans roughly one-fifth of the world’s land area, with Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the largest by size. At the other end of the spectrum are island nations like Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Asia ranks second with 49 countries. It is the most populous continent by far, home to roughly 60% of the global population. In terms of land area, Russia, China, and India are the largest, while nations like the Maldives and Singapore cover less than 300 square miles.

Europe is home to 43 countries, including 27 European Union members. Ukraine is the largest by land area, followed by France.

North America includes the Caribbean, Central America, and the Arctic region. Its 23 countries include Greenland, which sits on the North American tectonic plate.

At the bottom of the ranking are Oceania and South America, with 14 and 12 countries respectively.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s most powerful rivers.