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2026-01-13 02:50:01

Ranked: Africa’s 50 Most Populous Cities

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Africa is the world’s fastest-urbanizing continent, with hundreds of millions of people expected to move into cities over the coming decades.

This rapid growth has already produced some of the world’s largest metro areas, driven by population growth, rural-to-urban migration, and expanding economic opportunities.

This map ranks Africa’s 50 most populous cities in 2025, based on data from the UN World Urbanization Prospects 2025.

The Largest Cities in Africa by Population

Cairo, officially known as Al-Qahirah, is Africa’s most populous city with 25.6 million residents. Egypt’s capital is not only Africa’s largest city, but also ranks among the largest cities in the world.

The table below lists 50 of Africa’s most populous cities in 2025:

Rank	Country	City	2025 Population
1	Egypt	Al-Qahirah (Cairo)	25,566,000
2	Nigeria	Lagos	12,792,000
3	Angola	Luanda	11,370,000
4	DR Congo	Kinshasa	10,944,000
5	Tanzania	Dar es Salaam	7,795,000
6	Egypt	Alexandria	7,267,000
7	South Africa	Johannesburg	7,077,000
8	Sudan	Khartoum	6,809,000
9	Ethiopia	Addis Ababa	6,706,000
10	Côte d’Ivoire	Abidjan	6,622,000
11	Kenya	Nairobi	6,134,000
12	Nigeria	Onitsha	5,628,000
13	Ghana	Accra	5,593,000
14	Cameroon	Yaoundé	5,106,000
15	Uganda	Kampala	4,881,000
16	Nigeria	Kano	4,840,000
17	South Africa	Cape Town	4,509,000
18	Morocco	Casablanca	4,457,000
19	Somalia	Mogadishu	4,399,000
20	Ghana	Kumasi	4,298,000
21	Mali	Bamako	4,245,000
22	Egypt	Luxor	4,188,000
23	Cameroon	Douala	4,105,000
24	Madagascar	Antananarivo	3,916,000
25	Senegal	Dakar	3,852,000
26	Nigeria	Owerri	3,833,000
27	Nigeria	Ibadan	3,721,000
28	Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville	3,656,000
29	DR Congo	Kasaï-Oriental	3,606,000
30	Zambia	Lusaka	3,511,000
31	Algeria	Algiers	3,246,000
32	Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	3,206,000
33	South Africa	Durban	3,178,000
34	Mozambique	Maputo	3,166,000
35	DR Congo	Lubumbashi	2,833,000
36	Guinea	Conakry (Coyah)	2,728,000
37	Benin	Cotonou	2,506,000
38	Tunisia	Tunis	2,473,000
39	Togo	Lomé	2,415,000
40	Nigeria	Port Harcourt	2,341,000
41	Zimbabwe	Harare	2,117,000
42	Egypt	Banha	2,089,000
43	Morocco	Rabat	2,069,000
44	Sierra Leone	Freetown	1,936,000
45	Chad	N’Djaména	1,935,000
46	DR Congo	Beni	1,924,000
47	Nigeria	Kaduna	1,890,000
48	Liberia	Monrovia	1,879,000
49	Nigeria	Benin City	1,845,000
50	South Africa	Pretoria	1,836,000

Nigeria’s Lagos ranks second with nearly 12.8 million residents, followed closely by Luanda in Angola and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These cities have expanded rapidly due to high birth rates and sustained migration from rural areas.

Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation, appears nine times in the top 50. Egypt follows with four cities, while South Africa has four major metropolitan areas, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria.

East Africa also features prominently, with Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Kampala all ranking among the continent’s largest cities. Many of Africa’s urban areas are projected to double in size within the next 25 years.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The True Size of Africa on Voronoi.

2026-01-13 01:11:00

Published

19 hours ago

on

January 12, 2026

By

Julia Wendling

Graphics & Design

• Athul Alexander

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The following content is sponsored by OANDA

Trump Trade Shake-Up: Which Countries Are Winning Vs. Losing?

Key Takeaways

• Shifts in U.S. trade policy under President Trump are creating a more uneven playing field for global exporters.
• Mexico (+17.4%), Canada (+6.1%), and the UK (+5.1%) have emerged with clear relative advantages.
• By contrast, China (-19.4%), India (-19.4%), and Brazil (-16.6%) have faced significantly greater headwinds.

As U.S. trade policy shifts under President Trump, global exporters are facing a more uneven competitive landscape. This visualization, created in partnership with OANDA, explores which countries are winning versus losing in this period of economic uncertainty. 

How Trump’s Trade Policies Are Reshaping Export Competitiveness

Changes to tariffs and trade agreements mean countries are no longer operating under the same conditions when accessing the U.S. market. This visual compares countries based on their tariff exposure relative to key competitors, highlighting which exporters are gaining an advantage and which are falling behind as commerce dynamics evolve.

After a volatile start to 2025, several countries now stand out as relative winners. Mexico and Canada benefit from geographic proximity and established trade frameworks, while the UK, Singapore, and Italy have also emerged with more favorable tariff positioning.

Country	Relative Advantage (%)
Mexico	17.4
Canada	6.1
UK	5.1
Singapore	3.6
Italy	5.1

For exporters in these countries, improved access to the U.S. market is often associated with the potential for stronger trade volumes and firmer demand. These shifting dynamics create an environment that has historically supported capital flows and acted as a tailwind for respective currencies.

Where Trade Headwinds Are Building

On the other side of the ledger, a group of major exporters is facing growing disadvantages. China continues to contend with elevated tariffs and ongoing trade tensions, while India and Brazil face higher relative exposure compared to peers. Switzerland and South Korea also appear less favorably positioned, potentially weighing on export competitiveness.

Country	Relative Disadvantage (%)
China	-19.4
India	-19.4
Brazil	-16.6
Switzerland	-6.9
South Korea	-5.5

For these economies, higher commerce barriers represent a significant challenge that can weigh on export growth and corporate earnings. In the current landscape, these factors are being monitored for their potential to increase pressure on foreign exchange markets.

What to Watch Next

For traders and investors, these divergences highlight the evolving conditions within the global marketplace, as trade policy remains a key driver of capital and currency flows.

Note: Past performance is not indicative of future results.

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2026-01-12 23:28:00

Ranked: The World’s Top 20 Billionaires in 2026

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.

The wealth held by the world’s top 20 billionaires—about $3.8 trillion—is greater than the GDP of most countries on Earth.

What’s more, these fortunes have grown at an astonishing rate since 2020. Back then, Jeff Bezos was the richest person in the world, with a net worth of $145 billion. Today, Elon Musk’s fortune is nearly fivefold that figure.

This graphic shows the world’s wealthiest people in 2026, based on data from Forbes.

Surging Wealth of the Top 20 Billionaires

Below, we show the world’s richest individuals as of January 6, 2026:

Rank	Name	Net Worth 2026	Net Worth 2020	Country
1	Elon Musk	$714.2B	$24.6B	U.S.
2	Larry Page	$257.7B	$58.4B	U.S.
3	Jeff Bezos	$251.4B	$145.1B	U.S.
4	Larry Ellison	$242.6B	$59.0B	U.S.
5	Sergey Brin	$237.8B	$49.1B	U.S.
6	Mark Zuckerberg	$226.5B	$68.8B	U.S.
7	Bernard Arnault & family	$193.9B	$91.5B	France
8	Jensen Huang	$162.5B	$4.7B	U.S.
9	Warren Buffett	$147.5B	$73.4B	U.S.
10	Amancio Ortega	$147.0B	$60.5B	Spain
11	Steve Ballmer	$145.9B	$62.5B	U.S.
12	Michael Dell	$138.0B	$22.9B	U.S.
13	Rob Walton & family	$133.5B	$54.1B	U.S.
14	Jim Walton & family	$130.8B	$57.0B	U.S.
15	Alice Walton	$121.9B	$56.8B	U.S.
16	Michael Bloomberg	$109.4B	$48.0B	U.S.
17	Mukesh Ambani	$108.4B	$36.8B	India
18	Bill Gates	$103.8B	$103.6B	U.S.
19	Carlos Slim Helu & family	$101.3B	$52.1B	Mexico
20	Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family	$89.8B	$53.2B	France

Elon Musk, with $714.2 billion in wealth, is the first person in history to cross the $700 billion mark.

Since 2020, Musk’s wealth has grown at a splintering pace, rising by a factor of nearly 30. Among Musk’s largest sources of wealth is his $366 billion stake in SpaceX, which is currently valued at $800 billion. In 2026, its valuation could climb to $1.5 trillion in a potential mega IPO.

Google cofounder Larry Page ranks second, with a $257.7 billion net worth. In 2025, Alphabet shares surged 63%, significantly boosting Page’s wealth.

As we can see, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has a fortune of $162.5 billion, ranking in eighth globally. Over the past seven years, Nvidia shares have skyrocketed over 4,200%, leading Huang to see the fastest growth in wealth across the top 20 billionaires.

By comparison, Bill Gates has seen his wealth remain almost unchanged since 2020. That year, Gates was the world’s second-richest person, but has since slipped to 18th. Largely, this is due transferring tens of billions to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and philanthropic-related causes.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on how the world’s billionaires made their money.

2026-01-12 21:04:03

Mapped: Median Age by State

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.

Across the U.S., age profiles vary widely by region. This map highlights those differences using the most recent nationwide estimates.

The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 1-Year Estimates. It reports the median age for each state and the District of Columbia.

The Oldest States Are Concentrated in the Northeast

The national median age stands at 39.2 as of 2024.

New England and nearby states dominate the top of the ranking. Maine leads the country with a median age of 45, followed by Vermont and New Hampshire at 44. Several other northeastern states—including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island—also exceed 41.

These older age profiles reflect long-term trends such as slower population growth, lower birth rates, and limited in-migration of younger workers.

The Sun Belt Shows a Mixed Demographic Picture

Many Sun Belt states cluster near the national average, but with some exceptions.

Florida stands out with a median age of 43, driven by its large retiree population. In contrast, Texas has a median age of 36, reflecting faster population growth and a younger workforce.

Meanwhile, states like Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina sit close to 39.

Younger Populations Dominate the West and Plains

The youngest states are largely found in the West and Great Plains.

Utah is the clear outlier at 33, supported by higher fertility rates and larger households. The District of Columbia also skews young at 35, due in part to a concentration of working-age adults.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: Renters vs Homeowners by State on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-01-12 06:07:45

Visualized: Venezuela’s Crude Oil Exports by Country

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.

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.