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2026-02-03 21:07:43

Mapped: U.S. Population Growth by State (2020-2025)

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America’s population has grown by over 10 million people since 2020, with nearly three-quarters of this growth concentrated in the South.

With the rise of remote work, many migrated to Florida and Texas thanks to their sunnier climates and favorable taxes. Meanwhile, California has seen net out-migration, with people increasingly heading to more affordable states like Utah and Idaho.

This graphic shows population growth by state since 2020, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

How Population Growth by State Has Shifted Since 2020

Between 2020 and 2025, the U.S. population increased by 3.1% with the South growing the fastest across U.S. regions:

• South: 6.0%
• West: 1.9%
• Midwest: 1.1%
• Northeast: 0.7%

Below, we show how population growth breaks down by state, based on data from April 2020 to July 2025:

Idaho witnessed the fastest population growth overall, at 10.4%.

Roughly a quarter of this growth is from California, drawn by the state’s lower cost of living, while roughly another 18% came from Washington. The vast majority, equal to about 80% of new residents, are under the age of 55.

Florida follows next in line, with 8.9% growth. Since April 2020, the state’s population has swelled by more than 1.9 million people, the largest absolute gain only after Texas. In total, five of the top 10 states by population growth were in the South.

In contrast, California and New York top the list for the largest population declines. Both states have lost more than 200,000 residents, with high living costs playing a major role.

As of December 2025, the median home price hit $818,000 in California and $501,000 in New York, well above the national median of $446,000. Combined with shifting work opportunities, these affordability challenges are helping fuel the outmigration.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on average home prices by state.

2026-02-03 02:41:23

The Countries Driving China’s $1.2T Trade Surplus

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.

A trade surplus occurs when a country exports more goods and services than it imports, resulting in a net inflow of foreign currency. For China in 2025, this surplus has grown to unprecedented levels, topping $1.19 trillion according to the General Administration of Customs.

The visualization above, created by Aneesh Anand, maps out which countries contributed most to this surplus. The dataset highlights China’s top 15 surplus partners, showcasing a global pattern of economic interdependence and imbalance.

Breaking Down China’s Trade Surplus by Country

Hong Kong topped the list with a surplus of $303.9 billion, largely due to re-exports and transshipment trade.

Rank	Trade Partner	China's Surplus (US$ bn)
1	Hong Kong	303.93
2	U.S.	280.35
3	India	116.12
4	Vietnam	100.15
5	Netherlands	73.39
6	UK	66.44
7	Thailand	53.75
8	Singapore	46.08
9	Philippines	38.87
10	Italy	26.31
11	Germany	25.42
12	Malaysia	15.69
13	France	11.63
14	Canada	6.21
15	Indonesia	3.16

Close behind Hong Kong was the United States at $280 billion, continuing a long-standing trade imbalance. India and Vietnam, at over $100 billion each, underline China’s deepening trade ties in Asia.

Why Are China’s Trade Surpluses So High?

Despite rising protectionism, tariffs, and diplomatic tensions, China’s manufacturing engine remains robust. Even American tariffs have failed to dent the flow of consumer electronics, machinery, and intermediate goods being exported from China.

Part of the explanation lies in global supply chains. Many goods are still assembled or completed in China, especially electronics, before being shipped abroad. This entrenched role as the “workshop of the world” has kept China’s exports high, even in an era of attempted decoupling.

Trade Imbalances Remain a Sore Point

As the Council on Foreign Relations notes, China’s massive surpluses remain a puzzle to some economists, particularly due to underreported service imports or capital flows that mask the true extent of imbalances.

For major partners like the U.S., this imbalance has long been a political flashpoint. A large trade deficit means the U.S. imports significantly more from China than it exports in return, which has raised concerns about domestic job losses, the decline of American manufacturing, and growing economic dependence.

Successive U.S. administrations have tried to reverse this pattern, most notably through tariffs, reshoring incentives, and supply chain diversification. However, these efforts have yielded limited results. China continues to dominate in key export sectors like electronics, machinery, and intermediate goods, making it difficult for American producers to compete without incurring higher costs.

For policymakers, the trade gap is about more than just numbers. It touches on national security, global influence, and the sustainability of U.S. debt, as trade deficits are often financed by foreign investment in American assets. Reducing the trade imbalance with China remains a central, if elusive, goal in broader economic strategy.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

For more historical context, check out our related post on Eight-plus years of the US–China trade gap on the Voronoi app.

2026-02-02 23:22:50

All of the World’s Billionaires 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.

The global billionaire map continues to shift as wealth creation accelerates in some regions and stalls in others. While the United States and China still dominate in absolute numbers, several smaller economies are seeing faster percentage growth in their billionaire populations.

This infographic ranks countries by the number of billionaires in 2025. The data for this visualization comes from UBS.

The United States Still Leads by a Wide Margin

With 924 billionaires, the United States remains the clear global leader. Combined billionaire wealth in the U.S. totals roughly $6.9 trillion, far exceeding any other country.

Rank	Country or Entity	Billionaires 2025	Wealth 2025 (USD)
1	United States	924	6.9T
2	China	470	1.8T
3	India	188	888B
4	Germany	156	692B
5	United Kingdom	91	456B
6	Switzerland	84	518B
7	Hong Kong SAR	76	328B
8	Italy	61	197B
9	Singapore	55	259B
10	Taiwan	51	164B
11	Brazil	47	126B
12	Canada	47	211B
13	France	46	509B
14	Australia	43	213B
15	Japan	41	179B
16	Israel	36	108B
17	Spain	32	213B
18	South Korea	31	88B
19	Sweden	31	132B
20	Indonesia	27	156B
21	Thailand	25	94B
22	Mexico	22	167B
23	Saudi Arabia	19	81B
24	UAE	19	169B
25	Philippines	15	54B
26	Malaysia	14	41B
27	Norway	11	30B
28	Austria	8	77B
29	Denmark	8	50B
30	Netherlands	8	16B
31	Finland	7	15B
32	South Africa	7	36B
33	Argentina	5	26B
34	Chile	5	35B
35	Ireland	4	11B
36	Egypt	4	17B
37	Nigeria	4	37B
38	Lebanon	2	6B
39	Colombia	1	8B
40	Peru	1	2B
--	Other	193	n/a

The country is also home to the world’s richest individual, Elon Musk ($726B). SpaceX has been valued as high as $800 billion in recent secondary share sales, and a potential IPO in 2026 could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

China and India Anchor Asia’s Wealth Base

Mainland China ranks second globally, with 470 billionaires and $1.8 trillion in combined wealth. While growth has moderated compared to past years, the country still added billionaires at a double-digit rate in 2025.

India follows with 188 billionaires, reflecting steady expansion driven by technology, manufacturing, and infrastructure investment. In contrast, wealth hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore punch above their weight, with high concentrations of billionaires relative to population size.

In China, Zhong Shanshan ($69.4B) remains the country’s richest individual. The founder of Nongfu Spring left school during the Cultural Revolution and later built China’s bottled-water giant after working in construction, journalism, and sales.

Europe’s Growth Is Uneven

Germany stands out in Europe, recording a 33% year-over-year increase to reach 156 billionaires. This surge contrasts with flatter growth in countries like France and the UK, where billionaire counts remained stable or grew modestly compared to 2024 numbers.

The UK still hosts 91 billionaires, while France counts 46.

Smaller Markets, Faster Growth

Some of the fastest growth rates come from countries with smaller billionaire bases. Saudi Arabia saw its billionaire count surge by 217%, while Malaysia and Argentina also posted strong gains.

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.

2026-02-02 21:05:57

Ranked: The World’s Top Economies in 1980 vs. 2025

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.

Over the past four decades, the global economic landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. While some countries have maintained their dominance, others have surged from relative obscurity into the ranks of the world’s largest economies.

This visualization compares the world’s top economies from 1980 through 2025. The data for this visualization comes from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (October 2025). GDP figures are shown in current U.S. dollars and are not adjusted for inflation.

The United States’ Enduring Lead

The United States has held the top spot throughout the entire period shown. In 1980, U.S. GDP stood at roughly $2.9 trillion. By 2025, it reached over $30 trillion, far ahead of any other economy.

Rank (1980)	Country or Entity	1980 GDP (Billions, nominal)
1	United States	2,857
2	Japan	1,129
3	Germany	857
4	France	695
5	United Kingdom	605
6	Italy	480
7	China	304
8	Canada	276
9	Mexico	242
10	Argentina	234
11	Spain	231
12	Netherlands	194
13	India	186
14	Saudi Arabia	165
15	Australia	163
16	Brazil	146
17	Sweden	140
18	Belgium	123
19	Switzerland	122
20	Iran	117
21	Indonesia	99
22	Türkiye	97
23	South Africa	89
24	Austria	80
25	Denmark	71
26	Venezuela	70
27	Congo (DRC)	69
28	Korea, Republic of	67
29	Norway	64
30	Poland	57

This sustained dominance reflects a combination of factors, including technological leadership, deep capital markets, strong consumer demand, and the global role of the U.S. dollar.

Rank (2025)	Country or Entity	2025 GDP (Billions, nominal)
1	United States	30,616
2	China	19,399
3	Germany	5,014
4	Japan	4,280
5	India	4,125
6	United Kingdom	3,959
7	France	3,362
8	Italy	2,544
9	Russian Federation	2,541
10	Canada	2,284
11	Brazil	2,257
12	Spain	1,891
13	Mexico	1,863
14	Korea, Republic of	1,859
15	Australia	1,830
16	Türkiye	1,565
17	Indonesia	1,443
18	Netherlands	1,321
19	Saudi Arabia	1,269
20	Poland	1,040
21	Switzerland	1,003
22	Taiwan	884
23	Belgium	717
24	Ireland	709
25	Argentina	683
26	Sweden	662
27	Israel	611
28	Singapore	574
29	United Arab Emirates	569
30	Austria	566

China’s Historic Economic Rise

China represents the most dramatic shift in the rankings. In 1980, it ranked well outside the world’s top five, with GDP just over $300 billion.

By 2010, China had overtaken Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy, and by 2025 its GDP reached nearly $19.4 trillion. This rise was driven by rapid industrialization, export-led growth, urbanization, and large-scale infrastructure investment.

Japan’s Plateau and Europe’s Stability

Japan was the world’s second-largest economy throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s, peaking in the mid-1990s. However, slower growth and demographic challenges caused it to slip to fourth place by 2025.

Meanwhile, major European economies such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France have remained consistently near the top of the rankings. While their growth has been steadier than China’s, they continue to play an outsized role in global trade and finance.

The Rise of Emerging Markets

Beyond China, several emerging markets climbed the rankings over time. India steadily moved upward, entering the top five by 2025, while countries like Indonesia, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia gained prominence as their economies expanded and diversified.

At the same time, some economies that ranked highly in 1980—such as Italy and Argentina—fell relative to faster-growing peers.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s $111 Trillion in Government Debt on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-02 05:44:10

Visualized: The World’s Aircraft Orders in One Chart

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.

Who’s buying the most aircraft in the world? Aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus released their 2025 order books, highlighting which airlines, lessors, and governments placed orders for commercial planes. The visual above, created by Julie Peasley, breaks down all major buyers of Airbus and Boeing aircraft during the year. The full datasets are available directly from Boeing and Airbus.

The graphic also shows whether the customer ordered from Boeing, Airbus, or both, and uses color coding to indicate buyer type, ranging from airlines and airline groups to aircraft lessors and cargo operators.

Here’s the full breakdown of aircraft orders by entity in 2025:

While Qatar Airways led all named buyers with 161 aircraft orders, the biggest segment overall is “Undisclosed” buyers, accounting for 469 aircraft combined across both manufacturers.

Aircraft buyers are often listed as “undisclosed” to protect strategic plans, pending regulatory approvals, or leasing arrangements where the final airline hasn’t been determined yet. Manufacturers still record these orders to reflect real demand while honoring customer confidentiality.

Aircraft lessors like Avolon, BOC Aviation, and Macquarie also played a major role in demand.

Who’s Driving Demand?

Looking at the categories of buyers, airlines dominated overall, placing more than 1,200 orders. However, aircraft lessors also made a substantial impact, accounting for over 400 aircraft. These entities purchase planes to lease them to airlines, serving as financial intermediaries in the aviation ecosystem.

Military and government buyers made a small but notable appearance. The U.S. Air Force and defense departments from Europe and the U.S. made targeted purchases, reflecting ongoing needs for refueling and defense infrastructure.

Air Travel Recovery Fuels Orders

With global air travel surpassing 2019 levels in many regions, carriers are investing heavily in new, more fuel-efficient aircraft. In Asia, airlines like VietJet, Korean Air, and China Airlines are expanding their fleets rapidly. Meanwhile, American carriers such as Alaska Airlines and WestJet are modernizing for both domestic and transborder routes.

As travel rebounds, competition between Boeing and Airbus will remain fierce. However, the surge in demand suggests a strong outlook for the industry as a whole.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Explore how Boeing’s business spans beyond commercial jets in Boeing’s Business Is Much More Than Just Commercial Planes.

2026-02-02 04:15:06

View the high-resolution version of this infographic.

Mapped: The World’s 12 Largest Impact Craters

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.

A single asteroid strike can reshape a planet, and Earth’s history is marked by several cataclysmic impacts. This map by Julie Peasley uses data from the Earth Impact Database to showcase the 12 largest confirmed impact craters on Earth, ranging from massive basin-forming events to relatively recent collisions.

The World’s Largest Craters by Diameter

The following table ranks the top 12 confirmed impact craters based on their estimated rim-to-rim diameter:

While Vredefort in South Africa ranks first at 99 miles (160 km), it formed over 2 billion years ago and has been significantly eroded. In contrast, the second-ranked Chicxulub crater in Mexico retains a clearer structure and is famous for its role in the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that wiped out most dinosaurs.

Extinction Events and Impact Size

Interestingly, larger crater size doesn’t always mean greater devastation. As scientists have noted, factors like impact velocity, angle, and composition can be just as important. The Chicxulub impactor likely released over 100 million megatons of TNT-equivalent energy, triggering firestorms, tsunamis, and a global winter.

In contrast, older impacts like Morokweng or Sudbury were equally massive but occurred long before complex life had evolved, so they did not cause any known mass extinction events.

Lasting Geological Signatures

Some craters, such as Sudbury in Ontario, have left behind unique geological formations and mineral deposits. The Sudbury Basin remains one of the most economically important mining regions in the world, rich in nickel and copper.

Others, like the Morokweng crater in South Africa, have even preserved fragments of the original meteorite thousands of meters beneath the surface.

Why So Few Ancient Craters Remain

Despite Earth’s long history, many early craters have vanished due to erosion and tectonic activity. Earth’s oldest impact scars are gradually being lost to time—unlike the Moon or Mars, which preserve theirs far better. This is why craters like Vredefort or Beaverhead are so valuable: they offer rare glimpses into planetary-scale violence from billions of years ago.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Curious about the cosmos? Explore Every Moon in the Solar System and dive deeper into the celestial bodies orbiting our planets.