Visual CapitalistModify

2026-03-25 22:11:32

Half the World’s Oil Comes From Just Five Countries

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.

Just five countries produced half of the world’s oil in 2025, with the U.S., Russia, and Saudi Arabia alone accounting for nearly 40% of global supply.

That level of concentration means a small number of countries have an outsized influence on global oil supply.

This visualization shows global crude oil production including lease condensate by country in a single chart with countries organized and colored by region.

The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and is a Jan-Nov 2025 annualized average of crude oil and lease condensate production by country, the latest data available as of March 9, 2026.

U.S., Russia, and Saudi Arabia Lead Crude Oil Production

The U.S. was the world’s largest producer of crude oil and lease condensate in 2025, producing 13.58 million barrels per day (mb/d), comfortably ahead of Russia at 9.87 mb/d and Saudi Arabia at 9.51 mb/d. Combined together, those three countries were responsible for 39% of global crude oil production in 2025.

The data table below shows the world’s crude oil production in 2025 by country in million barrels per day (mb/d) and each country’s share of global production:

Country	Crude Oil and Lease Condensate 2025 Production (million barrels per day)	Share of 2025 Global Production (%)
United States	13.58	16.08
Russia	9.87	11.69
Saudi Arabia	9.51	11.26
Canada	4.94	5.85
Iraq	4.39	5.20
China	4.34	5.14
Iran	4.19	4.96
United Arab Emirates	3.82	4.52
Brazil	3.75	4.43
Kuwait	2.58	3.05
Kazakhstan	2.07	2.45
Norway	1.85	2.19
Mexico	1.72	2.04
Nigeria	1.61	1.90
Libya	1.36	1.61
Qatar	1.31	1.55
Algeria	1.14	1.35
Angola	1.03	1.22
Oman	1.00	1.18
Venezuela	0.97	1.15
Argentina	0.79	0.93
Colombia	0.75	0.88
Guyana	0.73	0.87
United Kingdom	0.61	0.73
India	0.60	0.71
Indonesia	0.58	0.69
Azerbaijan	0.56	0.67
Malaysia	0.52	0.61
Egypt	0.51	0.60
Ecuador	0.44	0.52
Australia	0.25	0.29
Congo-Brazzaville	0.24	0.28
Gabon	0.24	0.28
Turkmenistan	0.19	0.23
Ghana	0.18	0.22
Bahrain	0.18	0.22
Vietnam	0.16	0.19
Thailand	0.16	0.19
Chad	0.13	0.15
Turkiye	0.13	0.15
South Sudan	0.11	0.13
Niger	0.10	0.12
Brunei	0.10	0.12
Senegal	0.10	0.12
Italy	0.08	0.10
Equatorial Guinea	0.08	0.09
Syria	0.07	0.09
Denmark	0.07	0.09
Cameroon	0.06	0.07
Pakistan	0.06	0.07
Cote d'Ivoire	0.05	0.06
Romania	0.05	0.06
Trinidad and Tobago	0.05	0.06
Peru	0.05	0.05
Germany	0.03	0.04
Papua New Guinea	0.03	0.04
Sudan	0.03	0.04
Uzbekistan	0.03	0.04
Belarus	0.03	0.03
Cuba	0.03	0.03
Tunisia	0.03	0.03
Hungary	0.02	0.03
Netherlands	0.02	0.03
Israel	0.02	0.02
Bolivia	0.02	0.02
Poland	0.02	0.02
Congo-Kinshasa	0.02	0.02
Yemen	0.02	0.02
Mongolia	0.01	0.02
Albania	0.01	0.01
Suriname	0.01	0.01
Serbia	0.01	0.01
France	0.01	0.01
Croatia	0.01	0.01
Austria	0.01	0.01
New Zealand	0.01	0.01
Burma	0.01	0.01
Kyrgyzstan	0.01	0.01
Guatemala	0.01	0.01

After that top tier, production drops sharply. Canada ranked fourth at 4.94 million barrels per day, followed by Iraq (4.39) and China (4.34). In other words, the U.S. alone almost produced more crude than Canada, Iraq, and China combined.

Iran was the seventh-largest producer of crude oil in 2025, pumping 4.19 mb/d which equates to 5% of the world’s production last year.

The Middle East is the Largest Oil-Producing Region

While the U.S. was the single biggest producer, the Middle East remained the largest regional bloc in the ranking. Countries from the region produced 32% of the world’s crude oil in 2025, or nearly one-third of the global total.

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait all landed in the top 10. That clustering helps explain why Middle Eastern supply continues to play an outsized role in global oil balances, even with the U.S. holding the top spot individually.

The war in Iran has led to significant disruption in crude oil production and trade in 2026, with many Middle Eastern countries’ production facilities shut down or destroyed.

Even if the war were to end soon, many facilities will require significant reinvestment and time to repair, along with high levels of uncertainty across the key energy trade route that is the Strait of Hormuz.

After the Top 10, Oil Production Falls Off Quickly

The concentration of output in a few countries and regions becomes even clearer lower down the ranking of oil producers. The top 10 countries accounted for 72.2% of global production, meaning all remaining producers combined contributed less than 28%.

That long tail includes countries such as Kazakhstan, Norway, Mexico, Nigeria, Libya, and Guyana, each of which adds meaningful barrels to the market without approaching the scale of the leading producers.

The result is a global crude market where a handful of countries still matter most for overall supply trends.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the world’s crude oil, check out this graphic which shows the top countries by crude oil reserves on Voronoi.

2026-03-25 20:04:50

Mapped: Years to Save for a Home by U.S. 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.

Saving for a home down payment can take anywhere from under a decade to more than 25 years in the U.S., depending on where you live.

Based on Consumer Affairs data, this map shows how many years it takes the average household to save for a home in each state. Nationwide, the average is 14.4 years, but timelines vary dramatically by state.

In states like Iowa and Ohio, buyers can save in under a decade. In coastal markets like California and New York, timelines stretch past 20 years.

The Timeline to Homeownership Across America

Iowa ranks as the fastest state, where it takes just 8.7 years on average to save for a home. With median home prices around $247,000 in 2025—the second-lowest nationwide—the state combines relatively affordable housing with moderate incomes and taxes.

In Ohio (9.9 years) and Texas (10.3 years), meanwhile, lower home prices and more manageable tax burdens help shorten the path to ownership.

The table below shows the estimated number of years needed to save for a 10% down payment in each state, ranked from shortest to longest. Estimates are based on median incomes, taxes, living costs, and median home prices.

In the most affordable parts of the country—especially across the Midwest—buyers can still save for a home in under a decade.

But in high-cost housing markets, the timeline stretches dramatically. In California, for instance, it takes over 25 years on average to save, nearly three times longer than in Iowa.

Even relatively high incomes don’t offset the gap. Despite median household earnings around $100,000, steep home prices and high taxes continue to weigh on buyers. Other expensive states—including New York, Hawaii, and Montana—also see timelines exceed 20 years.

For most Americans, the reality falls somewhere in between. Nationwide, saving for a home takes 10 to 15 years, with an average of 14.4 years.

As a result, homeownership is increasingly delayed. The median age of first-time buyers has climbed to a record 38 years old, highlighting how buying a home is becoming a longer-term financial goal.

Methodology

To estimate how long it takes to save for a home in each state, Consumer Affairs analyzed median household income alongside federal, state, and payroll taxes, as well as average annual living expenses, including housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and insurance.

From this, the remaining discretionary income available after essential costs was calculated.

Each state’s median home price was then used to estimate how many years it would take to save for a 10% down payment, assuming households save 10% of their remaining income annually. Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Tax Foundation, Redfin, and the BEA.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the states attracting the most new residents.

2026-03-25 01:02:54

Ranked: Countries With the Most AI Patents

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.

Which countries are leading in artificial intelligence innovation?

This chart ranks the top countries by AI patents in 2024, based on data from the World Intellectual Property Organization.

China Leads With The Most AI Patents

China currently has the most AI patents at 25,177, showing dominance in overall volume.

Despite the U.S. trailing in AI patents with 17,307, its share of overall patents is higher than China’s—highlighting AI as a larger share of U.S. innovation.

Rank	Country	AI Patents	Total Patents
1	China	25,177	5,688,867
2	United States	17,307	3,519,879
3	South Korea	5,635	1,312,294
4	Japan	4,811	2,085,215
5	Germany	436	963,941
6	Australia	298	163,069
7	France	142	757,026
8	India	138	228,402
9	United Kingdom	119	744,130
10	Mexico	57	111,190
11	Brazil	37	106,827
12	Malaysia	30	38,168
13	Luxembourg	29	163,418
14	Netherlands	22	246,254
15	Sweden	21	152,158
16	Hungary	14	35,950
17	Philippines	13	15,463
18	Colombia	12	9,009
19	New Zealand	11	23,867
19	Serbia	11	9,368
21	Poland	7	111,782
21	Spain	7	217,849
23	Argentina	6	13,053
24	Finland	5	96,416
24	Peru	5	4,539
26	Greece	4	27,510
26	Norway	4	55,349
28	Austria	3	134,163
28	Belgium	3	187,149
28	Chile	3	21,079
28	Morocco	3	4,917
28	Romania	3	27,474
28	Slovakia	3	21,189
34	Denmark	2	109,551
34	Slovenia	2	18,517
36	Bulgaria	1	13,311
36	Costa Rica	1	1,462
36	Ecuador	1	215
36	Latvia	1	10,493
36	Portugal	1	81,509
36	Moldova	1	255
36	Switzerland	1	268,054

South Korea sits in third place for the most AI patents, at 5,635—accounting for 0.43% of overall patents in the country.

Europe and the UK, despite being known for top universities and research and development labs, trail behind. Germany and France are the only European countries to make the top 10, with 436 and 142 patents respectively. The UK has just 119 AI patents, accounting for 0.02% of overall patents.

Interestingly, Mexico nabs 10th place for most AI patents, at 57, beating more general IP hotspots such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Luxembourg.

Concentration Could Affect Competitiveness

The data shows that AI innovation is highly concentrated. Indeed, Chinese companies Tencent, Ping An Insurance Group, Baidu and the Chinese Academy of Sciences had the most patents for generative AI as of 2019. IBM follows in the ranking.

This concentration could be a challenge as countries attempt to shore up sovereign AI capabilities, meaning home-grown innovation and domestic data centers, while also staying competitive.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about AI, check out this graphic which ranks how AI competitiveness across countries.

2026-03-24 23:45:00

Published

23 hours ago

on

March 24, 2026

By

Julia Wendling

Graphics & Design

• Abha Patil

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Reddit
• Pinterest
• Email

The following content is sponsored by Adobe

India on Top: AI Adoption by Country

   

Key Takeaways

• India leads global AI adoption at 92%, the highest rate among surveyed countries.
             
• Several Global South economies—including India, Brazil, and South Africa—are adopting AI faster than many developed nations.
       

India’s tech-savvy workforce is leading the world in artificial intelligence adoption. This signals how emerging economies are becoming key drivers of the next wave of digital productivity. 

This visualization, created in partnership with Adobe, explores how AI adoption varies across countries. The data reveals a growing trend: the Global South is increasingly outpacing the Global North when it comes to integrating AI into everyday work.

As AI tools become more accessible, countries with rapidly digitizing workforces are embracing them as a way to accelerate productivity and innovation.

Where AI Adoption Is Highest

India sits firmly at the top of global AI adoption rankings, with 92% of workers using AI tools several times per week, according to a 2025 Boston Consulting Group survey of 10,635 respondents worldwide. The country’s large technology workforce, strong startup ecosystem, and rapid digital transformation have helped accelerate AI integration across industries.

Country/Region	AI Tools Adoption (%)	Global North/South
India	92	South
Spain	78	North
Brazil	76	South
South Africa	72	South
UK	68	North
Italy	68	North
Germany	67	North
France	64	North
U.S.	64	North
Japan	51	North

Several other Global South economies also show strong uptake. Brazil ranks third globally at 76%, while South Africa follows closely at 72%. These countries are adopting AI quickly as businesses look to boost efficiency and modernize workflows.

In comparison, adoption across much of the Global North is somewhat lower. This is with the exception of Spain, which ranks second overall at 78%. The UK and Italy both report 68% adoption, followed by Germany (67%), France (64%), and the United States (64%).

Meanwhile, Japan reports the lowest adoption rate at 51%, highlighting how structural factors, including an aging population, can influence the speed of AI integration.

From Adoption to Productivity

While AI adoption is rising rapidly worldwide, the real economic impact comes from how these tools are applied in daily work. AI‑enabled document and workflow tools, including platforms such as Adobe Acrobat Studio, are helping organizations streamline routine tasks, reduce manual effort, and allow teams to focus on higher‑value work.

This momentum is increasingly shaping how work gets done day to day. Tasks such as editing reports, reviewing scanned files, or updating PDFs are now commonly handled through online PDF tools. This enables faster collaboration and more efficient decision‑making across teams.

As adoption spreads, countries that successfully embed AI into everyday workflows may gain a significant productivity advantage in the years ahead.

Explore AI-powered Document Workflows.

You may also like

• 

  AI6 days ago

  How AI Could Add $600B to India’s Economy by 2035

  India’s AI boom is poised to reshape its economy, with AI expected to boost productivity by between $550B and $607B by 2035.

Subscribe

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Join 375,000+ email subscribers: *

Sign Up

2026-03-24 22:22:02

America’s Oil Reversal, From Import Giant to Net Exporter

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.

As recently as the mid-2000s, the U.S. was importing vast amounts of oil to meet domestic demand. Today, it exports more petroleum than it imports, marking a dramatic reversal in U.S. energy trade.

This chart tracks U.S. oil imports and exports since 1973 based on data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). It shows how the country moved from a major importer to a net exporter after decades of dependence on foreign supply.

The crossover came in 2020, when U.S. petroleum exports exceeded imports for the first time since at least 1949.

When the U.S. Relied on Oil Imports

Historically, the U.S. has been a massive oil importer, driven by its industrial needs and high household consumption as a car-dependent country.

The early 1970s famously saw the U.S. impacted by an energy crisis following an oil embargo by major oil-producing states such as Saudi Arabia. American policymakers came to understand the dangers of oil dependence on foreign producers, contributing to large-scale exploration efforts and the imposition of a ban on crude oil exports without a permit.

The data table below shows U.S. monthly oil imports, exports, and net imports in thousands of barrels per day (kbd) from 1973 to January 2026.

Oil imports peaked in 2005 at nearly 15 million barrels per day, at a time when domestic oil production was far outstripped by demand. Key import markets included Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

The Shale Boom That Changed the Balance

The late 2000s and early 2010s marked a turning point in the U.S. energy trajectory. Demand was softened by the 2008 recession and global financial crisis, while domestic production began to take off with a shale oil boom and new oilfield discoveries in states like North Dakota.

Steadily growing production led the U.S. to repeal its longstanding ban on oil exports in 2015, setting the stage for the country to boost production and compete globally with other major players such as Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Notably, at the time of repeal oil imports made up roughly a third of total consumption, down from its peak of approximately 60% in 2005.

The U.S. as a Global Exporter

Contrary to small petrostates such as those seen in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. has a large, powerful, and diversified economy of which oil exports make up only a small portion.

However, the shift of the U.S. from a net importer to becoming a net exporter has reshaped global energy markets, as the country surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s top crude oil producer in the late 2010s.

Rising U.S. production has reduced reliance on foreign oil and reshaped global energy flows. Today, oil and gas form key components of the economies of states like Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Where the World’s Oil Comes From by Region on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-03-24 20:05:15

Mapped: Where Tech Jobs Grew Fastest Across America in 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.

In 2025, tech job growth in America shifted away from its biggest hubs. While California still employs more tech workers than any other state, it saw employment decline, alongside other large markets like Texas. Meanwhile, a smaller group of states posted the fastest gains.

This map shows which states led the country in tech job growth, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled via Arizona State University.

The results suggest that momentum is spreading beyond the largest legacy centers, with several smaller states outpacing the industry’s traditional leaders.

Ranked: The U.S. States Leading Tech Job Growth in 2025

Utah ranks first overall, with tech employment rising 6.3% annually, adding roughly 3,000 jobs.

Home to “Silicon Slopes,” Utah is projected to have the third-fastest tech job growth this decade. Illinois (+5.7%) and South Carolina (+4.8%) follow, rounding out a top three that reflects a mix of established and emerging tech ecosystems.

Other notable gainers include Colorado (+4.6%) and Washington (+3.0%), both of which continue to build on strong existing tech sectors.

At the same time, several large states with significant tech workforces saw flat or declining growth. California, the country’s largest tech employer with over 500,000 jobs, recorded a 2.8% decline. Texas (-2.0%) and New York (0.0%) also lagged.

In total, two-thirds of U.S. states recorded declines in tech employment.

Overall, New Mexico saw the sharpest contraction nationwide, with tech employment falling 11%. Jobs in Rhode Island and Georgia, meanwhile, fell 7.1% and 6.7%, respectively.

What’s Driving the Shift in Tech Jobs?

Of course, one key driver behind these trends is the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence.

Across the tech sector, companies are restructuring around AI—both creating demand for specialized roles and reducing the need for others. In 2025, AI was cited as a contributing factor in thousands of job cuts, while also driving hiring in high-skill areas.

As AI reshapes hiring across the industry, the biggest story isn’t job loss or growth alone, but where opportunities are moving next.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the top 40 jobs most exposed to AI.