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How Urbanization Has Reshaped Asia Over the Last 50 Years

2025-12-08 03:22:47

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Map showing 50 years of urbanization in Asia.

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Mapped: 50 Years of Urbanization in Asia

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.

Key Takeaways

  • Asia’s urbanization has been the most dramatic globally, with megacities like Shanghai, Delhi, and Jakarta expanding into vast metropolitan regions housing tens of millions.
  • Much of Central and mountainous Asia remains sparsely built-up.
  • Jakarta and surrounding areas now form one of the world’s largest megacity regions, with more than 30 million residents.

Asia has undergone one of the most significant urban transformations of the last half-century. Cities that were once mid-sized have expanded into megacity regions, with populations rivaling entire countries.

Today, Asia is home to many of the world’s largest metropolitan areas, from Tokyo and Delhi to Shanghai and Dhaka. While coastal corridors and river basins have become densely built-up, large inland regions remain sparsely urbanized, creating a striking contrast across the continent.

The data for this visualization comes from World Population Review.

Asia Dominates the Global Megacity Rankings

Tokyo remains the world’s largest metropolitan area with more than 37 million people, followed closely by Delhi at roughly 35 million. Shanghai, Dhaka, Beijing, and Mumbai all exceed 20 million residents.

City Country Population
Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan 37,036,200
Delhi 🇮🇳 India 34,665,600
Shanghai 🇨🇳 China 30,482,100
Dhaka 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 24,652,900
Beijing 🇨🇳 China 22,596,500
Mumbai 🇮🇳 India 22,089,000
Osaka 🇯🇵 Japan 18,921,600
Chongqing 🇨🇳 China 18,171,200
Karachi 🇵🇰 Pakistan 18,076,800
Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey 16,236,700
Kolkata 🇮🇳 India 15,845,200
Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines 15,230,600
Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China 14,878,700
Lahore 🇵🇰 Pakistan 14,825,800
Tianjin 🇨🇳 China 14,704,100
Bangalore 🇮🇳 India 14,395,400
Shenzhen 🇨🇳 China 13,545,400
Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia 12,737,400
Chennai 🇮🇳 India 12,336,000
Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia 11,634,100
Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand 11,391,700
Hyderabad 🇮🇳 India 11,337,900
Nanjing 🇨🇳 China 10,174,900
Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea 10,025,800
Chengdu 🇨🇳 China 9,998,870
Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳 Vietnam 9,816,320
Tehran 🇮🇷 Iran 9,729,740
Nagoya 🇯🇵 Japan 9,534,790
Ahmedabad 🇮🇳 India 9,061,820
Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia 9,000,280
Wuhan 🇨🇳 China 8,986,480
Hangzhou 🇨🇳 China 8,591,040
Surat 🇮🇳 India 8,581,730
Baghdad 🇮🇶 Iraq 8,141,120
Shenyang 🇨🇳 China 7,974,270
Riyadh 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 7,952,860
Foshan 🇨🇳 China 7,817,160
Dongguan 🇨🇳 China 7,772,860
Hong Kong 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 7,768,510

Jakarta and the Rise of Massive Urban Regions

Greater Jakarta now forms one of the world’s largest continuous urban regions, home to over 30 million people. This growth reflects decades of migration toward economic hubs in Indonesia.

Similar patterns appear in China’s Pearl River Delta and across major Indian corridors, where neighboring cities have fused into single metropolitan zones. These megaregions highlight a defining feature of modern Asian development: cities expanding outward until they merge with the next.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain Becomes a Continuous Urban Belt

From Lahore to Dhaka, the Indo-Gangetic Plain has evolved into one of the most densely populated urban corridors on Earth.

Cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Dhaka, and Lahore form a nearly unbroken chain of development supported by fertile land and major river systems. In contrast, mountainous regions such as Tibet, the Himalayas, and Central Asia remain lightly urbanized.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Percentage of Arable Land By Country on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Here’s Where Home Prices Surged the Most in North America (2005–2025)

2025-12-08 01:45:10

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Chart showing the top 25 North American cities with the fastest home price growth between 2005 and 2025.

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North American Cities With the Fastest Home Price Growth

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.

Key Takeaways

  • Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto saw the biggest home price increases, each rising more than 160% over the past 20 years.
  • Southern metros like Dallas, Charlotte, and Denver rank among the fastest-growing U.S. housing markets.
  • Major coastal cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York saw slower growth but are among the most expensive markets overall.

Home prices across North America have surged over the past two decades, driven by population growth, limited housing supply, and post-pandemic demand.

This infographic shows how average home prices have changed from July 2005 to July 2025 across 25 major North American cities, based on Zillow data compiled by Hanif Bayat.

Where Home Prices Have Risen the Most

On average, home prices across the top 25 cities in North America have risen by 92%, or nearly doubled, between 2005 and 2025.

The table below shows the North American cities where home prices have risen the most:

City Percentage change Avg home price in July 2005 Avg home price in July 2025
Vancouver 175% $306,000 $842,000
Montreal 167% $156,000 $417,000
Toronto 164% $268,000 $709,000
Dallas 139% $154,000 $369,000
Charlotte 134% $166,000 $389,000
Denver 125% $258,000 $581,000
Seattle 119% $343,000 $751,000
Houston 107% $150,000 $311,000
Atlanta 102% $191,000 $385,000
Miami 84% $256,000 $473,000
Tampa 83% $198,000 $361,000
San Francisco 79% $629,000 $1,130,000
Boston 77% $412,000 $731,000
Orlando 76% $222,000 $389,000
Phoenix 75% $256,000 $449,000
Philadelphia 74% $222,000 $387,000
Los Angeles 73% $555,000 $959,000
San Diego 71% $542,000 $926,000
Inland Empire* 66% $353,000 $585,000
Detroit 66% $162,000 $269,000
New York 59% $447,000 $713,000
Minneapolis 53% $255,000 $391,000
Baltimore 45% $278,000 $404,000
Washington 41% $414,000 $585,000
Chicago 41% $246,000 $346,000

*Inland Empire refers to Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California metro area.

The top three fastest-appreciating cities are all in Canada. Vancouver leads with a 175% increase since 2005, followed by Montreal at 167% and Toronto with a 165% rise.

Canada’s big metros have experienced rapid population growth and strong foreign-buyer interest, combining to create some of the world’s hottest real estate markets. Vancouver and Toronto, in particular, have faced long-term housing shortages and rank among America’s least affordable housing markets.

In the United States, cities in the Sunbelt region in the South have seen their home prices more than double since 2005. These include Dallas (140%), Charlotte (134%), and Denver (125%), followed by Seattle (119%), which is the only more northern metro among the top five U.S. cities.

Houston and Atlanta have also seen strong growth in home prices, along with Miami and Tampa in Florida.

Coastal Cities Show Slower Home Price Growth

Despite being the three most expensive housing markets, major coastal cities like San Francisco (80%), Los Angeles (73%), and San Diego (71%) show relatively slower growth in home prices. On the East Coast, prices in New York have also grown moderately, rising 60% over the last two decades.

These coastal metros were already expensive in 2005, leaving less room for percentage-based appreciation as compared to Southern cities like Dallas and Houston.

Meanwhile, among the top 25 cities, home prices have grown slowest in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, rising 41% between 2005 and 2025.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic from a global perspective, see Home Prices and Rent Changes Around the World on Voronoi.

Mapped: The World’s Largest Regional Seas

2025-12-07 23:27:30

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A map showing the world’s largest regional seas.

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The World’s Largest Regional Seas

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.

Key Takeaways

  • The Philippine Sea is the world’s largest regional sea, covering nearly 5.7 million km².
  • Many of the world’s largest seas play major roles in climate regulation, biodiversity, and global shipping routes.

The world’s largest regional seas span a wide range of climates, from the warm tropics to the frigid waters around Antarctica. They are major subdivisions of the global ocean system, often defined by surrounding landmasses or submarine ridges.

This visualization highlights the 30 largest regional seas on Earth by surface area, ranging from the vast Philippine Sea to the chilly Labrador Sea. The data for this visualization comes from Wikipedia.

The term “sea” is not rigidly defined, and in this dataset it refers primarily to large subdivisions of the global ocean rather than isolated inland water bodies. These boundaries often follow continental margins, island arcs, or oceanic ridges.

The Philippine and Coral Seas Dominate the Rankings

The Philippine Sea stands out as the world’s largest regional sea at nearly 5.7 million km², making it more than twice the size of the Mediterranean. Its vast expanse hosts some of the planet’s deepest ocean trenches and most active tectonic zones.

The neighboring Coral Sea, the second largest, is home to the Great Barrier Reef and is a major reservoir of marine biodiversity.

Rank Name Area_km2 Area_sq_mi
1 Philippine Sea 5,695,000 2,199,000
2 Coral Sea 4,791,000 1,850,000
3 Arabian Sea 3,862,000 1,491,000
4 Sargasso Sea 3,500,000 1,400,000
5 South China Sea 3,500,000 1,400,000
6 Weddell Sea 2,800,000 1,100,000
7 Caribbean Sea 2,754,000 1,063,000
8 Mediterranean Sea 2,510,000 969,000
9 Gulf of Guinea 2,350,000 910,000
10 Tasman Sea 2,300,000 890,000
11 Bay of Bengal 2,172,000 839,000
12 Bering Sea 2,000,000 770,000
13 Sea of Okhotsk 1,583,000 611,000
14 Gulf of Mexico 1,550,000 598,000
15 Gulf of Alaska 1,533,000 592,000
16 Barents Sea 1,400,000 540,000
17 Norwegian Sea 1,383,000 534,000
18 East China Sea 1,249,000 482,000
19 Hudson Bay 1,230,000 470,000
20 Greenland Sea 1,205,000 465,000
21 Somov Sea 1,150,000 440,000
22 Mar de Grau 1,140,000 440,000
23 Riiser-Larsen Sea 1,138,000 439,000
24 Sea of Japan 1,050,000 410,000
25 Argentine Sea 1,000,000 390,000
26 East Siberian Sea 987,000 381,000
27 Lazarev Sea 929,000 359,000
28 Kara Sea 926,000 358,000
29 Scotia Sea 900,000 350,000
30 Labrador Sea 841,000 325,000

Strategic Waters in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans

The Arabian Sea and the South China Sea both rank within the top five and serve as critical hubs for global shipping. Their warm waters support major monsoon systems that shape regional climates and agriculture.

Further west, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Guinea play key roles in trade and energy transport.

Cold-Region Seas Cover Vast, Remote Areas

Several polar seas also make the list, including the Weddell, Barents, and Greenland Seas. These regions are essential for deep-water formation, a process that helps drive global ocean circulation.

Their extreme climates limit human activity, yet they store significant carbon and influence sea ice patterns. As climate change reshapes the poles, these remote seas will become even more important for understanding Earth’s shifting systems.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Most Powerful Rivers on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Mapped: The Cost of College Across U.S. States

2025-12-07 21:06:22

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This map shows the cost of attending college as a percentage of household income for full-time, in-state students living on campus.

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Mapped: The Cost of College Across U.S. States 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.

Key Takeaways

  • College is cheaper in Utah thanks to low tuition and strong state funding for public universities.
  • While Pennsylvania invests heavily in student aid, those gains are offset by some of the nation’s highest tuition and fees.

This visualization compares the cost of attending college as a share of household income for full-time, in-state students living on campus. Alaska is excluded from the analysis because data was unavailable.

The data for this visualization comes from WalletHub as of October 2025. WalletHub’s methodology includes tuition, fees, room and board, and associated expenses.

Pennsylvania Tops the List as the Least Affordable

Pennsylvania ranks as the most expensive state for college, with costs reaching 72.5% of household income. This reflects high tuition levels even though the state invests heavily in financial aid.

Rank State Cost as % of Income
1 Pennsylvania 72.5%
2 Rhode Island 71.2%
3 New York 68.3%
4 Massachusetts 62.2%
5 Illinois 61.9%
6 Vermont 60.4%
7 Connecticut 59.7%
8 Louisiana 57.8%
9 Oregon 57.8%
10 Ohio 57.0%
11 Missouri 56.6%
12 Tennessee 56.3%
13 New Hampshire 55.7%
14 Wisconsin 54.7%
15 Mississippi 54.3%
16 Kentucky 52.3%
17 South Carolina 51.9%
18 Indiana 51.6%
19 California 51.5%
20 Arkansas 51.2%
21 Alabama 50.8%
22 Oklahoma 49.8%
23 Maine 49.6%
24 Nebraska 47.7%
25 Michigan 47.6%
26 West Virginia 47.1%
27 Minnesota 46.0%
28 Arizona 45.9%
29 Washington 45.7%
30 New Jersey 45.7%
31 Iowa 45.6%
32 Florida 45.2%
33 North Carolina 44.5%
34 Texas 43.8%
35 Georgia 42.9%
36 Kansas 42.6%
37 Montana 42.4%
38 Virginia 41.6%
39 New Mexico 41.1%
40 Idaho 39.9%
41 Delaware 39.9%
42 Colorado 39.7%
43 Maryland 37.6%
44 South Dakota 37.1%
45 Nevada 36.6%
46 Hawaii 35.4%
47 Wyoming 34.6%
48 North Dakota 33.1%
49 Utah 27.7%

New England and the Northeast Remain High-Cost Hubs

Several Northeastern states, including Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont, appear near the top of the list. These states often feature strong academic institutions but also high living expenses and tuition rates. Limited public funding contributes to higher student costs compared to the national average.

Utah, North Dakota, and Wyoming Stand Out for Affordability

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Utah is the most affordable state with college costs representing just 27.7% of household income. This reflects low tuition, efficient public university systems, and strong funding models. Institutions in the state often offer programs for low-income students, including incentives that provide free tuition and fees.

North Dakota and Wyoming also remain cost-effective, supported by relatively low fees and competitive state investment.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out From Harvard to Stanford: The True Cost of the Top 10 Colleges on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Ranked: The Top 30 U.S. Cities by Homicide Rate

2025-12-07 01:44:42

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Ranking the top 30 U.S. cities by homicide rate using CDC data from USAFacts.

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Ranked: Top 30 U.S. Cities by Homicide Rate

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.

Key Takeaways

  • New Orleans has the highest homicide rate among major U.S. cities, at 46 homicides per 100,000 people.
  • Per capita rates reveal a different picture than total homicides, with some highly populated cities ranking lower despite high absolute numbers.

This visualization highlights the top 30 U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates per 100,000 residents, offering a population-adjusted view that goes beyond raw totals. The data for this visualization comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via USAFacts.

New Orleans and Memphis Lead the Nation

New Orleans tops the list with 46 homicides per 100,000 people, followed closely by Memphis at 41. Both cities consistently rank near the top due to long-term structural challenges, including poverty, strained social services, and persistent violent crime.

Rank Major City State Homicides per 100K Total Homicides
1 New Orleans LA 46 166
2 Memphis TN 41 372
3 St. Louis MO 38 106
4 Baltimore MD 36 205
5 Washington, DC 36 244
6 Birmingham AL 28 187
7 Philadelphia PA 26 402
8 Kansas City MO 25 182
9 Richmond VA 23 53
10 Indianapolis IN 22 211
11 Milwaukee WI 21 190
12 Louisville KY 19 146
13 Cleveland OH 18 220
14 Detroit MI 17 304
15 Norfolk VA 17 40
16 Atlanta GA 16 175
17 Chicago IL 16 805
18 Jacksonville FL 15 153
19 Nashville TN 15 103
20 Dallas TX 12 319
21 Columbus OH 12 159
22 Houston TX 11 540
23 Denver CO 11 77
24 San Antonio TX 10 218
25 Cincinnati OH 10 83
26 New York City (The Bronx) NY 9 128
27 Rochester NY 9 69
28 Las Vegas NV 9 207
29 Portland OR 9 70
30 Oakland CA 8 136
31 Oklahoma City OK 8 66
32 Phoenix AZ 7 337
33 Pittsburgh PA 8 98
34 Charlotte NC 8 90
35 Orlando FL 7 104
36 Minneapolis MN 7 88
37 Los Angeles CA 7 659
38 Miami FL 7 176
39 Newark NJ 7 56
40 Virginia Beach VA 6 29
41 Seattle WA 6 141
42 Saint Paul MN 6 33
43 Fort Worth TX 6 134
44 Buffalo NY 6 57
45 Tampa FL 6 90
46 Grand Rapids MI 6 37
47 Sacramento CA 5 86
48 Austin TX 5 71
49 New York City (Brooklyn) NY 5 130
50 San Francisco CA 5 41

St. Louis and Baltimore also remain among the highest-rate cities. Together, these cities highlight the concentration of elevated homicide levels in portions of the South and Midwest.

Large Cities Show Lower Rates Despite High Total Homicides

Chicago, for example, recorded more than 800 homicides but ranks 16th with a rate of 16 per 100,000.

Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City boroughs show similar patterns. These cases demonstrate why total homicide numbers can be misleading when comparing risk across cities.

Mid-Sized Cities Also Experience Elevated Rates

Cities like Richmond, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee register rates between 20 and 23 per 100,000, placing them among the top 15 nationally. Although smaller in population, these mid-sized cities face similar drivers of violent crime found in larger metropolitan areas.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: U.S. Income Inequality by State on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Ranked: The World’s Best Selling Car Brands

2025-12-06 23:18:54

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Bar chart showing the world’s best selling car brands in H1 2025

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World’s Best Selling Car Brands in H1 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.

Key Takeaways

  • Toyota remains the world’s best selling car brand, reaching 4.7 million units in the first half of 2025.
  • BYD saw the fastest growth among major automakers and is projected by industry experts to overtake Ford by the end of 2025.

Global car sales continue to shift as legacy brands defend their share against fast-growing electric vehicle makers. In the first half of 2025, Toyota again led the global market by a wide margin, while several Asian automakers held strong positions across the top 15. This visualization highlights how each automaker performed, comparing unit sales with annual growth rates.

A notable trend is the rise of Chinese manufacturers, especially BYD and Geely, which are expanding both domestically and internationally. Their rapid growth contrasts with declines seen among several established brands in Europe and Japan.

Data & Discussion

The data for this visualization comes from industry analyst Felipe Munoz, who compiles official manufacturer sales results and estimates for global light-vehicle markets. The numbers include both internal combustion and electric vehicles.

Toyota’s Dominant Global Lead

Toyota sold more than double the units of most competitors, reaching 4.73 million vehicles in H1 2025. This represents 6% year-over-year growth, reinforcing Toyota’s strength across markets from North America to Asia. Despite ongoing industry electrification, Toyota’s broad lineup and global production scale continue to support its leadership position.

Rank Brand Global sales (Units) Growth (YoY) Country
1 Toyota 4,725,616 6% 🇯🇵 Japan
2 Volkswagen 2,320,300 5% 🇩🇪 Germany
3 Ford 2,075,500 -1% 🇺🇸 United States
4 BYD 2,004,442 31% 🇨🇳 China
5 Hyundai 1,956,774 1% 🇰🇷 South Korea
6 Honda 1,661,200 -7% 🇯🇵 Japan
7 Suzuki 1,631,000 -2% 🇯🇵 Japan
8 Nissan 1,624,851 -7% 🇯🇵 Japan
9 Kia 1,587,536 2% 🇰🇷 South Korea
10 Chevrolet 1,490,500 2% 🇺🇸 United States
11 BMW 1,070,814 -2% 🇩🇪 Germany
12 Geely 992,616 59% 🇨🇳 China
13 Mercedes 899,974 -6% 🇩🇪 Germany
14 Renault 808,674 2% 🇫🇷 France
15 Audi 783,531 -6% 🇩🇪 Germany

BYD’s Rapid Climb Up the Rankings

BYD ranked fourth globally with just over 2 million units sold, but posted an impressive 31% annual increase, far outpacing every other major brand. At its current trajectory, industry experts expect BYD to surpass Ford by the end of 2025.

This momentum reflects China’s booming EV sector as well as BYD’s aggressive international expansion, particularly in Europe and Latin America.

Mixed Performance Across Legacy Automakers

Several established brands experienced declines, including Honda, Nissan, Mercedes, and Audi, each posting drops between 2% and 7%. European luxury brands also ceded share as demand softened in key markets. Meanwhile, Hyundai, Kia, and Chevrolet saw modest growth.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Brands That Gained the Most Value in 2025 on Voronoi, the app from Visual Capitalist.