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2026-03-02 06:25:45

Visualized: The Human and Economic Cost of the Syrian Civil War

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What began in March 2011 as pro-democracy protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s government spiraled into one of the most brutal conflicts of the 21st century, drawing in regional and global powers and resulting in immense human suffering. Over more than a decade of war, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, and millions were forced from their homes.

These charts from Our World in Data and sourced from the UN, Eurostat, the IMF, World Bank and others show the many costs of conflict — from fatalities to economic collapse and rising poverty.

Here’s a detailed look at the data behind the war’s impacts:

The data illustrate several harsh realities: annual deaths from fighting spiked after 2011 with devastating loss of life, including among children, while total deaths from all causes rose. Millions of Syrians became internally displaced or refugees, GDP per capita plunged, and extreme poverty and undernourishment grew sharply.

Understanding the War’s Origins

The conflict began during the Arab Spring when peaceful protests were met with force by government security services. What followed was a fragmented civil war involving government forces, opposition groups, Kurdish militias, extremist factions, and international actors; including Russia, Iran, the U.S., Turkey, and others.

At its peak, organized violence devastated cities like Aleppo, Homs and Raqqa, and fracturing Syrian society. Hundreds of thousands were killed across combatants and civilians, and millions more were displaced internally and abroad, which remade the country’s demographics and burdened neighboring states.

Beyond the Battlefield: Economic and Social Impacts

The war’s impacts extend far beyond immediate conflict deaths. GDP per capita more than halved as economic activity collapsed amid destruction of infrastructure and displacement of workers. Extreme poverty (once rare in Syria) surged, while undernourishment became widespread.

This aligns with broader findings that violence imposes costs on societies far beyond direct combat, from lost productivity to health crises and long-term poverty.

What Happens Now?

Though large-scale warfare has diminished, Syria faces a fragile transition. Recent agreements between the central government and Kurdish forces aim to stabilize parts of the country, but humanitarian needs remain acute. Millions still depend on aid, and access to essential services is uneven.

Political fragmentation, economic collapse, and reconstruction needs—estimated in the hundreds of billions—mean recovery will be lengthy and uncertain, even as some areas see renewed governance and investment.

2026-03-02 02:43:00

Africa in 1914, When 90% of the Continent Was Colonized

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In just a few decades, European empires redrew the map of Africa.

In the span of roughly 40 years, European powers had carved up nearly the entire continent, transforming Africa into a patchwork of colonial territories administered from London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, Rome, and Madrid.

This map captures that moment at its peak, on the eve of World War I, when imperial control stretched across almost the whole continent before the war began to unravel Europe’s overseas empires.

Many of Africa’s modern national borders trace directly back to this period, reflecting colonial-era agreements rather than preexisting cultural or political boundaries.

Data used here leverages diverse sources including UNESCO (1990), Eric Hobsbawm (1987), Henk Wesseling (1997), EBSCO (2023), and the Library of Congress.

The Scramble for Africa

European empires had been making incursions into Africa for centuries, as seen through the Dutch settlers who arrived in the Cape of Good Hope in 1652 and Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian expedition in 1798.

However, the era of New Imperialism which began in the second half of the 19th century saw significantly more complex colonial efforts by the European great powers, especially the British, French, and Germans.

The “Scramble for Africa” saw these three great powers partition the African continent amongst themselves, with the process perhaps best represented by the 1885 Berlin Conference.

Some of the active colonial powers, such as Belgium or Portugal, were smaller countries without extensive military power, while some European great powers like Russia and Austria-Hungary did not participate in the Scramble for Africa.

A Tale of Two Colonies

The British Empire was the most successful of the European empires in Africa, ruling over nearly uninterrupted lands across the eastern half of the continent.

London’s dreams of a Cape to Cairo railway linking their dominions in Egypt and South Africa were dashed by geographic and political concerns, as the eastern Belgian Congo was inhospitable for railway construction while German East Africa was a possession of the leading British rival of the era.

Following the end of the Great War, the British would take control of the latter territory, in what is today the country of Tanzania, although economic concerns during the Great Depression led to the dreamed railway never coming to fruition.

While the British were dominant in eastern Africa, the Maghreb and much of West Africa fell under French control. There were of course nuances between cases: Algeria was annexed to the territory of metropolitan France, while Morocco and Tunisia were each protectorates ruled by leaders loyal to the French Empire.

Nor did Morocco remain solely French-administered, as a 1912 treaty gave Spain dominion over northern parts of the country, near the Straits of Gibraltar, as well as a southern component bordering its Spanish Sahara colony.

By this point in history, Spain, much like neighboring Portugal, was holding on to its final few colonies following major losses of control in the Americas in the preceding decades. The two Iberian countries’ lack of involvement in the world wars led to them keeping their African colonies longer than most other European states, with independence and decolonization only coming in the 1960s-1970s.

Belgium and the Independent States

Owing to great-power ambivalence over the Congo Basin, Belgium’s King Leopold was able to establish a single vast colony, far larger than his own country, over which to rule. Belgian Congo, with its vast rubber extraction, has been cited as one of the most brutal and damaging colonies within the continent.

Meanwhile, further north only two countries managed to avoid colonization during the Partition of Africa: Ethiopia and Liberia.

The former, also known as Abyssinia, successfully repelled Italian colonization during the prewar partition, although it was eventually occupied by Fascist Italy during the interwar period. Liberia, meanwhile, was founded by freed U.S. slaves and was never colonized, helping it become Africa’s longest-lasting independent state today.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Is there any correlation between Roman emperors’ life spans and currency debasement? To learn more, check out this visualization on Voronoi.

2026-03-01 23:42:08

Ranked: The Countries Most Dependent on Tourism (Share of GDP)

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Tourism is a major global industry, projected to contribute $11.7 trillion to global GDP in 2025, or roughly 10% of total economic output. But its importance varies dramatically by country.

For some nations, tourism is a supplementary source of income. For others, it represents the central pillar of economic activity.

The chart above ranks countries by tourism’s share of GDP, using international tourism receipts from UN Tourism and GDP data from the IMF.

Small Economies Lead the Ranking

Macao tops the list. Visitor spending totaled $32.4 billion, equal to 70.8% of its $45.8 billion economy.

Aruba follows at 69.7%, while the Maldives (68.1%) and Andorra (66.5%) also derive roughly two-thirds of their economic output from tourism. Saint Lucia ranks fifth, with tourism accounting for 53.8% of GDP.

Rank	Country	Tourism Share of GDP (%)
1	Macao	70.8
2	Aruba	69.7
3	Maldives	68.1
4	Andorra	66.5
5	Saint Lucia	53.8
6	Grenada	48.1
7	Antigua and Barbuda	47.8
8	Seychelles	46.6
9	Bahamas	35.0
10	Saint Kitts and Nevis	32.9
11	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	26.9
12	Malta	26.4
13	Belize	25.5
14	Cabo Verde	23.8
15	Lebanon	23.6
16	Albania	21.9
17	Fiji	21.5
18	Samoa	19.8
19	Montenegro	19.8
20	Jamaica	19.7
21	Gambia	19.0
22	Tuvalu	18.6
23	Croatia	17.9
24	Jordan	16.9
25	Dominica	16.8
26	Mauritius	15.4
27	Barbados	14.8
28	Georgia	14.5
29	San Marino	14.3
30	Portugal	11.5
31	Tonga	11.2
32	El Salvador	11.1
33	Cyprus	10.8
34	Qatar	10.7
35	Panama	10.5
36	Armenia	10.5
37	Micronesia	10.3
38	Greece	10.1
39	Iceland	9.7
40	Bahrain	9.0
41	Thailand	8.8
42	Dominican Republic	8.8
43	Sao Tome and Principe	8.7
44	Cambodia	8.5
45	Morocco	8.3
46	United Arab Emirates	8.2
47	Luxembourg	7.2
48	Laos	7.0
49	Bosnia and Herzegovina	6.8
50	Kyrgyzstan	6.7
51	Tunisia	6.7
52	Comoros	6.4
53	Bhutan	6.4
54	Spain	6.2
55	Palau	6.1
56	Costa Rica	5.9
57	Malaysia	5.8
58	Türkiye	5.8
59	Austria	5.6
60	Hong Kong	5.5
61	Estonia	5.5
62	Moldova	5.1
63	Slovenia	5.0
64	Rwanda	5.0
65	Hungary	4.9
66	Egypt	4.5
67	Vanuatu	4.4
68	Singapore	4.4
69	Tanzania	4.3
70	Serbia	4.3
71	Bulgaria	4.2
72	North Macedonia	3.8
73	Saudi Arabia	3.7
74	New Zealand	3.7
75	Oman	3.5
76	South Sudan	3.3
77	Myanmar	3.3
78	Namibia	3.3
79	Azerbaijan	3.3
80	Ireland	3.2
81	Sudan	3.2
82	Timor-Leste	3.2
83	Ethiopia	3.1
84	Mongolia	3.1
85	Solomon Islands	3.1
86	Latvia	3.1
87	Uzbekistan	3.1
88	Australia	3.0
89	Trinidad and Tobago	2.9
90	Puerto Rico	2.9
91	Zambia	2.9
92	Czechia	2.9
93	Uruguay	2.8
94	Sri Lanka	2.8
95	Switzerland	2.8
96	France	2.7
97	Denmark	2.7
98	Madagascar	2.6
99	Nicaragua	2.6
100	Italy	2.6
101	Uganda	2.5
102	Philippines	2.4
103	Colombia	2.4
104	Guyana	2.4
105	United Kingdom	2.3
106	Lithuania	2.3
107	Canada	2.2
108	Eritrea	2.2
109	Senegal	2.1
110	Togo	2.0
111	Botswana	2.0
112	Finland	2.0
113	Nepal	2.0
114	Honduras	2.0
115	Mexico	2.0
116	Brunei Darussalam	1.9
117	Bolivia	1.9
118	Netherlands	1.9
119	Norway	1.9
120	Poland	1.8
121	Kuwait	1.8
122	Sweden	1.8
123	Paraguay	1.8
124	Iraq	1.7
125	South Africa	1.7
126	Peru	1.6
127	Kenya	1.6
128	Romania	1.6
129	Belgium	1.6
130	Ghana	1.5
131	Iran	1.5
132	Guatemala	1.5
133	Japan	1.5
134	Ecuador	1.4
135	Chile	1.4
136	Slovakia	1.3
137	Benin	1.3
138	Indonesia	1.3
139	Central African Republic	1.2
140	Djibouti	1.2
141	Mozambique	1.2
142	South Korea	1.2
143	Guinea-Bissau	1.2
144	Cameroon	1.0
145	Burkina Faso	1.0
146	Belarus	1.0
147	Kazakhstan	1.0
148	Palestine	1.0
149	India	0.9
150	Suriname	0.9
151	United States	0.9
152	Germany	0.9
153	Chad	0.9
154	Argentina	0.8
155	Equatorial Guinea	0.8
156	Mali	0.8
157	Kiribati	0.7
158	Tajikistan	0.6
159	Ukraine	0.6
160	Nauru	0.6
161	Niger	0.6
162	Haiti	0.5
163	Côte d’Ivoire	0.5
164	Eswatini	0.5
165	Venezuela	0.5
166	Israel	0.5
167	Taiwan	0.4
168	Lesotho	0.4
169	Russia	0.4
170	Afghanistan	0.4
171	Yemen	0.4
172	Zimbabwe	0.4
173	Brazil	0.3
174	DRC	0.3
175	Pakistan	0.3
176	Sierra Leone	0.3
177	Marshall Islands	0.2
178	Malawi	0.2
179	China	0.2
180	Gabon	0.2
181	Libya	0.2
182	Nigeria	0.1
183	Liberia	0.1
184	Bangladesh	0.1
185	Algeria	0.1
186	Congo	0.1
187	Burundi	0.1
188	Mauritania	0.1
189	Vietnam	0.0
190	Angola	0.0
191	Guinea	0.0
192	Papua New Guinea	0.0

The broader pattern is clear: small island nations and resort-driven economies dominate the upper ranks. Limited domestic markets and fewer large-scale industries often make international visitors a primary source of foreign exchange and employment.

Diversified Economies Rank Lower

The U.S. ranks 151 on the list, and international tourism accounts for just 0.86% of its GDP despite receipts totaling $251.6 billion in absolute terms.

The country least reliant on tourism is Papua New Guinea, where tourism is responsible for just 0.01% of its economic output. Guinea and Angola trail closely behind at 0.02% of their respective $24.2 billion and $115.2 billion GDPs.

For 47 countries in the data set, tourism generated below 1% of their GDP.

Tourism Reliance Clusters around Backpacking Hotspots

Clusters with higher reliance are also visible around Central America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, which are backpacking hotspots. These countries are considered affordable destinations.

While economic benefits are well documented, tourism-heavy economies are at particular risk to global shocks. Aruba’s real GDP, for instance, contracted 24% in 2020 when the pandemic grounded tourism to a halt, pushing business owners and citizens into economic precarity. It has since rebounded.

On the other hand, over-tourism can overwhelm locals and cause tension on the ground.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about tourism, check out this graphic which charts where tourists outnumber locals.

2026-03-01 20:21:57

Mapping NYC’s Largest Immigrant Communities by Neighborhood

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.

New York City is the largest city in the U.S., and home to immigrants from nearly every corner of the globe. But which country has the largest presence in your neighborhood?

This map reveals the top country of origin for foreign-born residents in all 211 NYC neighborhoods, using data from the Population FactFinder hosted by the city’s Department of City Planning

While China leads the most neighborhoods overall, the Dominican Republic is the largest immigrant group citywide. The result is a clear contrast between geographic spread and total population dominance.

From One Chinatown to Many in NYC

China is the top overseas birthplace for immigrants in 56 neighborhoods across New York, making it the most widespread of the immigrant groups in the city today.

The data table below shows the largest immigrant group of every major neighborhood in New York:

Neighborhood Name	Largest Immigrant Group
Elmhurst	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Jackson Heights	Colombia
Bensonhurst	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
South Ozone Park	Guyana
Flushing-Willets Point	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Forest Hills	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Corona	Ecuador
Canarsie	Jamaica
Washington Heights (South)	Dominican Republic
Jamaica	Bangladesh
Murray Hill-Broadway Flushing	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Sheepshead Bay-Manhattan Beach-Gerritsen Beach	Ukraine
Washington Heights (North)	Dominican Republic
Gravesend (West)	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Ridgewood	Ecuador
Flatbush	Haiti
Woodside	Mexico
Queens Village	Guyana
Bay Ridge	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Flatlands	Haiti
Coney Island-Sea Gate	Ukraine
North Corona	Ecuador
Concourse-Concourse Village	Dominican Republic
Sunset Park (Central)	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Soundview-Bruckner-Bronx River	Dominican Republic
Crown Heights (North)	Jamaica
Gravesend (East)-Homecrest	Russia
University Heights (South)-Morris Heights	Dominican Republic
Upper East Side-Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Bedford Park	Dominican Republic
St. Albans	Jamaica
Sunnyside	Ecuador
Far Rockaway-Bayswater	Jamaica
Mount Eden-Claremont (West)	Dominican Republic
Williamsbridge-Olinville	Jamaica
Jamaica Hills-Briarwood	Bangladesh
Mount Hope	Dominican Republic
Woodhaven	Dominican Republic
Brighton Beach	Ukraine
Wakefield-Woodlawn	Jamaica
East Flatbush-Erasmus	Haiti
Hamilton Heights-Sugar Hill	Dominican Republic
Midwood	Ukraine
Upper West Side (Central)	Mexico
East Flushing	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Harlem (North)	Dominican Republic
Bushwick (East)	Dominican Republic
East Flatbush-Rugby	Jamaica
Bedford-Stuyvesant (East)	Dominican Republic
Madison	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester	Jamaica
University Heights (North)-Fordham	Dominican Republic
East New York-City Line	Bangladesh
Baisley Park	Guyana
Dyker Heights	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Chinatown-Two Bridges	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Cypress Hills	Dominican Republic
Upper West Side-Lincoln Square	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Sunset Park (West)	Mexico
South Jamaica	Guyana
Crown Heights (South)	Jamaica
Norwood	Dominican Republic
East Flatbush-Farragut	Haiti
Astoria (Central)	Mexico
Hell's Kitchen	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
East Flatbush-Remsen Village	Jamaica
Richmond Hill	Guyana
Maspeth	Poland
Sunset Park (East)-Borough Park (West)	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Upper East Side-Yorkville	India
East Village	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
East New York-New Lots	Jamaica
Flatbush (West)-Ditmas Park-Parkville	Bangladesh
College Point	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Brownsville	Jamaica
East Harlem (South)	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Williamsburg	Dominican Republic
Bedford-Stuyvesant (West)	Dominican Republic
Rego Park	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Chelsea-Hudson Yards	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Bath Beach	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Inwood	Dominican Republic
Auburndale	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Astoria (North)-Ditmars-Steinway	Greece
Bushwick (West)	Dominican Republic
Borough Park	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Prospect Lefferts Gardens-Wingate	Jamaica
Fordham Heights	Dominican Republic
South Richmond Hill	Guyana
Astoria (East)-Woodside (North)	Mexico
Mott Haven-Port Morris	Dominican Republic
Murray Hill-Kips Bay	India
Pomonok-Electchester-Hillcrest	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Bayside	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
East Elmhurst	Ecuador
Gravesend (South)	Ukraine
East New York (North)	Dominican Republic
Kensington	Bangladesh
Ozone Park (North)	Bangladesh
Lower East Side	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
East Harlem (North)	Dominican Republic
Kew Gardens Hills	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Kingsbridge Heights-Van Cortlandt Village	Dominican Republic
Bellerose	India
Jamaica Estates-Holliswood	Bangladesh
Grasmere-Arrochar-South Beach-Dongan Hills	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
New Springville-Willowbrook-Bulls Head-Travis	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Middle Village	Poland
Marine Park-Mill Basin-Bergen Beach	Ukraine
Financial District-Battery Park City	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Rockaway Beach-Arverne-Edgemere	Guyana
East Williamsburg	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Harlem (South)	Dominican Republic
Allerton	Dominican Republic
Castle Hill-Unionport	Dominican Republic
Queensboro Hill	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Belmont	Dominican Republic
Glendale	Ecuador
Springfield Gardens (North)-Rochdale Village	Jamaica
Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Ocean Hill	Dominican Republic
Great Kills-Eltingville	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Hollis	Guyana
Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Dutch Kills	Bangladesh
Morningside Heights	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Parkchester	Bangladesh
Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill	Canada
Long Island City-Hunters Point	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Rosedale	Jamaica
Longwood	Dominican Republic
Oakland Gardens-Hollis Hills	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Tremont	Dominican Republic
Laurelton	Jamaica
East Midtown-Turtle Bay	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Riverdale-Spuyten Duyvil	Dominican Republic
Mapleton-Midwood (West)	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Greenpoint	Poland
Glen Oaks-Floral Park-New Hyde Park	India
Springfield Gardens (South)-Brookville	Jamaica
Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Melrose	Dominican Republic
Fresh Meadows-Utopia	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Whitestone-Beechhurst	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Park Slope	Taiwan
Highbridge	Dominican Republic
Crotona Park East	Dominican Republic
Pelham Gardens	Dominican Republic
Ozone Park	Bangladesh
Co-op City	Jamaica
Throgs Neck-Schuylerville	Dominican Republic
Morrisania	Dominican Republic
Douglaston-Little Neck	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
New Dorp-Midland Beach	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Kew Gardens	Russia
Mariner's Harbor-Arlington-Graniteville	Mexico
Todt Hill-Emerson Hill-Lighthouse Hill-Manor Heights	India
Soundview-Clason Point	Dominican Republic
Pelham Parkway-Van Nest	Dominican Republic
Rosebank-Shore Acres-Park Hill	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Kingsbridge-Marble Hill	Dominican Republic
Cambria Heights	Jamaica
Midtown-Times Square	India
West New Brighton-Silver Lake-Grymes Hill	Albania
Midtown South-Flatiron-Union Square	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Bay Terrace-Clearview	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow	Italy
Fort Greene	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Morris Park	Dominican Republic
Manhattanville-West Harlem	Dominican Republic
SoHo-Little Italy-Hudson Square	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Pelham Bay-Country Club-City Island	Dominican Republic
Westchester Square	Bangladesh
Arden Heights-Rossville	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Greenwich Village	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Port Richmond	Mexico
Howard Beach-Lindenwood	Italy
Westerleigh-Castleton Corners	Mexico
West Village	United Kingdom, excluding England and Scotland
Clinton Hill	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills	Mexico
West Farms	Dominican Republic
Spring Creek-Starrett City	Ukraine
Old Astoria-Hallets Point	Dominican Republic
Tribeca-Civic Center	China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Windsor Terrace-South Slope	Mexico
Claremont Village-Claremont (East)	Dominican Republic
St. George-New Brighton	Mexico
Prospect Heights	Canada
South Williamsburg	Dominican Republic
Gramercy	India
Oakwood-Richmondtown	Ukraine
Hunts Point	Dominican Republic
Brooklyn Heights	United Kingdom, excluding England and Scotland
Breezy Point-Belle Harbor-Rockaway Park-Broad Channel	Ireland
Tottenville-Charleston	Ukraine
Rikers Island	Dominican Republic
Randall's Island	Dominican Republic
Fort Hamilton	Korea
Fort Wadsworth	Mexico
Hutchinson Metro Center	Ecuador
Alley Pond Park	Israel
Holy Cross Cemetery	Barbados
Miller Field	Ecuador
Freshkills Park (South)	Poland
Barren Island-Floyd Bennett Field	Panama
Pelham Bay Park	Trinidad and Tobago
Sunnyside Yards (North)	Japan
Jacob Riis Park-Fort Tilden-Breezy Point Tip	Germany
Bronx Park	South Africa

Chinese New Yorkers are found across all five boroughs and in many cases congregate inside Chinatown enclaves where storefronts and restaurants in Mandarin and Cantonese are familiar sights.

While Manhattan’s Chinatown is the most famous in the city, and perhaps the world, today Queens is home to the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, in the neighborhood of Flushing.

Little Santo Domingo

However, ahead even of Chinese New Yorkers are their Dominican counterparts, which make up over 12% of the city’s population.

Despite the Dominican Republic being miniscule in size compared to giants like China or India, Dominicans are the largest immigrant group in New York. They also tend to be far more concentrated, with a vast majority residing in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan neighborhoods like Inwood, East Harlem, and Washington Heights.

Interestingly, the first ever permanent, non-indigenous resident of what is today New York City was actually born in the Spanish colony which would become the Dominican Republic. Juan Rodriguez, a trader of mixed European and African descent, arrived on Manhattan Island in 1613.

A Brand New Start of It, in Old New York

Beyond Chinese and Dominican New Yorkers, the city is home to millions of others, often with some borough-wide differences.

Queens has become home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants from countries like Jamaica and Guyana, while some neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Staten Island retain their old-world connections through sizable Italian, Polish, and Ukrainian populations.

Beyond the Dominicans, nearly a third of New Yorkers claim some sort of Latin American ancestry, with sizable populations in particular of Mexicans, Ecuadorians, and Colombians. South Asians like Bengalis and Indians are also well represented across all five boroughs.

Over 800 languages are spoken in New York today, and the city is known for its sizable ethnic enclaves in which large immigrant populations congregate.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out New York City has over 5,600 Millionaire Renters on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-03-01 06:38:51

Charted: The Populations of Africa and Europe Over Time

This chart, created by Oscar Leo of DataCanvas, compares the long-run population trends of Africa and Europe using UN Population Projections compiled by Our World in Data. It highlights one of the most dramatic demographic shifts of the past 100 years, and the even bigger changes expected ahead.

Below is a comparison of population data in Europe and Africa from 1950 to 2024, and projected out until 2100.

In 1900, Europe had roughly 407 million people, nearly three times Africa’s 139 million.

By 2100, Africa is projected to reach 3.8 billion, while Europe declines to about 592 million.

From European Peak to African Surge

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Europe was a dominant population center. Industrialization, urbanization, and improvements in medicine drove rapid growth, even as millions emigrated abroad.

Europe’s population peaked in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Since then, aging populations and persistently low fertility rates have slowed growth and, in many countries, triggered outright decline.

Africa’s recent demographic surge is more rapid and structurally transformative.

Africa as the Engine of Global Growth

Over the past few decades, Africa’s population has expanded rapidly due to high fertility rates and falling child mortality. Today, it is the fastest-growing continent.

According to UN projections, Africa will account for a large share of global population growth this century. By 2100, nearly one in three people on Earth could live on the continent.

This shift is closely tied to broader global trends, as shown in our analysis of the world’s top countries by population in 2100, where several African nations climb into the top ranks.

Why the Divergence?

The divergence between Europe and Africa reflects differences in:

• Fertility rates: Europe averages well below replacement levels, while many African countries remain above it.
• Median age: Europe is one of the world’s oldest regions; Africa is the youngest.
• Migration patterns: Immigration cushions Europe’s decline, but not enough to offset aging trends.

The result is a profound rebalancing of global demographics. Two centuries ago, Europe was a population heavyweight and Africa comparatively small. By the end of this century, Africa will be the clear demographic engine of the world.

2026-03-01 05:08:45

Mapped: The Global Response to Trump’s Board of Peace

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This map, created by Iswardi Ishak using a variety of government statements and media reports, shows how countries responded to invitations to join former President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace.”

The initiative aims to convene a coalition of states to promote negotiated settlements in active conflicts, with early discussions reportedly focused on the Middle East.

Below is a breakdown of each country’s official stance as of February 21, 2026:

The response forms a patchwork. While parts of the Middle East and Eastern Europe signed on, much of Western Europe declined outright. Meanwhile, several major economies opted for observer roles, signaling caution rather than full endorsement.

Who Accepted the Invitation?

Countries that accepted span multiple regions, including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan, Argentina, Hungary, and Israel. Several Gulf states, such as Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain, also joined.

To participate, nations were reportedly required to endorse a framework centered on mediated negotiations and reconstruction funding mechanisms. According to media coverage of the Board’s first meeting, discussions emphasized post-conflict governance models and humanitarian coordination, though no binding agreements have yet been announced.

The geographic spread suggests stronger uptake among countries with closer diplomatic or strategic ties to Washington, as well as states seeking a more active role in shaping conflict resolution talks.

Observer Status: A Middle Ground

A third group—including India, Japan, Italy, Greece, and Switzerland—declined formal membership but sent envoys as observers.

This approach allows governments to stay informed and potentially influence discussions without committing to the Board’s structure or political implications. For some European countries, this middle-ground response reflects a balancing act between alliance commitments and domestic political considerations.

Who’s Out of the Board of Peace?

Several Western European nations—including France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—declined the invitation entirely. Australia and Brazil also did not formally accept.

Canada’s situation stands out. Initially invited, Ottawa’s invitation was later withdrawn amid diplomatic friction.

The shift came after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he warned of the “collapse” or erosion of the postwar rules-based international order. While he did not mention the United States or Donald Trump by name, his address was widely interpreted as a veiled critique of the second Trump administration’s foreign policy. Within hours of Carney’s speech, Trump took to social media to officially withdraw the invitation, describing the Board of Peace as the “most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled”.

Also of note are the broad swaths of gray on the map. These nations, including almost all of Africa, did not receive an invite to join the Board.

A Fragmented Peace Landscape

Whether the Board of Peace evolves into a durable diplomatic forum, or remains symbolic, will likely depend on whether it produces tangible ceasefires, reconstruction frameworks, or formal agreements.

For now, the map illustrates a divided international community navigating an increasingly complex peace landscape.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Interested in how global conflict trends are shifting over time? Explore Peace Agreements Have Notably Declined on the Voronoi app to see how formal peace deals have changed in recent decades—and what that could mean for new initiatives like the Board of Peace.