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Mapped: Europe’s Social Media Gap by Country

2026-05-03 11:52:41

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Mapped: Europe’s Social Media Gap 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.

Key Takeaways

  • Social media use in Europe ranges from 56% in Italy to 90% in Denmark.
  • Northern Europe leads adoption, with several countries above 80%.
  • Germany (59%) and Italy (56%) trail the European average of 74%.

Social media use across Europe varies sharply by country, creating a clear gap between the continent’s most and least connected populations.

This map shows the share of adults active on social networking sites across Europe, based on 2025 data from Eurostat and Ofcom. Being “active” in this case involves creating a profile, posting messages, sharing, commenting, or otherwise contributing to a social networking site.

While adoption exceeds 80% in several northern countries, it drops to 56% in Italy and 59% in Germany, two of Europe’s largest economies. Overall, the European average sits at 74%, masking these wide differences in usage.

Northern Europe’s Social Media Craze

Northern Europe stands out as the region with the highest social media adoption rates.

Denmark leads the continent in social media use (90%), followed closely by Norway (89%). Sweden and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania trail slightly behind in the 70–79% range.

This data table shows social media usage rates across European countries.

Rank Country Social Media Use (% of Adults)
1 🇩🇰 Denmark 90
2 🇬🇧 UK 89
3 🇳🇴 Norway 89
4 🇨🇾 Cyprus 87
5 🇲🇪 Montenegro 84
6 🇲🇹 Malta 82
7 🇫🇮 Finland 81
8 🇳🇱 Netherlands 81
9 🇹🇷 Turkey 80
10 🇮🇪 Ireland 80
11 🇷🇴 Romania 80
12 🇱🇻 Latvia 79
13 🇭🇺 Hungary 79
14 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 78
15 🇷🇸 Serbia 76
16 🇸🇪 Sweden 75
17 🇨🇭 Switzerland 74
18 🇬🇷 Greece 73
19 🇪🇪 Estonia 73
20 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 71
21 🇫🇷 France 71
22 🇵🇹 Portugal 71
23 🇱🇹 Lithuania 70
24 🇨🇿 Czechia 70
25 🇪🇸 Spain 70
26 🇦🇹 Austria 68
27 🇧🇪 Belgium 68
28 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 67
29 🇸🇮 Slovenia 65
30 🇵🇱 Poland 63
31 🇸🇰 Slovakia 62
32 🇭🇷 Croatia 62
33 🇩🇪 Germany 59
34 🇮🇹 Italy 56

Northern Europe’s high usage reflects early and widespread adoption of digital technologies.

Estonia, for example, has earned the moniker “e-Estonia” due to its tech-savvy society and government, while companies ranging from Finland’s Nokia to Sweden’s Spotify rank among Europe’s leading digital success stories.

Even with this reputation, some Scandinavian governments are considering social media bans for children. Denmark, as the continental leader in online activity, is weighing a ban on children’s creation of social media profiles before age 15, or 13–14 with parental consent.

Social Media in Western Europe

Western Europe has long included some of the continent’s most globalized countries. In 2005, university students in the United Kingdom were the first outside North America to join Facebook. Today, 89% of UK adults are active on social media.

However, beyond the UK, social media activity is more limited than in the Nordics. France counts 71% of its adult population on social networking sites, just ahead of Spain and Portugal (both 70%).

For their part, the Benelux countries show an interesting contrast: 81% of Dutch adults use social media, compared to 67–68% in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Italians: The Least Online Europeans

Italy has the lowest social media usage rate in Europe, with just 56% of adults active on social networks. This represents a gap of more than 30 percentage points compared to countries like Denmark, Norway, or the UK.

The contrast also appears generational, as over three-quarters of Italian teens self-report being addicted to their phones.

Germany (59%) is the only country near Italy’s low rate of social media usage. German society appears more divided on the benefits and drawbacks of social networking sites, with nearly half of surveyed Germans in 2025 saying they would rather live in a world without social media.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out the What are Gen Z’s Favorite Social Media Platforms? on Voronoi.

Mapped: The U.S. Is Split on Legal Marijuana—Here’s Where

2026-05-03 00:21:48

The U.S. Is Split on Legal Marijuana—Here’s Where

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 U.S. is nearly split: 24 states allow recreational marijuana, while 26 do not.
  • Legalization is spreading inland, with Ohio, Minnesota, and Delaware joining in 2023.
  • Only 10 states fully prohibit marijuana, as most others allow medical use in some form.

Recreational marijuana is now legal in nearly half of the United States—leaving the country almost evenly divided.

As of 2026, 24 states and Washington D.C. allow adult-use cannabis, while 26 states have yet to legalize it. This narrow gap underscores how legalization has expanded beyond early adopters, while still facing resistance across much of the South and parts of the Midwest.

The map above shows where recreational marijuana is legal for adults over 21, based on data from Encyclopaedia Britannica via NORML, highlighting a country approaching a potential tipping point.

The U.S. Is One State Away From a Majority

As of 2026, 24 U.S. states have legalized recreational marijuana. Washington D.C. has also legalized recreational use, bringing the total to 25 jurisdictions.

The data table below shows which states have and have not legalized recreational marijuana as of May 2026.

State Marijuana is legal for recreational use
Alabama No
Alaska Yes
Arizona Yes
Arkansas No
California Yes
Colorado Yes
Connecticut Yes
Delaware Yes
District of Columbia Yes
Florida No
Georgia No
Hawaii No
Idaho No
Illinois Yes
Indiana No
Iowa No
Kansas No
Kentucky No
Louisiana No
Maine Yes
Maryland Yes
Massachusetts Yes
Michigan Yes
Minnesota Yes
Mississippi No
Missouri Yes
Montana Yes
Nebraska No
Nevada Yes
New Hampshire No
New Jersey Yes
New Mexico Yes
New York Yes
North Carolina No
North Dakota No
Ohio Yes
Oklahoma No
Oregon Yes
Pennsylvania No
Rhode Island Yes
South Carolina No
South Dakota No
Tennessee No
Texas No
Utah No
Vermont Yes
Virginia Yes
Washington Yes
West Virginia No
Wisconsin No
Wyoming No

Legal states include large population centers such as California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey, as well as smaller states like Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, and Delaware.

Legalization Follows a Clear Geographic Pattern

Legalization is concentrated along the Pacific Coast and in the Northeast, while much of the South and parts of the Midwest remain holdouts. This divide reflects broader political and cultural differences shaping cannabis policy across the country.

In addition to all states with recreational legalization, 16 states that do not allow recreational use have comprehensive medical marijuana programs.

As a result, just 10 states do not allow marijuana use under any circumstances, aside from limited exceptions for CBD or low-THC products.

Over the past several years, many states have also moved to clear past criminal records for certain marijuana-related offenses.

Ohio, Minnesota, and Delaware Were the Latest to Legalize

The three most recent states to legalize recreational marijuana were Ohio, Minnesota, and Delaware in 2023.

These additions show how legalization is expanding beyond early markets in the West. Ohio and Minnesota brought more of the Midwest into the recreational market, while Delaware added to the already dense cluster of legalized states in the Northeast.

With the U.S. nearly split, even a small shift could tip the balance. If just two or three additional states pass legalization laws, the country would move into majority territory, potentially accelerating changes in taxation, enforcement, and federal policy debates.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Germany Joins List of Nations Legalizing Recreational Cannabis on Voronoi.Use This Visualization

Ranked: The World’s Most Powerful Passports in 2026

2026-05-02 22:07:23

Ranked: The World’s Most Powerful Passports 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 data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • Singapore tops the 2026 ranking with visa-free access to 192 destinations.
  • The gap is massive: the strongest passports offer access to 5x more countries than the weakest.
  • European and Asian countries dominate the top, while conflict-affected nations rank lowest.

Your passport shapes how much of the world you can access. In 2026, the gap between the strongest and weakest passports spans nearly 170 destinations.

This graphic ranks global passport strength using data from the Henley Passport Index, based on how many destinations citizens can enter without a visa.

Singapore leads with access to 192 destinations. That’s nearly five times the access available to citizens of the lowest-ranked countries. Meanwhile, the weakest passports allow entry to fewer than 50 destinations. The disparity highlights how geography, diplomacy, and stability influence global mobility.

The Top Passports of Asia and Europe

Following Singapore, there is a three-way tie for the second-strongest passports, with Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates each offering access to 187 destinations without a visa.

The UAE has the strongest passport outside of East or Southeast Asia, though with a notable caveat: Emiratis lack visa-free access to the United States, unlike their peers in Singapore, Japan, or South Korea.

Rank Country Visa-Free Destinations
1 🇸🇬 Singapore 192
2 🇯🇵 Japan 187
2 🇰🇷 South Korea 187
2 🇦🇪 UAE 187
5 🇳🇴 Norway 185
5 🇨🇭 Switzerland 185
7 🇪🇺 EU average 183
7 🇲🇾 Malaysia 183
7 🇬🇧 UK 183
10 🇦🇺 Australia 182
10 🇨🇦 Canada 182
10 🇳🇿 New Zealand 182
13 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 180
14 🇮🇸 Iceland 179
14 🇺🇸 U.S. 179
16 🇲🇨 Monaco 176
17 🇨🇱 Chile 174
17 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 174
19 🇦🇩 Andorra 169
20 🇦🇷 Argentina 168
20 🇧🇷 Brazil 168

From there, Europeans hold many of the strongest passports by visa-free access, led by Northern and Western European countries like Norway and Switzerland (both 185).

While the 27-member European Union has a unified passport system, individual member countries still vary in visa-free access, ranging from 177 destinations for Bulgaria and Romania to 186 for Sweden.

Taking the average across this range, the EU’s overall passport strength stands at 183 visa-free destinations, tied with countries like Malaysia and the United Kingdom and slightly ahead of North American counterparts like Canada (182) and the United States (179).

The World’s Weakest Passports

At the bottom of the ranking, mobility drops off dramatically. The weakest passports offer access to fewer than 50 destinations, less than a quarter of what top-ranked countries enjoy.

These countries often face political instability, high emigration, or recent conflict, which can limit access to many developed regions.

Rank Country Visa-Free Destinations
1 🇦🇫 Afghanistan 23
2 🇸🇾 Syria 26
3 🇮🇶 Iraq 29
4 🇵🇰 Pakistan 31
4 🇾🇪 Yemen 31
6 🇸🇴 Somalia 32
7 🇳🇵 Nepal 35
7 🇰🇵 North Korea 35
9 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 36
10 🇪🇷 Eritrea 38
10 🇮🇷 Iran 38
10 🇵🇸 Palestine 38
13 🇱🇾 Libya 39
13 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 39
15 🇸🇸 South Sudan 41
15 🇸🇩 Sudan 41
17 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 42
17 🇲🇲 Myanmar 42
20 🇱🇧 Lebanon 43
20 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 43
22 🇳🇬 Nigeria 44

African countries like Nigeria (44), Somalia (32), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (43) also rank low. Fast-growing populations and large diasporas have contributed to tighter visa restrictions for these nationalities.

A Tale of Two Passports

Taken together, passport rankings reveal more than travel convenience—they map global inequality. Where you’re born can shape where you’re allowed to go, making passport power one of the clearest indicators of opportunity in a connected world.

African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian passports tend to rank lower than their European or Western Hemisphere counterparts. Even higher-ranking exceptions like Malaysia or the UAE can still face limits on visa-free access to major destinations, particularly the United States.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The United Arab Emirates has the World’s Most Affordable Passport on Voronoi.Use This Visualization

Mapped: The World’s Most (and Least) Religiously Diverse Countries

2026-05-02 19:32:43

The World’s Most (and Least) Religiously Diverse Countries

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.

Key Takeaways

  • Singapore ranks #1 globally, with the most even mix of religions.
  • Several Middle Eastern countries rank among the least diverse, with near-zero scores.
  • North America saw some of the biggest increases in religious diversity since 2010.

Religious diversity ranges from highly mixed societies to countries where a single faith dominates almost entirely.

This map by Iswardi Ishak shows the Religious Diversity Index (RDI) across 201 countries, based on data from the Pew Research Center. The index measures how evenly populations are distributed across religions, with higher scores indicating a more balanced mix.

Singapore ranks #1 globally, with no single religious group forming a majority. At the other extreme, countries like Yemen and Afghanistan have near-zero diversity, highlighting how uneven religious distribution can be worldwide.

Ranking: Countries by Religious Diversity

Here’s a look at the full dataset on religious diversity by country:

Rank Country RDI score Diversity level
1 🇸🇬 Singapore 9.25 Very high
2 🇸🇷 Suriname 7.54 Very high
3 🇹🇼 Taiwan 7.46 Very high
4 🇰🇷 South Korea 7.33 Very high
5 🇲🇺 Mauritius 7.33 Very high
6 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau 7.17 Very high
7 🇹🇬 Togo 7.09 Very high
8 🇧🇯 Benin 7.05 Very high
9 🇦🇺 Australia 6.99 High
10 🇫🇷 France 6.93 High
11 🇨🇦 Canada 6.91 High
12 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 6.88 High
13 🇧🇪 Belgium 6.80 High
14 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 6.76 High
15 🇳🇱 Netherlands 6.76 High
16 🇳🇿 New Zealand 6.67 High
17 🇲🇳 Mongolia 6.64 High
18 🇲🇿 Mozambique 6.57 High
19 🇨🇺 Cuba 6.48 High
20 🇩🇪 Germany 6.40 High
21 🇲🇾 Malaysia 6.31 High
22 🇸🇪 Sweden 6.30 High
23 🇪🇪 Estonia 6.21 High
24 🇯🇵 Japan 6.18 High
25 🇹🇩 Chad 6.18 High
26 🇺🇾 Uruguay 6.14 High
27 🇨🇭 Switzerland 6.09 High
28 🇸🇸 South Sudan 6.09 High
29 🇪🇷 Eritrea 6.01 High
30 🇧🇦 Bosnia-Herzegovina 5.98 High
31 🇬🇾 Guyana 5.90 High
32 🇺🇸 United States 5.85 High
33 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 5.81 High
34 🇳🇬 Nigeria 5.81 High
35 🇲🇴 Macao 5.76 High
36 🇹🇿 Tanzania 5.72 High
37 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 5.71 High
38 🇻🇳 Vietnam 5.62 High
39 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 5.61 High
40 🇦🇹 Austria 5.58 High
41 🇨🇾 Cyprus 5.57 High
42 🇱🇦 Laos 5.49 Moderate
43 🇸🇮 Slovenia 5.46 Moderate
44 🇯🇲 Jamaica 5.45 Moderate
45 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 5.43 Moderate
46 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 5.41 Moderate
47 🇷🇺 Russia 5.41 Moderate
48 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 5.38 Moderate
49 🇱🇧 Lebanon 5.38 Moderate
50 🇫🇯 Fiji 5.31 Moderate
51 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 5.23 Moderate
52 🇨🇲 Cameroon 5.22 Moderate
53 🇪🇸 Spain 5.21 Moderate
54 🇬🇭 Ghana 5.21 Moderate
55 🇨🇱 Chile 5.15 Moderate
56 🇳🇴 Norway 5.11 Moderate
57 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 5.06 Moderate
58 🇧🇭 Bahrain 4.91 Moderate
59 🇫🇮 Finland 4.84 Moderate
60 🇧🇿 Belize 4.83 Moderate
61 🇦🇱 Albania 4.75 Moderate
62 🇰🇵 North Korea 4.73 Moderate
63 🇭🇺 Hungary 4.71 Moderate
64 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 4.67 Moderate
65 🇲🇬 Madagascar 4.66 Moderate
66 🇮🇸 Iceland 4.65 Moderate
67 🇶🇦 Qatar 4.63 Moderate
68 🇸🇰 Slovakia 4.57 Moderate
69 🇧🇹 Bhutan 4.55 Moderate
70 🇮🇱 Israel 4.46 Moderate
71 🇩🇰 Denmark 4.42 Moderate
72 🇲🇪 Montenegro 4.39 Moderate
73 🇱🇻 Latvia 4.34 Moderate
74 🇧🇧 Barbados 4.21 Moderate
75 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 4.18 Moderate
76 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 4.14 Moderate
77 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 4.05 Moderate
78 🇮🇳 India 4.03 Moderate
79 🇨🇻 Cape Verde 4.02 Moderate
80 🇰🇼 Kuwait 3.94 Moderate
81 🇮🇹 Italy 3.88 Moderate
82 🇳🇵 Nepal 3.85 Moderate
83 🇧🇷 Brazil 3.83 Moderate
84 🇦🇼 Aruba 3.75 Moderate
85 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 3.71 Moderate
86 🇮🇪 Ireland 3.68 Moderate
87 🇴🇲 Oman 3.68 Moderate
88 🇧🇳 Brunei 3.68 Moderate
89 🇧🇼 Botswana 3.51 Moderate
90 🇬🇦 Gabon 3.36 Moderate
91 🇬🇫 French Guiana 3.28 Moderate
92 🇺🇦 Ukraine 3.28 Moderate
93 🇻🇺 Vanuatu 3.26 Moderate
94 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 3.20 Moderate
95 🇿🇦 South Africa 3.08 Moderate
96 🇳🇨 New Caledonia 3.08 Moderate
97 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 3.07 Moderate
98 🇱🇷 Liberia 3.01 Moderate
99 🇵🇹 Portugal 3.00 Moderate
100 🇧🇾 Belarus 2.99 Moderate
101 🇬🇬 Channel Islands 2.96 Moderate
102 🇰🇪 Kenya 2.96 Moderate
103 🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2.87 Moderate
104 🇨🇴 Colombia 2.86 Moderate
105 🇮🇩 Indonesia 2.72 Moderate
106 🇬🇳 Guinea 2.71 Moderate
107 🇷🇪 Reunion 2.68 Moderate
108 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 2.66 Moderate
109 🇬🇩 Grenada 2.66 Moderate
110 🇸🇻 El Salvador 2.65 Moderate
111 🇲🇼 Malawi 2.61 Moderate
112 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 2.54 Moderate
113 🇺🇬 Uganda 2.53 Moderate
114 🇻🇪 Venezuela 2.49 Moderate
115 🇬🇪 Georgia 2.47 Moderate
116 🇲🇹 Malta 2.46 Moderate
117 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea 2.44 Moderate
118 🇦🇷 Argentina 2.44 Moderate
119 🇪🇨 Ecuador 2.43 Moderate
120 🇭🇳 Honduras 2.42 Moderate
121 🇭🇹 Haiti 2.38 Moderate
122 🇲🇲 Myanmar 2.36 Moderate
123 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 2.33 Moderate
124 🇧🇴 Bolivia 2.33 Moderate
125 🇬🇷 Greece 2.27 Moderate
126 🇨🇳 China 2.26 Moderate
127 🇲🇽 Mexico 2.26 Moderate
128 🇳🇦 Namibia 2.05 Moderate
129 🇨🇼 Curacao 2.04 Moderate
130 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 2.02 Moderate
131 🇭🇷 Croatia 1.98 Low
132 🇵🇦 Panama 1.92 Low
133 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 1.92 Low
134 🇵🇱 Poland 1.88 Low
135 🇵🇭 Philippines 1.85 Low
136 🇷🇸 Serbia 1.85 Low
137 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 1.81 Low
138 🇱🇨 St. Lucia 1.80 Low
139 🇬🇹 Guatemala 1.76 Low
140 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo 1.71 Low
141 🇱🇹 Lithuania 1.70 Low
142 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 1.61 Low
143 🇦🇴 Angola 1.52 Low
144 🇸🇿 Eswatini 1.48 Low
145 🇵🇫 French Polynesia 1.45 Low
146 🇵🇾 Paraguay 1.43 Low
147 🇸🇨 Seychelles 1.36 Low
148 🇬🇺 Guam 1.34 Low
149 🇲🇻 Maldives 1.33 Low
150 🇲🇱 Mali 1.31 Low
151 🇸🇾 Syria 1.30 Low
152 🇽🇰 Kosovo 1.26 Low
153 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan 1.26 Low
154 🇹🇭 Thailand 1.25 Low
155 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands 1.23 Low
156 🇵🇪 Peru 1.22 Low
157 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 1.17 Low
158 🇧🇮 Burundi 1.13 Low
159 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 1.11 Low
160 🇪🇬 Egypt 1.07 Low
161 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 0.99 Very low
162 🇬🇵 Guadeloupe 0.94 Very low
163 🇲🇶 Martinique 0.90 Very low
164 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.85 Very low
165 🇵🇰 Pakistan 0.79 Very low
166 🇬🇲 Gambia 0.68 Very low
167 🇷🇼 Rwanda 0.68 Very low
168 🇰🇭 Cambodia 0.66 Very low
169 🇯🇴 Jordan 0.66 Very low
170 🇹🇷 Turkey 0.66 Very low
171 🇦🇲 Armenia 0.62 Very low
172 🇱🇸 Lesotho 0.61 Very low
173 🇸🇳 Senegal 0.56 Very low
174 🇰🇮 Kiribati 0.55 Very low
175 🇧🇸 Bahamas 0.55 Very low
176 🇼🇸 Samoa 0.54 Very low
177 🇩🇯 Djibouti 0.53 Very low
178 🇹🇴 Tonga 0.51 Very low
179 🇳🇪 Niger 0.43 Very low
180 🇿🇲 Zambia 0.40 Very low
181 🇰🇲 Comoros 0.39 Very low
182 🇩🇿 Algeria 0.37 Very low
183 🇷🇴 Romania 0.34 Very low
184 🇫🇲 Federated States of Micronesia 0.28 Very low
185 🇾🇹 Mayotte 0.27 Very low
186 🇸🇩 Sudan 0.26 Very low
187 🇹🇯 Tajikistan 0.25 Very low
188 🇵🇸 Palestinian territories 0.24 Very low
189 🇱🇾 Libya 0.23 Very low
190 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 0.21 Very low
191 🇲🇷 Mauritania 0.19 Very low
192 🇹🇳 Tunisia 0.16 Very low
193 🇮🇶 Iraq 0.12 Very low
194 🇲🇩 Moldova 0.11 Very low
195 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste 0.11 Very low
196 🇪🇭 Western Sahara 0.10 Very low
197 🇲🇦 Morocco 0.08 Very low
198 🇮🇷 Iran 0.05 Very low
199 🇸🇴 Somalia 0.04 Very low
200 🇦🇫 Afghanistan 0.03 Very low
201 🇾🇪 Yemen 0.03 Very low

Singapore leads the ranking with a score of 9.25, while several countries at the bottom have near-zero diversity, underscoring how wide the global gap is.

Where Religious Diversity Is Highest

Singapore stands apart globally, with no single religion accounting for more than a third of its population. This balance across Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and unaffiliated groups gives it the highest diversity score in the dataset, well ahead of most countries.

Other highly diverse countries include Suriname and Taiwan, where multiple religions coexist relatively evenly. These countries often share histories shaped by migration, trade, or colonial influence, which help sustain a more diverse mix of religious identities.

Where Diversity Is Lowest

At the other end of the spectrum, several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have diversity scores close to zero. In places like Yemen and Afghanistan, a single religion accounts for nearly the entire population, leaving little variation in religious identity.

In addition, relatively low immigration levels mean fewer new religious communities are introduced over time. Countries like Yemen and Afghanistan also tend to have more ethnically and culturally homogeneous populations, which historically align with a single dominant faith.

By contrast, highly diverse countries typically combine open migration patterns, legal protections for religious freedom, and urban, trade-driven histories that bring multiple belief systems into close contact.

How Diversity Changed Between 2010 and 2020

Globally, religious diversity is rising, but unevenly. Between 2010 and 2020, more countries moved into moderate and high diversity categories, driven largely by migration and shifting religious affiliation. North America saw some of the fastest increases, with both the U.S. and Canada becoming more religiously mixed.

The number of countries classified as having “very low” diversity fell from 48 to 41, while those in the “moderate” category rose from 81 to 89.

Here are the top 10 countries with the biggest increases in religious diversity from 2010 to 2020:

Country RDI Score 2010 RDI Score 2020 RDI Score Change
🇨🇱 Chile 2.8 5.1 +2.3
🇮🇪 Ireland 1.8 3.7 +1.9
🇲🇹 Malta 0.7 2.5 +1.8
🇦🇹 Austria 3.9 5.6 +1.7
🇴🇲 Oman 2.1 3.7 +1.6
🇧🇾 Belarus 1.4 3 +1.6
🇺🇸 United States 4.2 5.8 +1.6
🇧🇷 Brazil 2.3 3.8 +1.5
🇪🇨 Ecuador 1 2.4 +1.4
🇮🇹 Italy 2.5 3.9 +1.4

North America experienced the most significant shift, with an average RDI increase of 1.40. Both the U.S. and Canada moved further into the “high” diversity category, driven by immigration and changing religious affiliation patterns.

While less pronounced than the increases, a few countries did experience declines in religious diversity. Here are the top 10 decreases:

Country RDI Score 2010 RDI Score 2020 RDI Score Change
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 5.1 4.1 -1.0
🇸🇾 Syria 2.2 1.3 -0.9
🇻🇳 Vietnam 6.2 5.6 -0.6
🇲🇬 Madagascar 5.3 4.7 -0.6
🇫🇯 Fiji 5.8 5.3 -0.5
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 7.3 6.8 -0.5
🇧🇭 Bahrain 5.4 4.9 -0.5
🇦🇱 Albania 5.3 4.8 -0.5
🇲🇿 Mozambique 7.1 6.6 -0.5
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 3.2 2.7 -0.5

Overall, the data shows a gradual shift toward greater religious mixing worldwide, though the divide between highly diverse and highly uniform countries remains stark.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To explore how religions are distributed globally, check out The World’s Three Largest Religions Have a Combined 5 Billion Followers on the Voronoi app.

In Europe, Monarchs Are Far More Popular Than Politicians

2026-05-02 11:22:11

In Europe, Monarchs Are Far More Popular Than Politicians

Key Takeaways

  • Monarchs in Europe have approval ratings nearly 30 points higher than elected leaders.
  • The gap holds in every country analyzed, without exception.
  • Spain shows the widest divide, with almost a 40-point difference.

In Europe, monarchs are far more popular than the politicians who govern.

Data from Morning Consult, visualized by The European Correspondent, shows that monarchs hold an approval advantage of nearly 30 points over national leaders. The gap appears in every country analyzed.

The pattern reveals a clear divide: leaders making policy decisions often face public backlash, while ceremonial figures largely avoid it.

Approval Ratings for Elected and Unelected Leaders

Below, we break down approval ratings across eight European countries.

Name Position Country Approval Rating (April 2026)
King Charles III 👑 Monarch 🇬🇧 UK 53%
Keir Starmer 🗳 National leader 🇬🇧 UK 27%
King Willem-Alexander 👑 Monarch 🇳🇱 Netherlands 63%
Rob Jetten 🗳 National leader 🇳🇱 Netherlands 28%
King Harald V 👑 Monarch 🇳🇴 Norway 61%
Jonas Gahr Støre 🗳 National leader 🇳🇴 Norway 31%
King Philippe 👑 Monarch 🇧🇪 Belgium 66%
Bart de Wever 🗳 National leader 🇧🇪 Belgium 35%
King Carl XVI Gustaf 👑 Monarch 🇸🇪 Sweden 55%
Ulf Kristersson 🗳 National leader 🇸🇪 Sweden 38%
King Felipe VI 👑 Monarch 🇪🇸 Spain 76%
Pedro Sánchez 🗳 National leader 🇪🇸 Spain 38%
King Frederik X 👑 Monarch 🇩🇰 Denmark 80%
Mette Frederiksen 🗳 National leader 🇩🇰 Denmark 43%
Grand Duke Henri 👑 Monarch 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 69%
Luc Frieden 🗳 National leader 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 49%

From the UK to Luxembourg, monarchs outperform politicians across the board. Spain stands out with the largest gap, while even the narrowest differences still favor royalty.

Why Do Monarchs Poll Better?

One key explanation lies in the fundamentally different roles these figures play. Monarchs are typically nonpartisan, symbolic heads of state, largely removed from day-to-day political decision-making. This helps them avoid the scrutiny and backlash that elected leaders inevitably face.

By contrast, national leaders are directly responsible for policy decisions on issues like inflation, immigration, and public services. These decisions often divide public opinion, dragging down approval ratings.

Spain and the Netherlands: The Biggest Gaps

Spain has the widest popularity divide, with King Felipe VI outpacing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez by nearly 40 points. This reflects broader dissatisfaction with political leadership, alongside relatively stable support for the monarchy.

The Netherlands also shows a notable gap, with King Willem-Alexander maintaining a significant lead despite historically low approval ratings for the monarchy itself. This highlights how unpopular political leadership can become by comparison.

Even Lower-Rated Monarchs Still Lead

Even in countries where monarchs have more modest approval ratings, such as the UK, their standing still surpasses that of elected leaders. This underscores a broader trend: monarchy as an institution retains a degree of public goodwill that politicians struggle to match.

As this data shows, in modern Europe, it’s often the figureheads, not the decision-makers, who win the popularity contest.

The Fastest Growing Space Economy Sectors by 2035

2026-05-02 01:33:46

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The following content is sponsored by Global X Canada

The Fastest Growing Space Economy Sectors by 2035

Key Takeaways

  • Supply chain and transportation is the fastest-growing sector in the space economy, adding C$445 billion by 2035.
  • Food, defense, and consumer industries are major growth drivers as they adopt space-enabled technologies.

The space economy is expanding beyond rockets and satellites. By 2035, it could power industries far beyond orbit, from logistics to agriculture and national defense.

In partnership with Global X Canada, this graphic is the first of three in the Investing in Space series. It shows the fastest-growing space sectors by 2035 using data from McKinsey.

Which Space Economy Sectors Are Growing Fastest?

The global space economy could nearly triple from C$871 billion in 2023 to C$2.5 trillion by 2035.

Here is a table that shows which sectors are adding the most value by 2035.

Industry 2023 ($CAD Billions) 2035 ($CAD Billions)
Supply chain and transportation 121 566
Food and beverage supply chain logistics 137 459
State sponsored defence 129 345
Retail, consumer goods and lifestyle 77 234
Media, entertainment and sports 197 216
State sponsored civil 85 201
Digital communications 26 96
Space 30 92
Other 69 252

Source: McKinsey.

Growth is not evenly distributed across sectors. Instead, industries like supply chain, which rely on satellite data and connectivity, are expanding the most.

Supply Chain’s Liftoff

Supply chain and transportation lead all sectors, adding C$445 billion in growth by 2035. This surge reflects the increasing importance of real-time tracking via Earth observation and satellite navigation as essential tools for logistics networks.

Meanwhile the food and beverage sector follows closely, driven by advances in precision agriculture and monitoring.

State-sponsored defense ranks third, highlighting rising demand for surveillance, communications, and security. As a result, defense spending continues to accelerate globally.

Investing in Space

By 2035, a C$2.5 trillion space economy could evolve into a broad, multi-industry ecosystem where opportunities are emerging across logistics, agriculture, defense, and communications.

Investors looking to capture this growth may consider exposure to companies enabling these trends. In particular, solutions focused on satellites, data infrastructure, and space-enabled services are becoming increasingly critical.

To learn more, explore the Global X Space Tech Index ETF (ORBX), which targets companies at the forefront of the space economy.

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Get invested with ORBX, a new frontier for diversification.

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