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2026-02-15 01:11:23

Every Continent Ranked by Number of Countries

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The world’s 195 recognized countries are divided across seven continents, but the distribution is far from equal.

Africa leads with 54 countries, more than any other continent. South America has the fewest, at just 12. Meanwhile, Europe and Asia are counted separately despite sharing the same landmass, a division rooted in history and geopolitics rather than geography alone.

This map ranks every continent by number of countries, using data from World Population Review.

Note: Russia is categorized within Asia, as most of its land area lies there.

Breaking Down Countries by Continent

Below, we show how the 193 UN member states plus the UN observer states of Vatican City and Palestine are distributed across the world’s seven continents.

Africa accounts for 54 countries, the highest total of any continent. It spans roughly one-fifth of the world’s land area, with Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the largest by size. At the other end of the spectrum are island nations like Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Asia ranks second with 49 countries. It is the most populous continent by far, home to roughly 60% of the global population. In terms of land area, Russia, China, and India are the largest, while nations like the Maldives and Singapore cover less than 300 square miles.

Europe is home to 43 countries, including 27 European Union members. Ukraine is the largest by land area, followed by France.

North America includes the Caribbean, Central America, and the Arctic region. Its 23 countries include Greenland, which sits on the North American tectonic plate.

At the bottom of the ranking are Oceania and South America, with 14 and 12 countries respectively.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s most powerful rivers.

2026-02-14 23:51:00

Published

4 hours ago

on

February 14, 2026

By

Julia Wendling

Graphics & Design

• Athul Alexander

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How Do Interest Rates Impact the Real Estate Market?

   

Key Takeaways

• Real estate performance has historically strengthened during periods of falling interest rates.
       
• Lower rates reduce financing costs and improve real estate valuations, supporting returns.
       
• With rate cuts expected into mid 2026, real estate could benefit from a renewed tailwind.
       

Interest rates play a central role in real estate returns. When borrowing costs fall, real estate investment trusts (REITs) often see improved performance as financing becomes cheaper and income-producing assets become more attractive relative to fixed income.

This visualization, created in partnership with Inigo, provides visual context to the relationship between REIT performance and interest rates.

The Historical Trend

Since 2016, periods of easing or stable rates have generally coincided with rising REIT values. When rates declined sharply in 2020, REIT performance rebounded quickly following the initial shock, and gains accelerated again during the low-rate environment of 2021.

Year	Average Federal Funds Effective Rate (%)	All REITs (index)
2016-01-01	0.34	100.00
2017-01-01	0.65	112.78
2018-01-01	1.41	118.75
2019-01-01	2.40	131.01
2020-01-01	1.55	152.97
2021-01-01	0.09	143.22
2022-01-01	0.08	186.45
2023-01-01	4.33	167.30
2024-01-01	5.33	161.03
2025-01-01	4.33	179.40
2025-07-01	4.33	178.81

Even as the economy navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, REIT performance rose by 21 percent between the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2022, when the Fed began raising rates after pandemic-era cuts.

Why the Next Rate Cuts Matter

After a rapid tightening cycle between 2022 and 2023, elevated rates weighed on real estate valuations. However, recent data shows REIT performance improving as expectations shift toward easing monetary policy.

With the Federal Reserve expected to continue cutting rates into mid 2026, reaching a median outlook of 3.25 to 3.50 percent by year end, borrowing conditions could become more supportive. For investors, this environment has historically provided a meaningful boost to real estate returns, reinforcing the close relationship between interest rates and REIT performance.

Explore the data behind emerging global property risks.

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2026-02-14 22:49:15

Ranked: The Best Countries at Science

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.

Science skills underpin innovation and long-term economic growth.

Every three years, the OECD tests hundreds of thousands of students aged 15 to 16 through its global PISA assessment.

The latest results reveal a clear global leaderboard in science performance, with top countries scoring well above the OECD average of 485.

Singapore Sets the Global Benchmark

Singapore ranks first overall with an average science score of 561, placing it well ahead of every other country in the study. The country also leads in math proficiency.

Japan and Macao follow closely, reinforcing East Asia’s strong performance in math and science education.

Rank	Country	Average PISA Score
1	Singapore	561
2	Japan	547
3	Macao	543
4	Taiwan	537
5	S. Korea	528
6	Estonia	526
7	Hong Kong	520
8	Canada	515
9	Finland	511
10	Australia	507
11	Ireland	504
12	New Zealand	504
13	Switzerland	503
14	United Kingdom	500
15	Slovenia	500
16	Poland	499
17	United States	499
18	Czechia	498
19	Denmark	494
20	Latvia	494
21	Sweden	494
22	Germany	492
23	Belgium	491
24	Austria	491
25	Netherlands	488
26	France	487
27	Hungary	486
	OECD average	485
28	Spain	485
29	Portugal	484
30	Lithuania	484

Several European countries perform well above the OECD average of 485. Estonia stands out as Europe’s top performer, ranking sixth overall with a score of 526.

Finland, long known for its education model, remains in the top 10 despite slight declines from previous cycles. Canada is the highest-ranked country in the Americas, placing eighth overall with a score of 515.

How Major Economies Compare

Among major advanced economies, performance is more uneven.

The United States ranks 17th with a score of 499, slightly above the OECD average but behind many peers.

The United Kingdom sits at 14th with an even 500, while Germany and France fall below the top 20.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: The Best Countries at Math on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-14 20:55:45

Countries With the Most McDonald’s Locations

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.

Since the 1960s, McDonald’s has expanded beyond the United States to now operate in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide. This map shows the places where you can find a McDonald’s today. The data comes from the company’s Restaurant Count by Market 2024 report.

The famed golden arches can be spotted on all inhabited continents, with particular concentration in Asia, Europe, and North America.

The Global Presence of McDonald’s

As the birthplace of McDonald’s, the United States unsurprisingly has more locations (13,557) than any other country worldwide. Roughly 95% of the chain’s U.S. locations are franchised.

Outside of its home base, McDonald’s has had the biggest success in East Asia, counting 6,820 locations in China and an additional 2,989 in Japan. The Philippines has also been a key market, counting more locations (792) than even far larger countries such as India.

Rank	Country/Territory	Number of Locations
1	U.S. (Includes Cuba, Guam, and Saipan)	13,557
2	Mainland China	6,820
3	Japan	2,989
4	France (Includes Monaco)	1,589
5	Canada	1,489
6	UK (Includes Isle of Man, Jersey, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales)	1,470
7	Germany	1,367
8	Brazil	1,173
9	Australia (Includes American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, and Western Samoa)	1,068
10	Philippines	792
11	Italy	755
12	India	665
13	Spain (Includes Andorra and Gibraltar)	635
14	Poland	580
15	Saudi Arabia	441
16	Taiwan	417
17	South Africa	401
18	South Korea	398
19	Mexico	374
20	Malaysia	373
21	Indonesia	318
22	Türkiye	274
23	Netherlands	263
24	Hong Kong	260
25	Thailand	236
26	Israel	230
27	Argentina	226
28	United Arab Emirates	210
29	Portugal	209
30	Austria	206
31	Sweden	199
32	Egypt	190
33	Switzerland (Includes Liechtenstein)	184
34	New Zealand	172
35	Singapore	152
36	Czech Republic	128
37	Ukraine	124
38	Belgium	119
39	Guatemala	115
40	Hungary	115
41	Denmark	113
42	Chile	112
43	Romania	106
44	Ireland	95
45	Puerto Rico	94
46	Kuwait	91
47	Norway	85
48	Finland	81
49	Panama	81
50	Venezuela	80
51	Qatar	79
52	Costa Rica	76
53	Morocco	75
54	Colombia	72
55	Pakistan	69
56	Croatia	47
57	Slovakia	47
58	Jordan	46
59	Bulgaria	43
60	Macau	39
61	Vietnam	37
62	Serbia	36
63	Ecuador	35
64	Greece	35
65	Oman	35
66	Uruguay	34
67	Bahrain	33
68	Peru	30
69	Azerbaijan	29
70	Slovenia	28
71	Paraguay	27
72	El Salvador	25
73	Georgia	25
74	Cyprus	23
75	Dominican Republic	23
76	Lebanon	23
77	Lithuania	18
78	Reunion Island	18
79	Mauritius	17
80	Latvia	14
81	Honduras	13
82	Luxembourg	12
83	Estonia	11
84	Moldova	11
85	Martinique	10
86	Guadeloupe	9
87	Malta	9
88	Nicaragua	9
89	Brunei	6
90	Curacao	5
91	Virgin Islands	5
92	Trinidad/Tobago	4
93	Aruba	3
94	Bahamas	3
95	French Guiana	3
96	St. Marten	3
97	Suriname	2
98	Sri Lanka	0

In Europe, France is the largest market for the fast food chain, with its 1,589 locations beating out both Germany (1,367) and the United Kingdom (1,470).

In Africa, only three countries are home to McDonald’s locations. Morocco was the site of the first location opening on the continent, in 1992, and has since added 74 more in cities such as Casablanca and Rabat. Growth in Egypt and South Africa has been even faster, with 190 and 401 locations across those two countries.

McDonald’s in the Americas

McDonald’s has had quite the success story closer to home as well. Canada was home to the first McDonald’s outside of the U.S., and today has 1,489 locations. Meanwhile, Brazil and Argentina are also major markets, counting 1,173 and 226 locations each.

Notably, Cuba is a unique case. There is one McDonald’s, but citizens of the island country cannot access it, as it’s located on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base hosted by the United States.

Who’s Lost Their McDonald’s?

While McDonald’s has grown its presence rapidly over the past few decades, there have been setbacks in certain countries.

In 2022, the company fully exited Russia following the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War, selling all 850 of its locations. In 2024, meanwhile, McDonald’s decided to fully divest in another country as well by selling all 12 of its locations in Sri Lanka.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Have We Seen Peak McDonald’s In America? on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-02-14 10:28:21

Mapped: Each State’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Candy

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.

Americans buy tons of candy for Valentine’s Day—but their precise preference varies by state.

This map shows the favorite Valentine’s Day candy in each U.S. state, using data from CandyStore’s 2024 overview.

The Favorite Valentine’s Day Candies of Different States

In 15 of the 50 states, the classic heart-shaped box of chocolates was the preferred choice, followed closely by conversation hearts at 13 states. All Pacific and West Coast states besides Oregon were particular fans of conversation hearts which spell out little romantic messages.

The table below shows the most popular Valentine’s Day candy in each state:

Michigan is the sole state across the country where cupid corn, a favorite of past years, continues to be the top-purchased candy.

Similarly, Alabama is alone in having candy necklaces as its top candy of choice.

Meanwhile, Hershey Kisses and M&Ms remain favorites across the country. Hershey Kisses are the top-selling Valentine’s Day candy in eight states, including Texas, while M&Ms have emerged as especially popular in six states.

American Spending on Valentine’s Day

Americans are projected to spend nearly $30 billion for Valentine’s Day this year. Candy remains the most popular gift for the holiday, as nearly 56% of consumers plan to purchase some sort of candy for a loved one or themselves.

Valentine’s Day thus plays a big part in the industry’s annual earnings, especially as chocolate prices soar to new highs due to drought conditions in West Africa, where most cocoa is harvested.

The average American reportedly spends over $120 on Valentine’s Day candy each year.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you found this infographic interesting, explore more population and demographic insights on Voronoi, including Valentine’s Day is Becoming More Expensive & Less Celebrated.

2026-02-14 02:52:51

Climate Change Is Shrinking the Pool of Winter Olympic Host Cities

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.

For decades, the Winter Olympics have depended on cities with reliably cold temperatures and natural snowfall. But as global temperatures rise, that pool of suitable host cities is shrinking.

A study published in Current Issues in Tourism evaluated 93 past and potential host sites under different emissions scenarios. It measures whether these cities can consistently deliver freezing temperatures and sufficient natural snowfall for safe competition. Statista visualized these findings.

Just 5% of Winter Olympic Host Cities Meet High-Reliability Thresholds by 2100

Here’s the full dataset showing how Winter Olympics host site reliability shifts across historical and future emission scenarios:

Between 1981–2010, 43% of host cities were classified as climate-suitable for winter sports, while only 19% were considered unreliable. Under a high-emissions scenario for 2071–2100, that flips dramatically: just 5% remain suitable, and 67% are considered unreliable.

Even under a more optimistic low-emissions pathway, the share of reliable hosts drops significantly compared with the late 20th century.

Where Emissions Pathways Make a Difference

The study models two broad futures: one aligned with the Paris Agreement’s lower-emissions targets, and another based on current higher-emissions trends.

Under a low-emissions scenario aligned with Paris Agreement targets, more cities remain viable later in the century. Under higher-emissions trends, many traditional venues fall into the unreliable category.

Which Regions Fare Better, and Worse

Research identified that higher-elevation mountainous regions and hosts in cooler continental climates generally maintain climate reliability longer than lower-elevation sites and those closer to maritime zones. For example, future Alpine sites and places in North America with sustained cold spells are more resilient compared with some European low-elevation hosts that warm faster. However, even these more resilient sites see declines in reliability under high warming.

This evolving climate landscape is already influencing how the International Olympic Committee considers future bids: prioritizing existing infrastructure and climate reliability helps de-risk future Games, while warming trends are prompting conversations about rotating among a smaller pool of dependable locations and adjusting event scheduling.

As warming continues, the Winter Olympics may be confined to a much smaller group of dependable locations.