Visual CapitalistModify

2026-04-13 21:39:04

Who Owns America’s $39T Debt

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.

Who really finances America’s $39T debt, and how much is held at home versus abroad?

This chart shows where U.S. debt ultimately sits, from domestic investors and foreign governments to the Federal Reserve and internal trust funds.

Data is sourced from Treasury’s daily Debt to the Penny, the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, TIC data, and the Federal Reserve, as of March 19, 2026.

Breaking Down Who Holds U.S. Debt

To finance its growing deficits, the U.S. relies on a wide range of buyers, including domestic institutions, foreign governments, and its own central bank.

The table below shows how U.S. debt is distributed across its largest holders:

Of the $39 trillion in gross debt, $31.4 trillion (81%) is held by domestic and foreign investors.

The remaining $7.6 trillion (19%) is intragovernmental debt, reflecting internal government transactions. This total is roughly twice the combined fortune of the world’s top 20 billionaires.

Debt held by the public represents what the U.S. owes to outside investors and directly influences interest rates, borrowing costs, and financial markets. By contrast, intragovernmental debt is money the government owes to itself, primarily through programs like Social Security.

Mutual funds and pension funds are the largest public holders, at $6.6 trillion, reflecting strong demand for safe, liquid assets. The Federal Reserve holds $4.4 trillion on its balance sheet, more than the top three foreign creditors—Japan, the U.K., and China—combined.

Among individuals, Warren Buffett, through his company Berkshire Hathaway, is the largest non-government holder of U.S. Treasury bills, with holdings valued at $339 billion as of Q4 2025.

What Does High U.S. Debt Mean for the Average American?

The U.S. is among the top 10 most indebted countries globally in debt-to-GDP terms, and its debt is growing by about $1 trillion every three months. This trend can affect Americans’ standard of living.

As debt rises, a larger share of the federal budget goes toward interest payments, crowding out spending on priorities like infrastructure, defense, and social programs.

Excessive debt can dampen wage growth and job creation while contributing to higher interest rates, making mortgages, loans, and credit card debt more expensive.

As the national debt continues to rise, its composition and ownership remain critical for understanding risks to financial markets and the broader economy.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about global government debt, check out this graphic, which visualizes the world’s $111 trillion in government debt by country.

2026-04-13 19:42:28

Ranked: How Much People Save Around the World

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.

How much of your income do people actually save, and how does your country compare?

This chart ranks household savings rates across major economies using the latest OECD data. It reveals a wide gap between top savers and those struggling to set money aside. In countries like Sweden and Hungary, households save more than 10% of their income. In the U.S., that figure is just 4.9%.

In some cases, the gap is even more striking. Americans save roughly half as much as households in Mexico, highlighting how cost pressures and consumption patterns differ across economies.

How Much People Save by Country

Sweden ranks as the most disciplined saver, with net household savings rates rising nearly eightfold from 2.3% to 16% over the past two decades.

Many European countries also rank at the top of the list. Households continue to set aside a relatively large share of their income, including Hungary (14.3%) and France (12.8%). These elevated rates are often linked to structural factors such as pension systems and aging populations.

The table below shows savings rates by country in 2024, or the latest available data:

Country	Net Saving Rate (% of net disposable income)
Sweden	16.0%
Hungary	14.3%
Czechia	13.7%
France	12.8%
Austria	11.7%
Germany	11.2%
Netherlands	9.5%
Spain	9.2%
Ireland	9.0%
Denmark	8.5%
Mexico	8.1%
Belgium	6.6%
Poland	6.1%
Australia	6.1%
Luxembourg	5.0%
Canada	5.0%
United States	4.9%
South Korea	4.8%
United Kingdom	4.7%
Portugal	4.5%
Finland	4.3%
Italy	4.2%
Norway	4.2%
Lithuania	3.8%
Estonia	3.0%
Japan	0.9%
Latvia	0.0%
South Africa	-1.0%
New Zealand	-1.3%

In the middle of the pack, savings rates drop off quickly. The U.S., Canada, and the UK all cluster around 5% or lower, far behind top European savers. The gap is particularly striking when compared globally. U.S. households save about half as much as those in Mexico, and less than one-third of what households in Sweden set aside each year.

At the bottom of the ranking, the picture flips entirely. In countries like New Zealand and South Africa, households are not saving at all. Instead, they are spending more than they earn.

Negative savings rates typically mean people are dipping into past savings or taking on debt to cover everyday expenses, a sign of financial strain rather than choice.

What It Means Going Forward

Savings rates are a key signal of financial resilience.

Countries where households consistently save more tend to have a stronger buffer against inflation, job losses, or economic shocks. Higher savings can also support long-term investment and stability.

On the other hand, persistently low or negative savings rates can point to underlying pressure. When households have little margin to save, economies may become more vulnerable to downturns, rising debt levels, and weaker consumer spending over time.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the global cost of living index in 2026.

2026-04-12 21:27:32

Mapped: Only One Country Can Feed Itself Fully

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.

Food security isn’t just about producing enough calories—it’s about covering the full range of nutrients needed for a balanced diet.

This map shows how many of seven essential food groups each country can supply domestically, based on data from a Nature Food study. The result reveals a striking gap: just one country can meet all its food needs on its own.

The analysis covers key categories including starchy staples, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, and legumes—offering a more complete picture of national food independence. Even major agricultural producers like the United States and China still depend on imports for at least one of these groups.

Only One Country Covers All Food Groups

Guyana is the only country that can produce enough of all seven essential food groups to meet domestic demand. It not only covers every category, but exceeds needs in starchy staples and fruit—making it a clear global outlier in food independence.

China and Vietnam come close, each covering six out of seven groups. However, both fall short in dairy production, reflecting structural constraints in key sectors. Even top performers still rely on imports for at least one essential category.

Country	Self-Sufficient Food Groups (of 7)
Guyana	7
China	6
Vietnam	6
Paraguay	5
New Zealand	5
Uruguay	5
Vanuatu	5
Argentina	5
Brazil	5
Lithuania	5
Estonia	5
Australia	5
Latvia	5
Spain	5
Serbia	5
Kazakhstan	5
Croatia	5
Ukraine	5
Peru	5
Türkiye	5
Romania	5
Uzbekistan	5
Russia	5
Lao PDR	5
Kyrgyzstan	5
Oman	5
Philippines	5
Canada	4
Denmark	4
United States	4
Belarus	4
Netherlands	4
Poland	4
Chile	4
Belgium	4
Moldova	4
France	4
Hungary	4
Papua New Guinea	4
Myanmar	4
Ecuador	4
Dominican Republic	4
Senegal	4
Greece	4
Albania	4
Nicaragua	4
Portugal	4
Niger	4
Italy	4
Israel	4
Cameroon	4
Malawi	4
Bolivia	4
Armenia	4
Mexico	4
Thailand	4
Mali	4
Azerbaijan	4
Slovakia	4
Tunisia	4
South Sudan	4
Guatemala	4
Iran	4
Turkmenistan	4
Tonga	4
Bosnia and Herzegovina	4
Indonesia	4
Morocco	4
Nepal	4
Syrian Arab Republic	4
Suriname	4
Iceland	3
Tuvalu	3
Ireland	3
Norway	3
Costa Rica	3
Samoa	3
Central African Republic	3
Belize	3
Finland	3
Guinea-Bissau	3
Burkina Faso	3
Germany	3
Sudan	3
Dominica	3
Czechia	3
North Macedonia	3
Guinea	3
Ghana	3
Panama	3
Tanzania	3
Sweden	3
Colombia	3
Chad	3
Uganda	3
Rwanda	3
India	3
Bulgaria	3
South Africa	3
Côte d'Ivoire	3
Cyprus	3
Tajikistan	3
Solomon Islands	3
South Korea	3
Jamaica	3
Egypt	3
Lebanon	3
Burundi	3
Kenya	3
Angola	3
Pakistan	3
Algeria	3
Venezuela	3
Gabon	3
Sierra Leone	3
Saudi Arabia	3
Kiribati	2
Micronesia	2
Seychelles	2
Mongolia	2
Luxembourg	2
Austria	2
Comoros	2
Namibia	2
Mauritania	2
Switzerland	2
Slovenia	2
Sri Lanka	2
Benin	2
United Kingdom	2
Nauru	2
Cambodia	2
Nigeria	2
Georgia	2
Montenegro	2
Fiji	2
Malaysia	2
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	2
Honduras	2
Mozambique	2
Cuba	2
Bhutan	2
Sao Tome and Principe	2
Ethiopia	2
Zambia	2
Bangladesh	2
Botswana	2
Grenada	2
Barbados	2
St. Lucia	2
Eswatini	2
El Salvador	2
Libya	2
Togo	2
New Caledonia	2
Haiti	2
Jordan	2
Maldives	1
Zimbabwe	1
DR Congo	1
Bahamas, The	1
Republic of the Congo	1
Japan	1
Cabo Verde	1
Madagascar	1
Timor-Leste	1
Trinidad and Tobago	1
Somalia	1
Mauritius	1
The Gambia	1
Liberia	1
French Polynesia	1
Kuwait	1
St. Kitts and Nevis	1
Malta	1
Djibouti	1
Antigua and Barbuda	1
Lesotho	1
Bahrain	1
Hong Kong	1
Afghanistan	0
Iraq	0
Yemen	0
United Arab Emirates	0
Qatar	0
Macao	0

Wealth Doesn’t Guarantee Food Independence

High-income countries often rank lower than expected. For example, Canada and the United States each cover only four out of seven food groups. Despite strong production in meat, dairy, and grains, both countries depend heavily on imports for fruits and vegetables.

This pattern reflects geography and climate. Northern countries face shorter growing seasons, limiting domestic output of fresh produce. As a result, even advanced agricultural systems cannot fully produce a balanced diet domestically.

Structural Constraints Shape Regional Gaps

The Middle East and North Africa consistently rank among the least self-sufficient regions. Limited water resources play a major role. The region holds roughly 6% of the global population but less than 2% of renewable water supply, restricting agricultural expansion.

Fish production is another major constraint globally. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Asia accounts for 91% of aquaculture output. This concentration leaves many countries dependent on seafood imports, even when they can produce meat or crops domestically.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out this graphic about how 30% of food produced worldwide goes to waste.

2026-04-12 19:22:45

Mapped: The Cost of Living Across America

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.

Living in one U.S. state versus another can change your annual costs by as much as $75,000.

Using GOBankingRate’s analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey and Missouri Economic Research and Information Center data as of Q3 2025, this map shows how annual household costs vary across all 50 states.

From $141,127 in Hawaii to $66,284 in Oklahoma, the difference is stark. For many households, location alone can be one of the biggest drivers of overall cost.

The Most Expensive States to Live In

Hawaii tops the list at $141,127 per year, making it the most expensive state by a wide margin. That is about $75,000 more than Oklahoma and roughly $63,000 above the U.S. average.

In many cases, paying off a home in the Aloha State requires multi-generational efforts due to steep housing costs. Residents also pay 28% more for healthcare and 33% more for groceries than the national average.

This table shows average household expenditures by state, based on cost-of-living indexes and consumer spending across groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare:

Massachusetts ($118,431), California ($107,357), Alaska ($100,289), and New York ($99,425) round out the top five, reflecting a mix of housing pressure, geographic isolation, and higher overall costs.

The Cheapest States to Live In

In Oklahoma, average annual household spending is $66,284, making it the most affordable state overall.

With the median home sale price in Oklahoma City at $240,000, housing remains relatively affordable, with prices rising just 1% year over year as of December 2025. By contrast, the U.S. median stood at nearly $359,000.

Meanwhile, the state benefits from lower gas prices than Texas due to lower taxes and regional supply advantages, along with some of the most affordable groceries in the country.

Mississippi ranks second at $67,147, where annual living costs are more than $10,000 lower than in Florida.

Texas ranks 11th, with average spending of $71,310. Despite strong interstate migration, robust home construction has helped ease pressure on prices. Notably, home prices in Houston fell 2.2% annually last year to about $302,000.

The map highlights a clear reality: in the U.S., location alone can shift annual living costs by tens of thousands of dollars. For households considering a move, that difference can rival the impact of income itself.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the global cost of living index in 2026.

2026-04-11 21:26:09

Ranked: The Most Polite Countries in the World

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.

What makes a country “polite”—and which ones stand out globally?

A new survey of over 4,600 respondents by Remitly reveals a clear frontrunner. Japan alone captured more than 35% of all votes, far ahead of every other country on the list.

The ranking highlights how perceptions of politeness vary worldwide, while also revealing strong regional patterns across Europe and Asia.

Perceptions of politeness can shape everything from tourism experiences to international business relationships. For travelers, these rankings often influence expectations around etiquette, hospitality, and day-to-day interactions abroad.

Japan: The World’s Clear Favorite

Japan stands far ahead of every other country, capturing 35.2% of all votes—nearly three times more than second-place Canada. No other country breaks even 15%, underscoring just how dominant Japan’s reputation is globally.

Japanese culture is famous for its high emphasis on respect, etiquette, and social harmony. The country’s blend of tradition and recognizable cultural exports has helped it become well-regarded nearly everywhere.

The following data table lists the 25 most polite countries worldwide.

Rank	Country	Most Polite Nations (%)
1	Japan	35.2%
2	Canada	13.4%
3	United Kingdom	6.2%
4	China	3.1%
5	Germany	2.8%
6	Philippines	2.3%
7	Sweden	2.3%
8	Denmark	2.1%
9	Finland	1.9%
10	South Africa	1.8%
11	Australia	1.7%
11	Switzerland	1.7%
13	United States	1.6%
14	India	1.5%
15	Ireland	1.5%
16	New Zealand	1.4%
17	Norway	1.2%
18	Netherlands	1.2%
19	Thailand	1.2%
19	France	1.2%
21	Brazil	1.1%
22	Spain	1.1%
23	Belgium	1.0%
24	Italy	1.0%
25	Austria	1.0%

Certain traits associated with local culture no doubt contribute to the Japanese people’s reputation of politeness, including the value placed on cleanliness and punctuality.

Beyond this, citizens of other countries may be surprised when encountering Japanese bowing, a way of conveying respect, as well as other unique elements such as relative silence on public transit within the country.

Canada’s High Respect Premium

Canada ranks second with 13.4% of the vote—less than half of Japan’s total, highlighting the gap between first place and the rest of the field.

The sprawling North American country has been deemed the most respected country worldwide by one measure, while Canadians have long been known as some of the friendliest people on the globe.

Canada’s hospitality and civility has boosted the country’s reputation for politeness, both in dealings with each other and with people from other countries. This has been reinforced in some corners by the country’s relative contrasts with its southern neighbor, the United States, which obtained just over a tenth of the share of votes (1.6%) of Canada.

Europe’s High Prevalence of Politeness

After Canada, the United Kingdom ranks third at 6.2%, leading a strong European showing. In total, European countries make up more than half of the top 25—suggesting that politeness, as perceived globally, is strongly associated with the region.

Northern Europeans appear to fare better than their peers across the Old Continent, with the UK joined in the top 10 by Germany (2.8%) and Nordic countries like Sweden (2.3%), Denmark (2.1%), and Finland (1.9%).

In contrast, Asian countries nabbed a fifth of the spots on the list, while Africa was home to only one country in the top 25: South Africa, which at 1.8% of all votes cast landed at the 10th position worldwide.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Best Countries For Culture & Heritage, As Determined by the People on Voronoi.Use This Visualization

2026-04-11 19:44:32

Mapped: The Highest Point in Every U.S. State

See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

From Denali in Alaska to Britton Hill in Florida, the highest points in each U.S. state reveal a dramatic divide in elevation across the country.

This map shows the tallest natural point in every state, measured in feet above sea level, using data from the USGS via the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract.

The differences are stark: Alaska rises above 20,000 feet, while several coastal states don’t even reach 1,000 feet.

Alaska Towers Above All Other U.S. States

Alaska dominates the ranking. Its highest point, Denali, reaches 20,320 ft—5,826 ft higher than California’s Mount Whitney in second place. This single gap is larger than the entire elevation range of many eastern states, highlighting just how extreme Alaska’s terrain is.

That makes Denali nearly 59 times taller than Florida’s highest point, underscoring the extreme range in U.S. elevation.

The data table below ranks all 50 U.S. states by their highest elevation measured in feet above sea level:

A clear geographic pattern emerges: every state above 10,000 ft lies west of the Mississippi River. These peaks cluster in major mountain systems like the Rockies, Sierra Nevada, and Cascades, while the eastern half of the country is defined by much older, lower ranges.

After Oregon at 11,239 ft, elevations drop sharply—falling more than 2,400 ft to Texas and continuing downward across much of the central United States.

From there, the list tapers into the Appalachians and the interior East, where states like North Carolina, Tennessee, and New Hampshire still reach above 6,000 ft, but far below the tallest peaks in the Rockies, Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Alaska Range.

Only Five States Top Out Below 1,000 Feet

At the other end of the spectrum, five states never reach 1,000 feet.

Florida ranks last at just 345 ft—meaning Alaska’s highest point is nearly 59 times taller. These low peaks are concentrated in flat, coastal regions, where elevation changes are minimal compared to the mountainous West.

Those states are mostly coastal and low-lying, which helps explain why their peaks sit far below the national median of states’ highest points of 4,588.5 ft.

In total, 37 states rise above 2,000 ft, and 22 exceed 5,000 ft, highlighting how much of the country still reaches significant elevation despite the dominance of the West.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Fourteeners, the Highest Mountains of the U.S. on Voronoi.