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2025-12-27 01:32:54

Charted: Global Grid Investment by Country (2020–2027F)

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Modern electricity grids sit at the center of the energy transition. As renewable generation expands and electricity demand rises, countries must invest heavily to modernize aging infrastructure, improve reliability, and handle more variable power sources.

This chart shows how grid investment is evolving across major countries and regions from 2020 through 2027, highlighting where capital is flowing and which markets are scaling up the fastest. The data for this visualization comes from BloombergNEF.

The U.S. and China Dominate Grid Spending

Overall, global grid investment rises from $300 billion in 2020 to an estimated $577 billion by 2027. Growth accelerated sharply after 2023, when annual spending begins posting double-digit increases as governments respond to grid bottlenecks, electrification, and renewable integration challenges.

The U.S. and China are the two largest grid investors by a wide margin. U.S. spending climbs from $72 billion in 2020 to $128 billion by 2027. China follows a similar trajectory, rising from $71 billion in 2020 to $124 billion in 2027.

Together, these two markets drive roughly half of all global grid investment.

Market/ Grid Investment	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026F	2027F
US	$72B	$76B	$80B	$93B	$105B	$115B	$122B	$128B
China	$71B	$76B	$74B	$75B	$84B	$96B	$110B	$124B
Germany	$11B	$12B	$12B	$19B	$27B	$36B	$35B	$35B
UK	$7B	$5B	$7B	$8B	$9B	$11B	$19B	$23B
Rest of EU-27	$34B	$40B	$39B	$42B	$45B	$52B	$62B	$69B
Rest of Asia Pacific	$53B	$54B	$58B	$62B	$63B	$73B	$75B	$83B
Rest of Europe, Middle East & Africa	$32B	$34B	$34B	$35B	$50B	$62B	$65B	$75B
Rest of Americas	$21B	$25B	$28B	$27B	$29B	$33B	$37B	$39B
Total	$300B	$323B	$332B	$358B	$411B	$479B	$525B	$577B

Europe’s Push Accelerates After 2023

Europe shows strong growth, particularly in Germany, and the UK. Germany’s grid investment more than triples from $11 billion in 2020 to $35 billion by 2027, driven by renewable expansion and cross-border integration.

Across the rest of the EU-27, spending rises steadily to $69 billion by 2027.

Fast Growth in Emerging Regions

Some of the fastest growth occurs outside traditional power markets. Investment in the Rest of Asia Pacific climbs from $53 billion in 2020 to $83 billion in 2027, while spending across the Rest of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa jumps from $32 billion to $75 billion over the same period.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Future of World Energy Supply (2024–2050), Charted on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2025-12-26 23:22:52

Mapped: Share of Households with No Income by State

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Household income is often discussed in terms of averages, but the share of households reporting no income can reveal a different side of the country’s economic reality.

This map highlights the share of households with no income across U.S. states (and the District of Columbia) in 2024 using data from the Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-Year Estimates.

States with the Highest Shares of No-Income Households

Across U.S. states, the share of households with no income ranges from a low of 17% (Utah) to a high of 34% (West Virginia). The United States’ overall share of no-income households is 25%.

The data table below lists each state’s share of households with no income:

West Virginia stands out with the highest share of households reporting no income at 34%, three percentage points ahead of New Mexico at 31%.

The top five states by share of no-income households are rounded out with Maine, Arkansas, and Mississippi each at 30%.

These states tend to have older populations, higher rates of disability, and lower median incomes overall. In such contexts, a larger portion of households rely on non-earned income sources or report no income during the survey period.

States with the Fewest No-Income Households

Even among the lowest results, “no income” households remain a meaningful slice of the population.

After Utah (17%), the District of Columbia is next-lowest at 19%. Alaska, Colorado, and Texas each come in at 21%, with only five jurisdictions at 21% or lower.

Utah’s low share of one-adult/non-family households is a large driver of its low rate of households with no income.

States with the Most No-Income Households

Below we look at the top 10 states by number of households with no income:

Beyond California, Texas, Florida, and New York, states like Ohio and Michigan also rank in the top 10, despite sitting closer to the middle of the pack by share of no-income households. Their high totals reflect population scale rather than unusually high prevalence.

Meanwhile, states with the highest shares—such as West Virginia and New Mexico—do not appear in the top 10 by total households, highlighting the gap between where no-income households are most concentrated versus where they are most numerous.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the incomes across the U.S., check out this graphic about the income needed to reach the 1% in each state on Voronoi.

2025-12-26 21:02:41

The World’s Most Powerful Reserve Currencies

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Central bank reserve holdings are used to stabilize currencies, settle international trade, and manage financial crises.

This visualization ranks the world’s leading reserve currencies, showing how global reserves are distributed across major currencies today. The data for this visualization comes from the International Monetary Fund, using COFER (Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves) data. Reserve values are reported in nominal U.S. dollars.

The Dollar Still Dominates Global Reserves

The U.S. dollar remains the backbone of the global reserve system, with central banks holding approximately $6.6 trillion in dollar-denominated reserves. This represents nearly 58% of total reported global reserves.

Despite frequent discussions around de-dollarization, the dollar continues to benefit from deep U.S. financial markets, global trade invoicing, and its role as a safe-haven asset during periods of uncertainty.

The Euro’s Role as the Main Alternative

The euro ranks second, accounting for nearly $2.3 trillion, or about 20% of global reserves.

Beyond the dollar and the euro, reserve holdings are spread across several smaller currencies. The Japanese yen and British pound together account for roughly 11% of global reserves, reflecting their long-standing financial stability and deep markets.

Other currencies, including the Canadian and Australian dollars, the Chinese yuan, and the Swiss franc, each hold relatively small shares. Notably, while China’s yuan has gained visibility in global trade and finance, it still represents just over 2% of global reserves.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out America’s $38 Trillion Mountain of Debt on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2025-12-26 02:41:37

Charted: America’s Low-Wage Workers by Education Level

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Despite a strong labor market and rising nominal wages, there are still millions of people taking home less than $20 per hour on average. Education plays a major role in determining earnings, but it does not guarantee high wages—or even employment.

This chart shows the share and number of U.S. low-wage workers earning less than $20 per hour by education level, using data from the Economic Policy Institute as of July 2025.

Low-Wage Work Is Concentrated Among Less-Educated Workers

Workers without a high school diploma face the greatest exposure to low wages. Roughly two-thirds of this group—about 6.9 million people—earn less than $20 per hour, reflecting limited access to higher-paying occupations and fewer opportunities for advancement.

The table below breaks down low-wage workers by education level:

Among workers whose highest education is a high school diploma, 43% earn under $20 per hour. This group represents the largest number of low-wage workers overall, totaling nearly 15.9 million people.

Even some college education offers only partial protection. More than one-third of workers with some college (but no completed degree) earn below the $20 threshold, amounting to 12.9 million workers.

College Degrees Don’t Eliminate Low Wages

Higher education significantly lowers the likelihood of earning under $20 per hour, but it does not eliminate it. About 12% of workers with a college or advanced degree, roughly 7.2 million people, still fall below this pay level.

Overall, while education remains one of the strongest determinants of earnings, income outcomes depend on various factors, including industry mix, regional costs of living, and labor market conditions.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you found this interesting, explore more labor market and income visuals on Voronoi, including U.S. States With the Most Low-Wage Workers.

2025-12-25 23:22:44

The Most Spoken Languages: Native vs. Non-Native Speakers

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Language plays a central role in shaping global communication, culture, and economic exchange. While some languages dominate due to large native-speaking populations, others achieve global reach through widespread adoption as a second language.

This infographic compares the native and non-native usage of the world’s most spoken languages in 2025, using data from Ethnologue.

The World’s Most Spoken First and Second Languages

English is the most spoken language with approximately 1.53 billion speakers worldwide.

However, just 390 million people speak English as their first language, meaning nearly 75% of English speakers use it as a second language, making it the dominant global lingua franca across industries and professions.

The table below shows native and non-native speaker counts for the world’s most spoken languages in 2025:

In total, about 18.8% of the world’s population speaks English, but only a quarter of those are native speakers.

Mandarin Chinese ranks second with roughly 1.18 billion speakers. In contrast to English, Mandarin is primarily spoken as a first language, with more than 83% of its speakers being native.

Hindi and Spanish follow as the next most spoken languages worldwide. Hindi has around 609 million speakers, split more evenly between native and non-native usage due to India’s multilingual population.

Spanish stands out as one of the most widely spoken native languages globally, with nearly 87% of its speakers using it as their first language. Spoken Spanish is concentrated across Spain, Latin America, and parts of the United States.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, explore more language and culture insights on Voronoi, including The Most Used Languages on the Internet.

2025-12-25 21:05:03

Ranked: Approval Ratings of World Leaders Heading Into 2026

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Public approval of political leaders reflects a mix of economic conditions, policy decisions, and broader voter sentiment. As 2025 comes to a close, approval ratings offer a snapshot of how leaders around the world are perceived heading into 2026.

This visualization ranks major global leaders by approval rating, based on surveys conducted between December 8 and 14, 2025, by Morning Consult,

High Approval at the Top, but Fewer Standouts

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks first overall, with 71% approval heading into 2026. Although still well ahead of peers, his approval declined modestly from 75% in January 2025.

A similar pattern appears elsewhere: even leaders near the top of the rankings faced gradual erosion in support over the year, reflecting persistent inflation, cost-of-living pressures, and political fatigue among voters.

Rank	Leader	Country	Approve	Don’t know / No opinion	Disapprove
1	Narendra Modi	India	71%	7%	22%
2	Sanae Takaichi	Japan	61%	13%	26%
3	Lee Jae-myung	South Korea	56%	8%	35%
4	Javier Milei	Argentina	55%	4%	41%
5	Mark Carney	Canada	48%	11%	41%
6	Anthony Albanese	Australia	47%	9%	43%
7	Claudia Sheinbaum	Mexico	45%	6%	49%
8	Karin Keller-Sutter	Switzerland	43%	27%	30%
9	Donald Trump	United States	43%	6%	51%
10	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	Brazil	42%	4%	54%
11	Giorgia Meloni	Italy	41%	6%	52%
12	Bart de Wever	Belgium	41%	10%	49%
13	Christian Stocker	Austria	41%	12%	48%
14	Donald Tusk	Poland	38%	11%	51%
15	Jonas Gahr Støre	Norway	37%	2%	61%
16	Ulf Kristersson	Sweden	37%	8%	55%
17	Dick Schoof	Netherlands	36%	24%	40%
18	Friedrich Merz	Germany	36%	5%	60%
19	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan	Turkey	34%	15%	51%
20	Cyril Ramaphosa	South Africa	34%	10%	57%
21	Pedro Sánchez	Spain	33%	6%	61%
22	Keir Starmer	United Kingdom	23%	9%	67%
23	Emmanuel Macron	France	13%	7%	80%

Approval Gains Reflect New Leadership, Not Turnarounds

Japan, South Korea, Canada, Austria, and Belgium all show higher approval ratings at the end of 2025, but these increases reflect new leaders replacing unpopular predecessors.

Much of Europe enters 2026 with leaders facing net-negative approval. France’s Emmanuel Macron ranks last, with approval in the low teens and disapproval near 80%. The UK’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and several Nordic leaders also post approval ratings in the 30% range or lower.

In the United States, Donald Trump sits in the middle of the ranking, with approval and disapproval nearly evenly split.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Top Nations by GDP Per Capita Growth on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.