2026-04-21 00:35:15
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How free is the internet where you live?
This map ranks 171 countries based on how freely people can access the internet. The results reveal stark global differences, from highly open systems in parts of Europe and Latin America to tightly controlled networks in countries like North Korea and China.
The data comes from a 2026 internet freedom index by Cloudwards, which evaluates national policies across four areas: torrenting, VPN availability, adult content, and political and civic expression.
The United States scores 64 out of 100, placing it in the global middle. It ranks alongside countries like Japan and Australia, and below top performers such as Norway (92) and Canada (84).
The UK scores even lower at 52, reflecting stricter regulations in areas like online content access.
No country achieves a perfect score, but 11 countries across four continents share the top spot at 92.
These countries are Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Suriname, and Timor-Leste.
The data table below lists countries worldwide alongside their internet freedom scores.
| Country | Internet Freedom Score |
|---|---|
 Belgium |
92 |
 Costa Rica |
92 |
 Denmark |
92 |
 Finland |
92 |
 Iceland |
92 |
 Liechtenstein |
92 |
 New Zealand |
92 |
 Norway |
92 |
 Slovakia |
92 |
 Suriname |
92 |
 Timor-Leste |
92 |
 Andorra |
84 |
 Austria |
84 |
 Belize |
84 |
 Canada |
84 |
 Cape Verde |
84 |
 Chile |
84 |
 Côte d’Ivoire |
84 |
 Croatia |
84 |
 Dominican Republic |
84 |
 Greece |
84 |
 Guyana |
84 |
 Haiti |
84 |
 Jamaica |
84 |
 Kosovo |
84 |
 Lithuania |
84 |
 Luxembourg |
84 |
 Malta |
84 |
 Moldova |
84 |
 Montenegro |
84 |
 North Macedonia |
84 |
 Panama |
84 |
 Poland |
84 |
 Seychelles |
84 |
 Slovenia |
84 |
 Switzerland |
84 |
 Trinidad & Tobago |
84 |
 Uruguay |
84 |
 Ireland |
80 |
 Latvia |
80 |
 Portugal |
80 |
 Sweden |
80 |
 Argentina |
76 |
 Benin |
76 |
 Bolivia |
76 |
 Bosnia & Herzegovina |
76 |
 Cyprus |
76 |
 Fiji |
76 |
 Gambia |
76 |
 Hungary |
76 |
 Liberia |
76 |
 Madagascar |
76 |
 Mongolia |
76 |
 Namibia |
76 |
 Niger |
76 |
 Peru |
76 |
 Bulgaria |
72 |
 Estonia |
72 |
 Ghana |
72 |
 Guatemala |
72 |
 Italy |
72 |
 Mexico |
72 |
 Netherlands |
72 |
 Paraguay |
72 |
 Spain |
72 |
 Taiwan |
72 |
 Angola |
68 |
 Democratic Republic of Congo |
68 |
 Gabon |
68 |
 Malawi |
68 |
 Mali |
68 |
 Mauritius |
68 |
 Mozambique |
68 |
 Papua New Guinea |
68 |
 Republic of the Congo |
68 |
 Senegal |
68 |
 Albania |
64 |
 Australia |
64 |
 Botswana |
64 |
 Central African Republic |
64 |
 Ecuador |
64 |
 France |
64 |
 Georgia |
64 |
 Germany |
64 |
 Guinea-Bissau |
64 |
 Honduras |
64 |
 Hong Kong SAR China |
64 |
 Japan |
64 |
 Lesotho |
64 |
 Maldives |
64 |
 Morocco |
64 |
 Nicaragua |
64 |
 Nigeria |
64 |
 Romania |
64 |
 Serbia |
64 |
 South Africa |
64 |
 United States |
64 |
 Mauritania |
60 |
 Armenia |
56 |
 Burundi |
56 |
 Cameroon |
56 |
 Chad |
56 |
 Eswatini |
56 |
 Guinea |
56 |
 Lebanon |
56 |
 Palestine |
56 |
 Philippines |
56 |
 Rwanda |
56 |
 Tajikistan |
56 |
 Tunisia |
56 |
 Bhutan |
52 |
 Brazil |
52 |
 Colombia |
52 |
 Kenya |
52 |
 Kyrgyzstan |
52 |
 United Kingdom |
52 |
 Zambia |
52 |
 Algeria |
48 |
 Burkina Faso |
48 |
 Djibouti |
48 |
 Nepal |
48 |
 Sri Lanka |
48 |
 Tongo |
48 |
 Zimbabwe |
48 |
 Cambodia |
44 |
 El Salvador |
44 |
 Israel |
44 |
 Somalia |
44 |
 Ukraine |
44 |
 Azerbaijan |
36 |
 Cuba |
36 |
 Equatorial Guinea |
36 |
 Ethiopia |
36 |
 Jordan |
36 |
 Kazakhstan |
36 |
 Kuwait |
36 |
 Laos |
36 |
 Thailand |
36 |
 Venezuela |
36 |
 Bahrain |
32 |
 Malaysia |
32 |
 Singapore |
32 |
 South Korea |
32 |
 Libya |
28 |
 Tanzania |
28 |
 Afghanistan |
24 |
 Brunei |
24 |
 Indonesia |
24 |
 Qatar |
24 |
 Uganda |
24 |
 Uzbekistan |
24 |
 Vietnam |
24 |
 Bangladesh |
20 |
 Belarus |
20 |
 Oman |
20 |
 Iraq |
16 |
 Myanmar (Burma) |
16 |
 Turkmenistan |
16 |
 Egypt |
12 |
 India |
12 |
 Saudi Arabia |
12 |
 Sudan |
12 |
 Syria |
12 |
 Türkiye |
12 |
 United Arab Emirates |
12 |
 Yemen |
12 |
 China |
4 |
 Iran |
4 |
 Pakistan |
4 |
 Russia |
4 |
 North Korea |
0 |
European countries make up over half of this top echelon and are especially concentrated in the Nordics, where Sweden (80) is the only exception. The Nordic countries are widely known for their liberal, tolerant governments and societies.
Perhaps more surprising is the high placement of countries like Suriname and Timor-Leste, developing nations in South America and Asia that have nonetheless imposed minimal restrictions on social media use and online access.
On the other side of the spectrum is North Korea (0), where very few citizens have access to the global internet. Instead, most rely on the national intranet service, Kwangmyong, which filters out outside information.
Right behind North Korea are China and Russia, which tie with Iran and Pakistan for the next-lowest scores worldwide (4).
China’s Great Firewall is perhaps the world’s best-known censorship system, used to suppress criticism of the country’s leaders or content related to politically sensitive topics such as the Tiananmen Square protests. It also blocks access to foreign platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
The United States (64) sits near the middle of the ranking, alongside developed democracies such as Australia, France, Germany, and Japan. The United Kingdom (52) scores slightly lower, with recent adult content legislation playing a role.
Across much of the Western world, scores remain relatively high, including in Canada (84), Ireland and Portugal (both 80), and Spain and Italy (both 72).
One notable outlier is South Korea (32), which ranks below countries like Cuba, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela (36), underscoring how content restrictions—not just political systems—shape internet freedom scores.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out A Day of Activity on the Internet on Voronoi.Use This Visualization
2026-04-20 23:34:00
Geopolitical tensions are putting pressure on global growth, but not all economies are affected equally. Which of the world’s largest economies are set to grow the fastest in 2026?
In this graphic, created in partnership with Terzo, we look at real GDP growth projections for the world’s 20 largest economies. It’s part of our Markets in a Minute series, which delivers quick economic insights.
In 2026, India is projected to see the highest GDP growth among economic powerhouses. The IMF raised its forecast due to India’s strong economy in 2025, as well as the reduction in U.S. tariffs on Indian goods.
| Country | 2026 Projected Real GDP Growth |
|---|---|
|
India |
6.5% |
|
Indonesia |
5.0% |
|
China |
4.4% |
|
Türkiye |
3.4% |
|
Poland |
3.3% |
|
Saudi Arabia |
3.1% |
|
U.S. |
2.3% |
|
Spain |
2.1% |
|
Australia |
2.0% |
|
Brazil |
1.9% |
|
South Korea |
1.9% |
|
Mexico |
1.6% |
|
Canada |
1.5% |
|
Netherlands |
1.2% |
|
Russia |
1.1% |
|
France |
0.9% |
|
UK |
0.8% |
|
Germany |
0.8% |
|
Japan |
0.7% |
|
Italy |
0.5% |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026. Real GDP growth is adjusted for inflation.
China takes the third spot among the world’s largest economies with forecasted growth of 4.4%. Its relatively strong prediction is the result of lower U.S. tariff rates on Chinese goods, as well as policy support from Chinese authorities to offset the negative effects of the Middle East conflict.
As a result of the conflict, Saudi Arabia saw the biggest drop in its growth forecast among the world’s largest economies. Experts expect that temporarily reduced oil exports will create a drag on GDP. However, Saudi Arabia is much better off than many of its neighbors due to the East-West pipeline that is able to redirect nearly half of the exports that normally flow through the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea instead.
The IMF predicts that the U.S. will have the highest GDP growth among large developed countries, on track for 2.3% in 2026. Boosts to growth come from government spending, interest rate cuts in 2025, and strong productivity. On the flip side, trade barriers and the Middle East war may create moderate drags on growth.
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2026-04-20 22:27:51
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Big Tech is pouring hundreds of billions into AI infrastructure as competition to scale models and cloud capacity intensifies.
This chart is part of Visual Capitalist’s AI Week, sponsored by Terzo. It shows quarterly capital expenditures for five hyperscalers—Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle—based on data from Epoch AI, using SEC filings from Q1 2022 to Q4 2025.
Spending accelerated sharply after mid-2023, reflecting a shift from experimentation to full-scale deployment of data centers, chips, and AI-ready cloud infrastructure.
Big Tech’s capex surge signals an all-out infrastructure arms race, where scale in compute, data centers, and chips is becoming the defining advantage in AI.
Across Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle, combined capex rose from $162.3 billion in 2022 to $448.3 billion in 2025.
The data below shows a quarterly capex proxy for selected hyperscalers between 2022 and 2025.
| Quarter | Microsoft (AI capex, $B) |
Amazon (AI capex, $B) |
Alphabet (AI capex, $B) |
Meta (AI capex, $B) |
Oracle (AI capex, $B) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Q1 | 6.1 | 15.1 | 9.8 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| 2022 Q2 | 8.0 | 15.8 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 1.4 |
| 2022 Q3 | 6.9 | 16.5 | 7.3 | 9.4 | 1.7 |
| 2022 Q4 | 6.9 | 16.9 | 7.6 | 9.4 | 2.4 |
| 2023 Q1 | 7.7 | 14.2 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 2.6 |
| 2023 Q2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 1.9 |
| 2023 Q3 | 11.6 | 12.7 | 8.1 | 6.5 | 1.3 |
| 2023 Q4 | 11.5 | 14.8 | 11.0 | 8.1 | 1.1 |
| 2024 Q1 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 12.0 | 6.5 | 1.7 |
| 2024 Q2 | 18.6 | 17.8 | 13.2 | 8.4 | 2.8 |
| 2024 Q3 | 19.3 | 22.8 | 13.1 | 8.8 | 2.3 |
| 2024 Q4 | 22.2 | 28.3 | 14.6 | 14.7 | 4.0 |
| 2025 Q1 | 20.0 | 25.1 | 17.7 | 13.7 | 5.9 |
| 2025 Q2 | 23.6 | 33.1 | 22.5 | 17.1 | 11.1 |
| 2025 Q3 | 28.5 | 36.1 | 24.3 | 19.3 | 9.6 |
| 2025 Q4 | 36.2 | 40.5 | 28.5 | 22.5 | 13.0 |
The inflection point came in mid-2023, when AI spending shifted from gradual growth to a steep acceleration, marking the transition from early adoption to full-scale infrastructure buildout. Epoch AI estimates that combined capex at these five companies has been growing at an average annual rate of 72% since Q2 2023.
By Q4 2025, the five companies were spending a combined $140.6 billion in a single quarter. This surge underscores a fundamental shift. AI infrastructure is no longer a future bet, but a present-day cost of competing that is reshaping how the world’s largest tech companies allocate capital.
The growth was uneven, with Microsoft (+$30B), Amazon (+$25B), and Alphabet (+$19B) posting the biggest increases in quarterly capex from Q1 2022 to Q4 2025.
Epoch’s measure is based on two components pulled from SEC filings: cash spending on property, plant, and equipment (PP&E) and new finance leases. It uses structured 10-Q and 10-K filing data instead of company-reported capex figures, since firms do not always define capital expenditures the same way on earnings calls.
That makes the comparison more consistent, but it also comes with limits. Epoch notes that not all of this spending is exclusively AI-related, and excluded operating leases may understate total investment in productive capacity.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing the Critical Minerals Powering the AI Boom on Voronoi.
2026-04-20 22:15:38
Artificial intelligence is moving from breakthrough to everyday infrastructure.
As models grow more powerful and adoption spreads, AI is becoming one of the most consequential forces shaping business, technology, and society.
AI Week is a special editorial series from Visual Capitalist, in partnership with Terzo, exploring how AI is reshaping the world around us.
Be the first to see daily content drops on our AI page:
Over the course of the week, we’ll break down the data behind:
Leading AI models and platforms
The business and infrastructure investments powering the space
How AI adoption is changing across markets and regions
The global trends shaping how people interact with AI
And the forces redefining the future of technology
Daily content drops: Each day, we’ll release new visuals unpacking a critical piece of the AI story.
One central page: All AI Week content lives in one place, so you can follow the story as it unfolds.
More to explore: The AI category page also connects you to more Visual Capitalist content on the trends transforming artificial intelligence.
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2026-04-20 19:47:16
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Rents across 100 U.S. cities range widely in 2026, from over $3,500 in the most expensive markets to around $1,200 in more affordable regions.
This map visualizes average monthly rent using Zillow’s Observed Rent Index (ZORI), via WalletHub. The data reflects smoothed, seasonally adjusted rents across all residential property types as of February 2026.
With the U.S. average at $1,843, renters in the most expensive cities are paying more than double the national benchmark.
California cities dominate the upper end of the rental market, accounting for six of the 10 most expensive locations.
| Rank | City | Average Rent (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $3,830 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $3,706 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $3,510 |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $3,361 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $3,222 |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $3,048 |
| 7 | Miami, FL | $2,964 |
| 8 | Chula Vista, CA | $2,904 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | $2,893 |
| 10 | Santa Ana, CA | $2,804 |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA | $2,742 |
| 12 | Anaheim, CA | $2,711 |
| 13 | Naples, FL | $2,677 |
| 14 | Honolulu, HI | $2,548 |
| 15 | Oakland, CA | $2,527 |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $2,406 |
| 17 | Riverside, CA | $2,346 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $2,292 |
| 19 | Long Beach, CA | $2,287 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $2,187 |
| 21 | Newark, NJ | $2,121 |
| 22 | Gilbert, AZ | $2,049 |
| 23 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $2,048 |
| 24 | Modesto, CA | $2,042 |
| 25 | Stockton, CA | $2,010 |
| 26 | Sacramento, CA | $2,006 |
| 27 | Tampa, FL | $1,968 |
| 28 | Silver Spring, MD | $1,954 |
| 29 | Virginia Beach, VA | $1,953 |
| 30 | Katy, TX | $1,896 |
| 31 | Atlanta, GA | $1,888 |
| 32 | Bakersfield, CA | $1,887 |
| 33 | Lawrenceville, GA | $1,881 |
| 34 | Orlando, FL | $1,857 |
| 35 | Chandler, AZ | $1,848 |
| 36 | Reno, NV | $1,830 |
| 37 | Denver, CO | $1,818 |
| 38 | Nashville, TN | $1,772 |
| 39 | Henderson, NV | $1,772 |
| 40 | Vancouver, WA | $1,769 |
| 41 | Marietta, GA | $1,742 |
| 42 | Philadelphia, PA | $1,734 |
| 43 | Plano, TX | $1,717 |
| 44 | Portland, OR | $1,710 |
| 45 | Baltimore, MD | $1,708 |
| 46 | Knoxville, TN | $1,708 |
| 47 | Charlotte, NC | $1,705 |
| 48 | Boise, ID | $1,703 |
| 49 | Las Vegas, NV | $1,695 |
| 50 | Fresno, CA | $1,693 |
| 51 | Aurora, CO | $1,689 |
| 52 | Spring, TX | $1,679 |
| 53 | Colorado Springs, CO | $1,667 |
| 54 | Durham, NC | $1,651 |
| 55 | Minneapolis, MN | $1,638 |
| 56 | New Orleans, LA | $1,625 |
| 57 | Dallas, TX | $1,591 |
| 58 | Jacksonville, FL | $1,576 |
| 59 | Richmond, VA | $1,574 |
| 60 | Raleigh, NC | $1,567 |
| 61 | Phoenix, AZ | $1,556 |
| 62 | Fort Worth, TX | $1,554 |
| 63 | Mesa, AZ | $1,554 |
| 64 | Houston, TX | $1,542 |
| 65 | Austin, TX | $1,531 |
| 66 | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,516 |
| 67 | Lexington, KY | $1,487 |
| 68 | Saint Paul, MN | $1,485 |
| 69 | Tallahassee, FL | $1,484 |
| 70 | Arlington, TX | $1,462 |
| 71 | Columbia, SC | $1,459 |
| 72 | Albuquerque, NM | $1,457 |
| 73 | Spokane, WA | $1,456 |
| 74 | Winston-Salem, NC | $1,445 |
| 75 | El Paso, TX | $1,441 |
| 76 | Rochester, NY | $1,434 |
| 77 | Corpus Christi, TX | $1,433 |
| 78 | Cincinnati, OH | $1,425 |
| 79 | Kansas City, MO | $1,418 |
| 80 | Columbus, OH | $1,415 |
| 81 | Omaha, NE | $1,403 |
| 82 | Tucson, AZ | $1,399 |
| 83 | Milwaukee, WI | $1,398 |
| 84 | Lubbock, TX | $1,388 |
| 85 | Greensboro, NC | $1,382 |
| 86 | Buffalo, NY | $1,381 |
| 87 | San Antonio, TX | $1,361 |
| 88 | Indianapolis, IN | $1,356 |
| 89 | Louisville, KY | $1,352 |
| 90 | Cleveland, OH | $1,344 |
| 91 | Saint Louis, MO | $1,326 |
| 92 | Detroit, MI | $1,318 |
| 93 | Baton Rouge, LA | $1,312 |
| 94 | Lincoln, NE | $1,293 |
| 95 | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,255 |
| 96 | Memphis, TN | $1,234 |
| 97 | Tulsa, OK | $1,207 |
| 98 | Fort Wayne, IN | $1,160 |
| 99 | Wichita, KS | $1,125 |
| 100 | Toledo, OH | $1,060 |
| -- |
U.S. Average (100 Cities) |
$1,843 |
At $3,830 per month, San Francisco renters pay more than twice the national average, putting it at the top of the ranking alongside New York and Boston, where rents also exceed $3,500.
Other California cities like Irvine, San Jose, and San Diego also rank near the top. High demand, limited housing supply, and strong local economies continue to drive elevated prices across the state.
Beyond California, other coastal cities also command high rents. New York City and Jersey City remain among the most expensive, reflecting their proximity to major job centers.
Miami has also emerged as one of the priciest markets in the Southeast, fueled by population growth and migration trends.
In contrast, the most affordable rental markets are largely located in the Midwest and South.
In cities like Toledo, Wichita, and Tulsa, average rents remain near or below $1,200, roughly one-third the cost of renting in San Francisco. This gap highlights how location alone can dramatically change a renter’s cost of living, even within the same country.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out It Takes 25 Years to Save for a Home in California on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
2026-04-20 12:32:47
Europe’s push to build a digitally skilled population is losing momentum. At the current pace, the region is unlikely to meet its 2030 target.
The chart above, created by The European Correspondent using European Commission DESI data, shows how basic digital skills have changed across EU countries from 2022 to 2025, along with projected progress to 2030. While some countries are making rapid progress, others are slipping, with 10 EU nations reporting outright declines, leaving the EU on track to fall well short of the 80% goal.
This uneven progress points to a growing divide across the bloc. As digital skills become essential for jobs and public services, parts of Europe may fall further behind.
At the current pace, the EU would need to increase digital skills adoption nearly nine times faster to meet its 80% target by 2030, highlighting how far off track the region is despite recent gains.
| Country | % with basic digital skills (2022) | % with basic digital skills (2025) | Change (2022–2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 49.1 | 58.9 | 9.80 |
| Czechia | 59.7 | 69.1 | 9.42 |
| Estonia | 56.4 | 62.6 | 6.24 |
| Belgium | 54.2 | 59.4 | 5.16 |
| Bulgaria | 31.2 | 35.5 | 4.34 |
| Lithuania | 48.8 | 52.9 | 4.07 |
| Netherlands | 78.9 | 82.7 | 3.76 |
| Germany | 48.9 | 52.2 | 3.30 |
| Finland | 79.2 | 82.0 | 2.81 |
| Ireland | 70.5 | 72.9 | 2.42 |
| Spain | 64.2 | 66.2 | 2.02 |
| Malta | 61.2 | 63.0 | 1.79 |
| EU average | 53.9 | 55.6 | 1.64 |
| Poland | 42.9 | 44.3 | 1.37 |
| Austria | 63.3 | 64.7 | 1.35 |
| Denmark | 68.7 | 69.6 | 0.97 |
| Portugal | 55.3 | 56.0 | 0.66 |
| Italy | 45.6 | 45.8 | 0.15 |
| Greece | 52.5 | 52.4 | -0.08 |
| Romania | 27.8 | 27.7 | -0.09 |
| Sweden | 66.6 | 66.4 | -0.16 |
| Cyprus | 50.2 | 49.5 | -0.75 |
| France | 62.0 | 59.7 | -2.29 |
| Slovenia | 49.7 | 46.7 | -2.97 |
| Luxembourg | 63.8 | 60.1 | -3.65 |
| Slovakia | 55.2 | 51.3 | -3.87 |
| Croatia | 63.4 | 59.0 | -4.42 |
| Latvia | 50.8 | 45.3 | -5.46 |
At the top of the rankings, the Netherlands and Finland lead with around 80% or more of adults possessing basic digital skills, followed closely by Ireland and Denmark. At the other end, Romania and Bulgaria remain the lowest, with fewer than half of citizens meeting the baseline threshold.
“Basic digital skills” refers to the ability to perform tasks across four domains—information, communication, problem-solving, and software use, based on the EU’s DESI framework.A notable warning sign: 10 EU countries are moving in reverse. Latvia, Croatia, Slovakia, and others reported lower shares of adults with basic digital skills in 2025 than in 2022, an unexpected shift from what was once steady progress.
On the other side of the ledger, Hungary led the bloc with a 9.8 percentage-point gain, followed closely by Czechia at 9.42 points. Estonia and Belgium also posted notable improvements. That mix of momentum and backsliding makes the regional picture look less like a steady climb and more like a very uneven Wi-Fi signal.
The EU’s 80% target is part of its broader Digital Decade program, designed to ensure citizens can work, learn, and access services in an increasingly digital economy. The European Commission says just 55.6% of the EU population currently has at least basic digital skills, while policymakers have warned that nearly half of EU adults still lack them even as 90% of jobs require some level of digital ability.
The stakes are economic. With roughly 90% of jobs now requiring some level of digital skills, countries that fall behind risk slower growth, weaker job markets, and reduced access to essential digital services.
