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2026-03-11 00:50:13

Charted: Where the World’s Oil Comes From, by Region

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The world produced roughly 106 million barrels of oil per day in 2025, according to estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Just two regions dominate global supply. North America and the Middle East together produce nearly 60% of the world’s oil, underscoring their outsized influence on energy markets.

This graphic breaks down global oil production by region in 2025, based on EIA data.

North America Leads Global Oil Production

The table below breaks down global oil production by region, including crude oil and other liquid fuels.

North America is the world’s largest oil-producing region, accounting for 29.9% of global output in 2025, averaging 31.8 million barrels per day.

Much of this supply is driven by the U.S., where oil production reached record highs in 2025. Output has more than doubled over the past two decades, largely due to the expansion of shale drilling. Canada also hit record levels, producing 5.0 million barrels per day in December 2025.

The Middle East’s Massive Oil Output

The Middle East is the second-largest oil-producing region, generating 31 million barrels per day in 2025.

Saudi Arabia remains the region’s largest producer at 9.6 million barrels per day. However, the country saw its active oil rig count fall to a 20-year low in 2025, as energy investment increasingly shifts toward natural gas production. By 2030, natural gas production is set to expand 60%.

Iran produced 3.1 million barrels per day in 2025, still below its peak of 4.0 million in 2007.

Even so, the Middle East remains a dominant force in global oil markets. In 2025, it produced more crude oil than Africa, Europe, Central and South America, and Asia-Pacific combined.

Global Oil Trade and Strategic Stockpiles

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, handling roughly 20% of global petroleum trade.

While only 7% of U.S. crude exports pass through the corridor, Asian economies depend heavily on these shipments, accounting for nearly 90% of flows through the strait. To protect against supply disruptions, many countries maintain strategic petroleum reserves.

Members of the International Energy Agency, including European importers, Japan, and South Korea, must hold reserves equal to at least 90 days of net imports. Meanwhile, China has built some of the world’s largest stockpiles.

In short, the global oil market depends on a small number of regions—and a few critical trade routes—while strategic stockpiles help guard against supply shocks.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on all the world’s oil reserves by country.

2026-03-10 20:08:40

The Best Places to Work in America, According to Employees

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What makes a company one of the best places to work in America?

Each year, Forbes surveys hundreds of thousands of employees across the U.S. to evaluate workplace satisfaction, compensation, culture, and career opportunities.

The results reveal a mix of household-name corporations and mission-driven institutions. In the 2026 ranking, companies like Trader Joe’s, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia appear among the top large employers, while Toll Brothers and Patagonia lead the midsize category.

This graphic shows the top-ranked large and midsize employers in the U.S., based on the latest data from Forbes.

Ranked: The Top 20 Large Employers in 2026

Here are America’s best employers across companies with 5,000 or more employees:

With a score of 100, grocery chain Trader Joe’s ranks first nationally, a company known for its high employee satisfaction.

Not only does it offer the potential for wage increases, averaging 7% annually, it also provides health and retirement plans. Along with prioritizing employee development and advancement opportunities, the chain refuses to use self-checkout systems in its stores.

Following next in line are St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Google, and Microsoft.

Nvidia, ranked seventh, fell from fourth place in 2025. According to Glassdoor reviews, 90% of employees would recommend the company to a friend, with the highest scores in corporate values and culture. Among the lowest ratings were in work-life balance.

Overall, technology companies accounted for seven of the top 20 large employers, followed by five in healthcare.

America’s Top 20 Midsize Employers

For employers with 1,000 to 5,000 employees, Pennsylvania-based homebuilder Toll Brothers ranked first.

As a Fortune 500 company operating in over 60 markets, Toll Brothers employees report that they are given a significant amount of responsibility, while also reporting that management is ethical and honest.

Patagonia ranks second and is known for its low turnover and emphasis on work-life balance. In addition to offering warehouse employees 15 different schedule options, it also offers on-site childcare and tuition reimbursement.

Financial firms United Community and Medical Mutual of Ohio follow in the rankings, meanwhile, music-streaming platform Spotify Technologies ranks eighth.

As we can see, the best large employers are dominated by the tech and health sectors, yet the top midsize companies represent a more diverse mix of industries—ranging from industrials and consumer goods to financials and education.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on revenue per employee in the world’s top 20 companies by sales.

2026-03-10 01:38:34

Ranked: The Brands That Lost the Most Value Last Year

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This visualization ranks the brands that saw the largest year-over-year declines in brand value among the world’s top 100 brands. From automakers to banks and luxury houses, the list highlights which global giants lost billions in brand value over the past year.

The data for this visualization comes from the 2026 Global 500 report from Brand Finance. The firm evaluates brand value using a combination of marketing investment, brand strength, and financial performance.

Tesla Sees the Largest Brand Value Drop

Tesla recorded the biggest drop in brand value in the 2026 rankings, dropping roughly $15 billion. The automaker’s brand value fell from about $43 billion in 2025 to roughly $28 billion in 2026.

Ongoing controversies and trust concerns contributed to the decline. Brand perception plays a major role in valuation, and even market leaders can see sharp swings if consumer sentiment shifts.

Automakers Dominate the Declines

Three automotive brands appear in the top five of the rankings: Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche. Together, they account for more than $27 billion in combined brand value losses.

The industry is navigating a complex transition toward electric vehicles, while also facing economic uncertainty and supply chain pressures. Luxury automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche continue to maintain strong global reputations, but the data shows that even premium brands are not immune to valuation swings.

Banks and Consumer Brands Also Feel Pressure

Outside of autos, several other sectors also experienced notable brand declines. Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) lost about $7 billion in brand value, the second-largest drop on the list.

China’s decision to cut mortgage rates to support the economy weighed on bank profitability. Because ABC has a large retail and rural loan business, the policy shift had a significant impact on its financial outlook and brand valuation.

Meanwhile, consumer-facing brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and CVS also saw multi-billion dollar declines.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Charted: Why U.S. Employers Are Cutting Jobs in 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-03-09 22:26:45

Which U.S. States Gained the Most Residents in 2025

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.

Nearly 15 million Americans moved in 2025, with many relocating across state lines in search of lower costs, job opportunities, and warmer climates.

This map shows net migration per 10,000 residents across all 50 states in 2025, revealing where population inflows were strongest and which states saw the biggest outflows. The data comes from HireAHelper.

Southern and Mountain West states dominated the rankings for inbound migration, while several high-cost coastal states continued to lose residents.

The data reflects large-scale shifts happening in the country’s population distribution, both from the Eastern half to the Western half, as well as shifts away from more expensive states to cheaper, often inland ones.

The Mountain West Over the West Coast

In 2025, the Western half of the U.S. saw a continuation of post-COVID trends as people left behind coastal states like Washington (-10.7) and Oregon (-9.0) in favor of more inland Mountain West states like Wyoming (+26.0), Utah (+7.3), and especially Idaho (+63.2).

The data table below highlights the net migration loss/gain per 10,000 inhabitants in 2025:

The more populous coastal states, which have long been hubs for key economic sectors like tech and aviation, have seen a number of moves in recent years owing to jobs either relocating or shifting to remote work.

Nowhere on the West Coast saw a bigger drop than California, which saw a net migration loss of -25.1, as nearly 100,000 residents left behind the increasingly unaffordable state in favor of cheaper neighboring states like Nevada, which lacks a state income tax.

The Cost of Living Factor

California is not alone in losing people over affordability issues. If net migration trends are any indication, other high cost of living states such as New York (-28.2) and Connecticut (-37.9) also increasingly shed residents.

A majority of the Northeast fared similarly, with all states but Delaware, Maine, and New Hampshire seeing more people leave than arrive in 2025.

And in the immediate region surrounding the nation’s capital, the states of Maryland (-27.4) and Virginia (-13.7) also saw negative net migration, likely reflecting in part the large reduction in the federal workforce seen over the course of the year.

The Rise of the Sunbelt

If one region is seeing across-the-board growth, it’s the South, led by states like South Carolina (+79.7), Tennessee (+43.6), and Alabama (+36.6).

Long one of the more economically depressed regions of the country, a combination of lower costs of living and nicer weather has led to rapid growth for southern “Sun Belt” states such as Arkansas and Oklahoma, to say nothing of massive favorites like Texas and the Sunshine State of Florida.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Decline of Housing Affordability in the U.S. on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-03-09 20:06:56

Ranked: The Top Buyers of U.S. Oil in 2025

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.

The Netherlands became the world’s largest buyer of U.S. oil in 2025, importing more American crude than much larger economies such as China, India, and Japan.

Nearly 4 billion barrels of U.S. oil were shipped abroad last year, underscoring the country’s growing role as a global energy exporter.

Much of the Netherlands’ imported crude passes through the Port of Rotterdam, one of the world’s largest energy hubs, where oil is refined or redistributed across Europe.

Using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration via USAFacts, this graphic ranks the largest buyers of U.S. oil in 2025.

The World’s Biggest Buyers of U.S. Oil

Below, we show the largest importers of U.S. crude oil and petroleum products:

Rank	Country	Region	Total Imports (Millions of Barrels 2025)	Share of Total
1	Netherlands	Europe	419	10.7%
2	Mexico	North America	398	10.2%
3	Canada	North America	324	8.3%
4	South Korea	Asia-Pacific	257	6.6%
5	Japan	Asia-Pacific	247	6.3%
6	China	Asia-Pacific	238	6.1%
7	India	Asia-Pacific	221	5.7%
8	Brazil	Central & South America	133	3.4%
9	United Kingdom	Europe	124	3.2%
10	Spain	Europe	95	2.4%
11	Taiwan	Asia-Pacific	82	2.1%
12	France	Europe	71	1.8%
13	Chile	Central & South America	69	1.8%
14	Singapore	Asia-Pacific	65	1.7%
15	Ecuador	Central & South America	63	1.6%
16	Peru	Central & South America	63	1.6%
17	Thailand	Asia-Pacific	60	1.5%
18	Indonesia	Asia-Pacific	57	1.5%
19	Panama	Central & South America	48	1.2%
20	Italy	Europe	48	1.2%
21	Nigeria	Africa	48	1.2%
22	Colombia	Central & South America	46	1.2%
23	Guatemala	Central & South America	45	1.2%
24	Dominican Republic	Central & South America	43	1.1%
25	Sweden	Europe	43	1.1%
26	Germany	Europe	42	1.1%
27	Belgium	Europe	41	1.0%
28	Morocco	Africa	38	1.0%
29	Honduras	Central & South America	30	0.8%
30	Norway	Europe	30	0.8%

The Netherlands led global imports with 419 million barrels, after purchases surged by roughly 31 million barrels in 2025.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, U.S. crude has played a growing role in replacing Russian energy across Europe. A large share flows through the Port of Rotterdam, where roughly 1.1 million barrels of oil pass through each day.

Canada ranked third, importing 324 million barrels, a modest increase from the previous year. Despite its vast oil reserves, Canada lacks sufficient refining capacity and east-west pipeline infrastructure, leading it to rely heavily on crude imports from the United States.

Meanwhile, China’s imports of U.S. oil fell by 81 million barrels in 2025, pushing the country down to the sixth-largest buyer, from third place a year earlier. Amid escalating trade tensions, China increasingly turned to discounted sanctioned crude from Iran, Venezuela, and Russia.

India, meanwhile, increased U.S. crude shipments in 2025. Overall, U.S. crude exports jumped by 57 million barrels, rising 35% over the year.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s biggest oil producers.

2026-03-09 04:21:16

Timeline: A Century of White House Renovation Costs

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.

The White House is both a family residence and the operational nerve center of the U.S. executive branch. Over the past century, it has undergone dozens of renovations, some cosmetic, others structural, and a few extraordinarily expensive.

The visualization above, created by USAFacts using a wide variety of government records, tracks major renovation projects since 1920. All figures are adjusted to FY2025 dollars, offering a clearer comparison of how costs have evolved over time.

For most of the last 100 years, upgrades to America’s most famous address have remained relatively modest. But a small number of projects—particularly in 2008 and again in 2025—stand dramatically apart from the rest of the timeline.

Early Structural and Functional Additions

In the early 20th century, renovations focused on expansion and functionality. The 1930 West Wing reconstruction ($3.8 million) and the 1942 East Wing addition helped modernize operations as the executive branch grew.

Other updates were smaller but culturally notable. Franklin D. Roosevelt added an indoor swimming pool in 1933 (about $561,000 in today’s dollars), while Harry Truman approved the Truman Balcony in 1948 for roughly $202,000.

By 1949, however, structural deterioration forced a far more serious intervention. The residence renovation that year cost $72 million (in 2025 dollars), effectively gutting and rebuilding much of the interior to prevent collapse, serving as a reminder that even historic landmarks require periodic overhauls.

Cold War to Late 20th Century: Media and Modernization

As the presidency evolved, so did the building. The 1969 Press Room addition reflected the growing role of television media, while a bowling alley was installed in 1973 for about $299,000.

Through the late 20th century, most projects remained relatively contained in scope and cost. Compared to today’s federal budget, now in the trillions annually, these upgrades were fiscal footnotes.

21st Century: Security and Scale

The 2000s marked a turning point. In 2004 and 2006, East and West Wing upgrades and Situation Room improvements ranged from $5-6 million.

Then came the 2008 East & West Wings renovation, totaling $561 million, which was the largest confirmed project in the past century. The scale reflected heightened security requirements, aging infrastructure, and expanded operational needs in the post-9/11 era.

Most recently, a proposed 2025 ballroom addition is estimated at $200–400 million. If completed at the upper end, it would rank among the most expensive White House projects ever recorded.

Over a century, the data suggests a clear pattern: while the White House regularly evolves with the presidency, only rare moments, such as structural crises or sweeping modernization efforts, produce nine-figure price tags.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

For more historical comparisons on federal outlays, check out Comparing U.S. Government Spending (1980 vs Today) on Voronoi, and explore how priorities and price tags have shifted over time.