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Which Economies Have the Largest Ecological Footprints?

2026-02-11 01:10:12

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47 minutes ago

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The following content is sponsored by Hinrich Foundation
Treemap showing the ecological footprint of 30 economies from the Hinrich Foundation's Sustainable Trade Index 2025.

Which Economies Have the Largest Ecological Footprints?

How much biologically productive land and water are required to support a population’s resource use and absorb its waste—and how does this footprint vary around the world?

In collaboration with the Hinrich Foundation, this visualization draws on data from the Global Footprint Network to compare ecological footprints across countries, highlighting the varying environmental pressures of consumption.

The analysis comes from the 2025 Sustainable Trade Index (STI), which the Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center.

What Is an Ecological Footprint?

The ecological footprint is a metric that quantifies human demand on nature. It calculates the biologically productive land and water area required to supply the renewable resources a given population consumes (such as food, timber, and energy). It also factors in the land needed to assimilate the waste it produces, particularly carbon dioxide.

The metric provides insight into whether a country’s consumption levels are environmentally sustainable. The higher the ecological footprint a country has, the less sustainable its consumption is given its available resources.

Which Countries’ Consumption Leave the Highest Footprints?

It’s no surprise that developed countries typically have larger ecological footprints than emerging markets. With higher levels of consumption—whether energy, goods, or resources—these nations also generate more waste on a per-person basis.

The country with the highest footprint (which translates into a lower ranking) is Singapore, at 10.1 global hectares per person. It’s followed by Canada (8.1), the U.S. (7.5), Australia (7.3), and Russia (6.2).

From Smallest to Largest Ecological Footprints
Rank Country Ecological Footprint (global hectares)
1 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 0.68
2 🇵🇰 Pakistan 0.73
3 🇲🇲 Myanmar 1.11
4 🇮🇳 India 1.11
5 🇱🇦 Laos 1.12
6 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 1.17
7 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 1.20
8 🇵🇭 Philippines 1.40
9 🇰🇭 Cambodia 1.64
10 🇪🇨 Ecuador 1.71
11 🇮🇩 Indonesia 1.86
12 🇵🇪 Peru 2.41
13 🇹🇭 Thailand 2.46
14 🇲🇽 Mexico 2.55
15 🇻🇳 Vietnam 2.70
16 🇨🇳 China 3.68
17 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 3.81
18 🇯🇵 Japan 4.04
19 🇲🇾 Malaysia 4.23
20 🇨🇱 Chile 4.27
21 🇳🇿 New Zealand 5.43
22 🇰🇷 South Korea 5.47
23 🇷🇺 Russia 6.21
24 🇦🇺 Australia 7.28
25 🇺🇸 United States 7.48
26 🇨🇦 Canada 8.11
27 🇸🇬 Singapore 10.07

Among developed markets, the UK ranks most favorably at #17, with an ecological footprint of 3.8 global hectares per person.

Which Countries’ Consumption the Lowest Footprints?

In contrast, emerging economies typically have less resource-intensive lifestyles. As a result, Bangladesh ranks #1 at 0.7 global hectares per person. Pakistan (0.7) and Myanmar (1.1) round out the top three.

Explore the Sustainable Trade Index

This infographic was just a small subset of what the Sustainable Trade Index has to offer. To learn more, visit the Hinrich Foundation, where you can download additional resources including the entire report for free.

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Mapped: Where Incomes Are Rising Fastest by State

2026-02-10 23:41:40

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app.

Map showing the change in median income by state between 2019 and 2024.

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Mapped: Where Incomes Are Rising Fastest, by 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.

Key Takeaways

  • Colorado led the nation, with median household income up 46.9% from 2019 to 2024
  • Household incomes rose 21.9% nationally over the same period (not adjusted for inflation)

Since 2019, U.S. household incomes have surged—rising from $68,700 to $83,730 nationally, a 21.9% increase in just five years.

But where you live matters a lot. While some states tracked close to the national average, others saw incomes climb at nearly double the pace, driven by booming local industries and major investment.

States like Colorado posted outsized gains, while Georgia’s expanding EV industry brought billions in investment and rising paychecks.

The map shows which states saw the fastest growth in median household income from 2019 to 2024, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Trends in Median Income by State

Below, we show the change in median household income for all 50 U.S. states and D.C. between 2019 and 2024 using nominal figures (not adjusted for inflation):

Rank State Change in Median Household Income
2019-2024		 Median Household Income 2019 Median Household Income 2024
1 Colorado 46.9% $72,500 $106,500
2 Georgia 43.4% $56,630 $81,210
3 Maine 36.3% $66,550 $90,730
4 Montana 36.1% $60,190 $81,920
5 Tennessee 34.0% $56,630 $75,860
6 Rhode Island 31.6% $70,150 $92,290
7 Massachusetts 29.9% $87,710 $113,900
8 Florida 29.6% $58,370 $75,630
9 Iowa 29.4% $66,050 $85,480
10 Missouri 29.4% $60,600 $78,390
11 California 28.8% $78,100 $100,600
12 New Hampshire 28.7% $86,900 $111,800
13 North Dakota 25.8% $70,030 $88,080
14 Mississippi 25.0% $44,790 $55,980
15 Ohio 24.5% $64,660 $80,520
16 South Dakota 24.3% $64,260 $79,850
17 Michigan 23.9% $64,120 $79,460
18 South Carolina 23.8% $62,030 $76,780
19 Idaho 23.7% $65,990 $81,650
20 Utah 23.0% $84,520 $104,000
21 Wisconsin 22.6% $67,350 $82,560
22 New York 20.8% $71,850 $86,830
23 Texas 20.8% $67,440 $81,490
24 Wyoming 20.8% $65,130 $78,680
25 New Mexico 20.8% $53,110 $64,140
26 Oregon 20.5% $74,410 $89,700
27 Virginia 20.2% $81,310 $97,720
28 Kansas 19.9% $73,150 $87,690
29 Arizona 19.9% $70,670 $84,700
30 Arkansas 18.9% $54,540 $64,840
31 Washington 18.3% $82,450 $97,500
32 New Jersey 18.0% $87,730 $103,500
33 Nebraska 17.9% $73,070 $86,140
34 West Virginia 17.6% $53,710 $63,150
35 Louisiana 17.5% $51,710 $60,740
36 Alabama 16.7% $56,200 $65,560
37 Alaska 16.4% $78,390 $91,260
38 Kentucky 16.4% $55,660 $64,790
39 Delaware 15.7% $74,190 $85,860
40 Indiana 15.0% $66,690 $76,710
41 Maryland 14.8% $95,570 $109,700
42 Vermont 14.7% $74,310 $85,260
43 Connecticut 13.7% $87,290 $99,240
44 Nevada 13.7% $70,910 $80,590
45 Pennsylvania 13.4% $70,580 $80,060
46 Minnesota 13.4% $81,430 $92,350
47 Illinois 13.2% $74,400 $84,210
48 District of Columbia 12.6% $93,110 $104,800
49 Hawaii 11.6% $88,010 $98,240
50 Oklahoma 9.9% $59,400 $65,310
51 North Carolina 9.9% $61,160 $67,220

Colorado’s thriving tech industry helped push median income up 46.9%, the fastest rise across states.

With $165,606 in average earnings across the sector in 2023, Colorado ranked sixth-highest nationally. From software to renewable energy, employment growth has expanded by double- or even triple-digit percentages across various roles since 2018.

Georgia ranks in a close second, with median incomes climbing 43.4%. In particular, the EV and aerospace sectors are playing a key role in job creation. Since 2018, the state has seen $27.3 billion in investment across EV, aerospace, and battery manufacturers including Rivian and SK Battery America.

Maine, meanwhile, saw wages rise 36.3%. In 2024, wages across the tech sector saw the steepest jump of 11.4% while those in the construction sector saw strong gains of 8.5%. Other factors, such as its older population and tight labor market, have further boosted wages.

Falling near the middle of the pack were New York and Texas, each with wage gains of 20.8% between 2019 and 2024.

By contrast, North Carolina and Oklahoma saw only 9.9% cumulative wage growth, the weakest performance nationwide. Median household income in both states remains well below the U.S. average and still trails pre-pandemic levels.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on average hourly earnings by state in 2025.

Ranked: The World’s 50 Largest Cities, From 1975 to 2050

2026-02-10 21:06:15

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View the high-resolution version of this infographic.

This infographic shows how the world's 50 largest cities by population have shifted between 1975, 2000, and 2025, with projections for 2050.

Use This Visualization

Ranked: The World’s 50 Largest Cities, From 1975 to 2050

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.

Key Takeaways

  • Since 1975, the world’s largest cities have shifted decisively from developed economies to Asia and Africa.
  • By 2050, Asia and Africa are projected to account for 37 of the world’s 50 largest cities, reshaping the global urban hierarchy.
  • Several cities that once dominated the rankings are projected to see slow growth—or fall sharply in rank—by mid-century.

In 1975, the world’s largest cities were dominated by Japan, Europe, and North America. By 2025, that balance had already shifted toward Asia. Looking ahead to 2050, Africa is projected to emerge as a major force in the global urban hierarchy.

Urbanization has been the driving force behind this transformation—and it’s far from finished.

This visualization tracks how the world’s 50 largest cities have risen, stagnated, or fallen in rank across four points in time—1975, 2000, 2025, and 2050—using data from the UN World Urbanization Prospects 2025.

How the World’s Largest Cities Have Risen and Fallen

In 1975, Tokyo and Osaka were the world’s two largest cities, followed by New York, Jakarta, and Mexico City.

By 2000, Asian megacities like Shanghai, Beijing, and New Delhi climbed the rankings as population growth accelerated across Asia. Fast forward to 2025, and the shift has become more pronounced, with many of the world’s largest cities now located in South and East Asia. As urbanization continues, this shift is projected to continue through 2050.

The table below shows the world’s 50 largest cities in 2050, along with their population sizes in 1975, 2000, and 2025:

2050 Population Rank City Country 1975 Population 2000 Population 2025 Population 2050 Population
1 Dhaka 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 5,037,174 17,434,596 36,585,479 52,123,000
2 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia 11,696,369 25,591,966 41,913,860 51,784,000
3 Shanghai 🇨🇳 China 4,542,787 14,034,558 29,558,908 34,912,000
4 New Delhi 🇮🇳 India 6,091,891 17,969,092 30,222,405 33,891,000
5 Karachi 🇵🇰 Pakistan 4,626,701 10,799,503 21,422,590 32,593,000
6 Cairo 🇪🇬 Egypt 7,440,914 15,676,619 25,566,102 32,366,000
7 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan 24,281,618 30,302,560 33,412,512 30,658,000
8 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China 1,644,240 18,970,258 27,563,372 29,243,000
9 Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines 8,329,012 17,799,064 24,735,305 27,120,000
10 Kolkata 🇮🇳 India 10,527,605 18,355,286 22,549,738 23,768,000
11 Mumbai 🇮🇳 India 8,338,773 15,952,862 20,203,056 23,059,000
12 Seoul 🇰🇷 Republic of Korea 10,079,046 18,962,544 22,490,482 21,225,000
13 Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand 3,650,772 8,377,066 18,180,280 20,462,000
14 Lahore 🇵🇰 Pakistan 4,402,766 7,978,805 15,156,430 20,388,000
15 Luanda 🇦🇴 Angola 306,000 714,643 11,370,127 20,286,000
16 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil 10,536,121 16,702,008 18,949,790 18,217,000
17 Beijing 🇨🇳 China 5,154,971 9,635,380 17,013,303 18,004,000
18 Mexico City 🇲🇽 Mexico 11,119,402 17,598,162 17,734,212 17,679,000
19 Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳 Vietnam 2,384,034 6,006,090 14,052,713 17,201,000
20 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Türkiye 5,305,193 10,633,602 15,014,763 16,303,000
21 Lagos 🇳🇬 Nigeria 2,612,450 7,908,961 12,791,699 16,180,000
22 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russian Federation 8,520,842 11,194,627 14,524,753 15,522,000
23 Shenzhen 🇨🇳 China 487,944 8,180,960 13,878,396 14,661,000
24 Bengaluru 🇮🇳 India 2,369,541 6,051,928 13,187,098 14,258,000
25 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina 8,560,900 11,711,634 14,017,736 14,236,000
26 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States 7,717,837 11,195,626 12,740,420 13,862,000
27 Hajipur 🇮🇳 India 745,962 3,363,805 9,941,510 13,695,000
28 New York City 🇺🇸 United States 12,076,416 13,044,483 13,920,148 13,225,000
29 Kinshasa 🇨🇩 DR Congo 1,035,622 5,328,174 10,943,641 13,211,000
30 Dar es Salaam 🇹🇿 Tanzania 299,151 2,071,645 7,795,114 13,160,000
31 Bogotá 🇨🇴 Colombia 3,389,750 6,340,840 10,624,315 12,478,000
32 Lima 🇵🇪 Peru 3,519,785 6,991,685 10,580,241 12,358,000
33 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 7,369,842 7,654,553 10,416,420 11,869,000
34 Chennai 🇮🇳 India 4,484,115 7,612,508 11,153,205 11,757,000
35 Addis Ababa 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 868,901 2,791,724 6,705,705 10,783,000
36 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia 170,777 4,143,915 8,443,731 10,627,000
37 Osaka 🇯🇵 Japan 14,448,054 14,487,830 12,964,145 10,449,000
38 Abidjan 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire 1,024,745 3,441,806 6,621,711 9,775,000
39 Bandung 🇮🇩 Indonesia 3,475,759 6,333,411 8,909,104 9,747,000
40 Hangzhou 🇨🇳 China 1,113,616 4,964,897 7,500,208 9,625,000
41 Hyderabad 🇮🇳 India 2,810,479 6,340,661 9,190,795 9,546,000
42 Tehran 🇮🇷 Iran 4,265,101 6,999,195 9,174,964 9,499,000
43 Khartoum 🇸🇩 Sudan 870,553 4,135,102 6,809,355 9,444,000
44 Paris 🇫🇷 France 7,423,859 8,385,156 9,381,921 9,326,000
45 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil 5,880,669 8,416,754 9,500,336 9,300,000
46 Riyadh 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 126,000 2,557,269 6,916,417 9,153,000
47 Alexandria 🇪🇬 Egypt 2,647,675 4,477,718 7,266,957 9,023,000
48 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa 1,180,560 2,767,803 7,077,175 8,916,000
49 Onitsha 🇳🇬 Nigeria 756,883 2,353,086 5,627,706 8,681,000
50 Yaoundé 🇨🇲 Cameroon 455,219 1,578,631 5,106,087 8,661,000

Looking ahead to 2050, Dhaka is projected to be the world’s most populous city with over 52 million residents, followed closely by Jakarta. Asian cities are projected to remain population hubs, with Shanghai, New Delhi, and Karachi rounding out the top five, and the Asian continent accounting for 24 of the 50 largest cities.

Meanwhile, Africa emerges as the fastest-growing urban region in the world, accounting for 13 of the 50 largest cities. Cities such as Lagos, Kinshasa, Cairo, and Dar es Salaam are projected to see explosive population growth over the coming decades, driven by high fertility rates and urbanization.

Overall, the number of megacities, those with over 10 million inhabitants, is projected to increase to 37, up from 33 megacities in 2025.

Slower Growth in Developed Economies

While cities in emerging markets surge, many historically large cities in Europe, Japan, and North America are projected to grow relatively slowly, or even plateau.

For example, Osaka’s population is projected to decline by 2.5 million, or 20%, and New York’s by 5%. Other large metros including Tokyo, Paris, and Seoul, are expected to hit similar population plateaus.

However, despite slow growth, these cities are likely to remain global economic powerhouses, supported by long histories of commercial and economic activity.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed this infographic, explore more insights on Voronoi, including The Countries Set to Double Their Population the Fastest.

Mapped: Countries With the Most Top Hospital Brands

2026-02-10 01:12:00

Published

1 day ago

on

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

A map showing countries by the number of hospitals that appear in Brand Finance's top 100.

Mapped: Countries with the Most Top Hospital Brands

Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. dominates globally, with 25 hospital brands in the top 100.
  • The UK leads Europe, placing eight hospital brands in the top 100.
  • Australia over-indexes for its size, with five hospital brands in the top 100.

Hospital brand strength increasingly shapes patient choice, clinician recruitment, and institutional prestige. As a result, only a handful of countries are home to a large share of the world’s strongest hospital brands.

This map shows how many hospital brands each country has in the global top 100, based on Brand Finance’s Global Top 250 Hospitals 2026 report.

The U.S. Sets the Global Benchmark for Hospital Brands

Brand Finance scores more than 500 academic medical centers using a Brand Strength Index of 30+ metrics, drawing on surveys of 2,500 healthcare professionals.

Below is a table showing how many hospital brands each country has in the global top 100.

Country Hospitals
🇺🇸 United States 25
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 8
🇦🇺 Australia 5
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 4
🇯🇵 Japan 4
🇩🇪 Germany 4
🇨🇦 Canada 4
🇧🇩 Bangladesh 3
🇸🇬 Singapore 3
🇧🇷 Brazil 3
🇪🇸 Spain 3
🇶🇦 Qatar 3
🇫🇷 France 3
🇮🇳 India 3
🇨🇴 Colombia 3
🇲🇦 Morocco 2
🇮🇩 Indonesia 2
🇰🇷 South Korea 2
🇦🇷 Argentina 2
🇪🇬 Egypt 2
🇿🇦 South Africa 2
🇦🇪 UAE 2
🇸🇪 Sweden 1
🇳🇱 Netherlands 1
🇨🇭 Switzerland 1
🇮🇪 Ireland 1
🇨🇳 China 1
🇧🇭 Bahrain 1
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 1
🇵🇰 Pakistan 1

North America leads the top 100 by a wide margin. The region has 29 hospitals in total. The U.S. accounts for 25 entries, while Canada adds four.

In the lead, Johns Hopkins Medicine ranks first overall for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, four other American hospitals appear in the top 10.

The U.K. Remains Competitive

The United Kingdom has eight hospitals in the global top 100. That concentration makes the U.K. one of Europe’s strongest performers on the map.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ranks #2 globally, while Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ranks #9.

Six other U.K. hospitals join them in the top 100 worldwide.

MENA’s Growing Presence Among Top-Rated Hospitals

The Middle East and North Africa also show strong representation. Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre leads the region at #12 globally.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi ranks #23 globally, providing another example of a top 100 hospital. In total, 14 MENA hospitals appear in the global top 100.

Reputation spreads through professional networks. As a result, stronger brands can build trust and attract talent.

For hospitals, reputation is not just perception—it can shape patient choices, clinician careers, and long-term global standing.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on investment peaks by industry.

The data for this visualization was sourced from Global Top 250 Hospitals 2025 Report, a publication by one of our data partners, Brand Finance. Our data partnerships are commercial agreements that may or may not include compensation, and partners are not involved with our editorial or graphical processes in any capacity.

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Ranked: Defense Spending Per Capita, by Country

2026-02-09 23:42:01

See more visuals like this on the Voronoi app.

Ranked defense spending per person shows which countries invest most in their military on a per capita basis.

Ranked: Defense Spending Per Capita, by Country

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.

Key Takeaways

  • Israel spends nearly $5,000 per person on defense, the highest per capita level globally.
  • Smaller, security-focused nations often outspend many larger military powers on a per-person basis.

Global military spending is often measured in massive national budgets, where the United States and China dominate the conversation. But looking at defense spending on a per-person basis tells a very different story, one where smaller countries rise to the top.

This visualization ranks major countries by how much they spent on defense per citizen in 2024, revealing which nations invest the most in military power relative to their population — and how countries like the U.S. compare when spending is measured per person rather than in total dollars.

Data comes from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Why Israel Leads the World in Defense Spending Per Capita

Israel ranks first, spending nearly $5,000 per person on defense in 2024. This figure reflects the country’s ongoing security challenges and mandatory military service. Despite a total defense budget of $47 billion—small compared to global superpowers—the per-person cost is unmatched.

Below are the world’s 30 largest military spenders, ranked by defense spending per capita:

Rank Country Total Spend (2024) Per Capita
1 🇮🇱 Israel $47B $4,989
2 🇺🇸 U.S. $997B $2,895
3 🇸🇬 Singapore $15B $2,591
4 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia $80B $2,386
5 🇳🇴 Norway $10B $1,880
6 🇺🇦 Ukraine $65B $1,728
7 🇩🇰 Denmark $10B $1,670
8 🇰🇼 Kuwait $8B $1,596
9 🇳🇱 Netherlands $23B $1,276
10 🇦🇺 Australia $34B $1,272
11 🇫🇮 Finland $7B $1,245
12 🇬🇧 United Kingdom $82B $1,186
13 🇸🇪 Sweden $12B $1,138
14 🇩🇪 Germany $88B $1,044
15 🇷🇺 Russia $149B $1,026
16 🇵🇱 Poland $38B $982
17 🇫🇷 France $65B $973
18 🇰🇷 South Korea $48B $919
19 🇨🇦 Canada $29B $742
20 🇹🇼 Taiwan $16B $708
21 🇮🇹 Italy $38B $639
22 🇪🇸 Spain $25B $514
23 🇩🇿 Algeria $22B $469
24 🇯🇵 Japan $55B $446
25 🇹🇷 Türkiye $25B $292
26 🇨🇴 Colombia $15B $287
27 🇨🇳 China $314B $221
28 🇲🇽 Mexico $17B $128
29 🇧🇷 Brazil $21B $99
30 🇮🇩 Indonesia $11B $39

Several smaller or wealthy nations rank near the top of the list. Singapore spends over $2,500 per person, driven by its strategic location and emphasis on technological superiority. Norway and Denmark also appear in the top 10, supported by high incomes and growing commitments to NATO.

How Major Powers Compare

The U.S. ranks second overall, with nearly $2,900 spent per person, reflecting both its enormous military budget and large population. China, by contrast, ranks much lower at $221 per capita despite spending more than $300 billion in total.

Meanwhile, European powers like Germany, France, and the U.K. cluster in the middle of the ranking, balancing defense commitments with larger populations.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Ranked: Countries With the Highest Cost of Violence on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Mapped: The Global Cost of Living Index 2026

2026-02-09 21:06:57

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Map showing the global cost of living index in 2026.

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Mapped: The Global Cost of Living Index 2026

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.

Key Takeaways

  • Bermuda is the most expensive place to live in the world in 2026, with prices 23.5% higher than New York City.
  • Switzerland leads Europe, while Singapore is the most expensive in Asia.

How does the cost of living vary across countries in 2026?

To find out, this graphic visualizes Numbeo’s Global Cost of Living Index, which measures the price of everyday expenses, including rent, relative to New York City (baseline of 100).

If a country has an index score of 80, prices are 20% lower than in New York. Scores above 100 indicate higher everyday costs.

While inflation has eased in many regions, the cost of living remains a major global challenge. Across 28 countries, home prices have risen more than 50% since 2020, and grocery costs have risen sharply in countries such as Mexico, Germany, and Malaysia, continuing to strain household budgets worldwide.

Global Cost of Living by Country

Below, we show the cost of living index for 155 countries or territories in 2026, highlighting stark differences in everyday costs around the world.

Bermuda has the highest cost of living worldwide, a British Overseas Territory synonymous with high-end real estate, luxury tourism, and offshore wealth.

Rank Country Cost of Living Index 2026
1 🇧🇲 Bermuda 123.5
2 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands 97.9
3 🇨🇭 Switzerland 84.3
4 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands 82.5
5 🇸🇬 Singapore 81.2
6 🇧🇸 Bahamas 77.1
7 🇮🇸 Iceland 75.9
8 🇯🇪 Jersey 72.5
9 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 69.8
10 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands 65.4
11 🇬🇬 Guernsey 65.3
12 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 65.2
13 🇬🇮 Gibraltar 63.9
14 🇳🇴 Norway 59.4
15 🇮🇪 Ireland 58.7
16 🇮🇱 Israel 58
17 🇳🇱 Netherlands 57.9
18 🇩🇰 Denmark 56.6
19 🇺🇸 United States 56.3
20 🇮🇲 Isle Of Man 55.7
21 🇦🇺 Australia 52.7
22 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 51.9
23 🇦🇹 Austria 50.7
24 🇬🇩 Grenada 49.4
25 🇩🇪 Germany 49
26 🇨🇦 Canada 48.9
27 🇧🇪 Belgium 48.6
28 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 48.2
29 🇫🇮 Finland 48
30 🇸🇨 Seychelles 48
31 🇸🇪 Sweden 47.8
32 🇫🇷 France 47.5
33 🇲🇴 Macao (China) 46.3
34 🇶🇦 Qatar 45.8
35 🇦🇩 Andorra 45.2
36 🇳🇿 New Zealand 45
37 🇨🇾 Cyprus 44.6
38 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 44.3
39 🇲🇹 Malta 44.1
40 🇮🇹 Italy 43.1
41 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 42.4
42 🇰🇷 South Korea 41.3
43 🇪🇪 Estonia 40.5
44 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea 39.2
45 🇸🇮 Slovenia 39.1
46 🇪🇸 Spain 39
47 🇬🇾 Guyana 39
48 🇯🇲 Jamaica 38.7
49 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 38.6
50 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 38.3
51 🇵🇹 Portugal 38.3
52 🇲🇻 Maldives 38.1
53 🇺🇾 Uruguay 37.3
54 🇭🇷 Croatia 37.1
55 🇬🇷 Greece 36
56 🇧🇭 Bahrain 35.9
57 🇵🇦 Panama 35.6
58 🇸🇳 Senegal 35.5
59 🇱🇹 Lithuania 35.3
60 🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago 35.2
61 🇸🇰 Slovakia 35.2
62 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 34.5
63 🇦🇴 Angola 34.5
64 🇵🇱 Poland 34.4
65 🇱🇻 Latvia 34.3
66 🇹🇼 Taiwan 33.9
67 🇧🇳 Brunei 33.6
68 🇰🇼 Kuwait 33.3
69 🇯🇵 Japan 32.8
70 🇭🇺 Hungary 32.3
71 🇾🇪 Yemen 32
72 🇧🇿 Belize 32
73 🇦🇱 Albania 31.7
74 🇲🇽 Mexico 31.5
75 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 31.3
76 🇨🇲 Cameroon 31.1
77 🇲🇪 Montenegro 31
78 🇵🇸 Palestine 30.9
79 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 30.4
80 🇴🇲 Oman 30
81 🇨🇻 Cape Verde 29.6
82 🇷🇸 Serbia 29.5
83 🇱🇧 Lebanon 29.5
84 🇦🇲 Armenia 29.5
85 🇬🇹 Guatemala 29.5
86 🇸🇻 El Salvador 29.4
87 🇨🇺 Cuba 28.3
88 🇦🇷 Argentina 28.3
89 🇸🇷 Suriname 28.2
90 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 28
91 🇷🇴 Romania 27.8
92 🇹🇷 Turkey 27.6
93 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 27.4
94 🇹🇭 Thailand 27.2
95 🇨🇱 Chile 26.8
96 🇫🇯 Fiji 26.7
97 🇿🇦 South Africa 26.4
98 🇳🇦 Namibia 26.4
99 🇲🇩 Moldova 26.4
100 🇲🇺 Mauritius 26.1
101 🇲🇲 Myanmar 26
102 🇲🇿 Mozambique 25.9
103 🇭🇳 Honduras 25.7
104 🇷🇺 Russia 25.7
105 🇳🇬 Nigeria 25.5
106 🇯🇴 Jordan 25.3
107 🇲🇳 Mongolia 25.1
108 🇧🇦 Bosnia And Herzegovina 25
109 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 24.2
110 🇻🇪 Venezuela 24
111 🇬🇪 Georgia 24
112 🇰🇭 Cambodia 23.7
113 🇬🇭 Ghana 23.7
114 🇵🇪 Peru 23.6
115 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 23.2
116 🇲🇾 Malaysia 22.9
117 🇳🇮 Nicaragua 22.5
118 🇨🇴 Colombia 22.4
119 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 22
120 🇿🇲 Zambia 22
121 🇧🇾 Belarus 21.5
122 🇨🇳 China 21.5
123 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 21.4
124 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 21.3
125 🇲🇦 Morocco 21.1
126 🇧🇼 Botswana 21
127 🇪🇨 Ecuador 21
128 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 20.6
129 🇧🇷 Brazil 20.5
130 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 20.4
131 🇵🇾 Paraguay 20.3
132 🇵🇭 Philippines 20.2
133 🇹🇯 Tajikistan 19.8
134 🇺🇬 Uganda 19.6
135 🇽🇰 Kosovo (Disputed Territory) 19.5
136 🇰🇪 Kenya 19.5
137 🇷🇼 Rwanda 19.4
138 🇺🇦 Ukraine 19.2
139 🇻🇳 Vietnam 19.1
140 🇮🇶 Iraq 19
141 🇧🇴 Bolivia 19
142 🇹🇿 Tanzania 18.8
143 🇹🇳 Tunisia 18.5
144 🇮🇩 Indonesia 18.5
145 🇩🇿 Algeria 17.1
146 🇮🇷 Iran 16.2
147 🇸🇾 Syria 16.1
148 🇲🇬 Madagascar 15.8
149 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 13.8
150 🇳🇵 Nepal 13.8
151 🇪🇬 Egypt 13.8
152 🇦🇫 Afghanistan 12.7
153 🇵🇰 Pakistan 12.4
154 🇮🇳 India 12.4
155 🇱🇾 Libya 12.3

Many of the world’s most expensive places, in terms of cost of living, are islands and often tax shelters or financial centers. The U.S. Virgin Islands, Jersey, and Cayman Islands all make the top 10 in the cost of living index. High concentrations of wealth, combined with heavy reliance on imports, push up prices across these island economies.

Switzerland ranks third overall, with Zurich named the world’s most expensive city in 2026. Beyond a strong Swiss franc, high wages and elevated living standards significantly drive up costs.

Singapore has the highest cost of living in Asia, placing fifth worldwide. Limited land availability has fueled high real estate prices, while the country’s reliance on imports—around 90% of its food—adds further cost pressures.

The U.S. ranks 19th globally, with a cost of living index score of 56.3. By comparison, the global median index score in 2026 stands at 30.8.

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To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s most unaffordable housing markets.