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2026-01-07 02:32:24

All of the World’s Silver Reserves by Country, in One Visualization

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.

Silver prices surged to new all-time highs in December, extending a powerful end-of-year rally supported by geopolitical uncertainty and a weaker U.S. dollar.

Silver futures briefly touched around $80, marking an unprecedented 160% rally in 2025 that outpaced even gold. Against this backdrop, understanding where the world’s silver reserves are concentrated provides crucial context for future supply dynamics.

The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries (January 2025). It estimates total global silver reserves at about 641,400 metric tons.

Peru’s Dominant Reserve Position

Peru stands out as the single largest holder of silver reserves, with an estimated 140,000 metric tons. This represents roughly 22% of the global total, giving the country a uniquely strategic position in the silver market.

Rank	Country	Reserves (metric tons)	% of World Total
1	Peru	140,000	21.9%
2	Australia	94,000	14.7%
3	Russia	92,000	14.4%
4	China	70,000	10.9%
5	Poland	61,000	9.5%
6	Mexico	37,000	5.8%
7	Chile	26,000	4.1%
8	United States	23,000	3.6%
9	Bolivia	22,000	3.4%
10	India	8,000	1.3%
11	Argentina	6,500	1.0%
12	Canada	4,900	0.8%
--	Other countries	57,000	8.9%
--	World total	641,400	100.0%

Behind Peru is a cluster of countries with substantial, but smaller, reserve bases. Australia, Russia, and China each hold between 70,000 and 94,000 metric tons, collectively accounting for about 40% of global reserves.

Production Powerhouses vs. Reserve Depth

Mexico offers a striking contrast between production and reserves. It leads the world in silver production, yet holds just 37,000 metric tons of reserves, or about 6% of the global total. Currently, Mexico’s mining sector relies on intensive extraction with fewer projects with established reserves in the pipeline.

Silver in Green Technology

Global silver demand is poised to soar in the next decade, driven by emerging technologies like electric vehicles and solar power.

Silver demand from solar alone has grown from less than 50 million ounces (Moz) a decade ago to an expected 160 Moz in 2023.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: Which Countries Hold the Most Gold Reserves? on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-01-06 23:27:52

Winners and Losers in U.S. Stocks Over the Last Year

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 above visualization shows a heatmap of U.S. stock performance over the trailing 12 months, inclusive of January 5th, 2026 data.

The heatmap and data come from Finviz.com, a platform we highly recommend for any of your stock market data visualization needs.

U.S. Stock Market: Winners in 2025

Overall, the S&P 500 posted its third straight year with 15% or higher gains. These gains were largely driven by specific sectors that boomed: specifically those tied to AI and the hyperscaling of data centers.

1. Google

In 2025, Google (Alphabet) was the biggest individual winner, completing its redemption arc in the world of big tech. It beat out other Magnificent Seven companies handily with a 60%+ return.

In short: Google surged in 2025 after proving that AI strengthened rather than disrupted its core search and advertising business, with AI-powered results boosting user engagement, ad pricing, and margins. The release of Gemini 3 also helped flip the AI narrative, showing that Google was a leader in the field.

2. Banks

Big diversified banks had a great year, with each bank in the following segment posting double-digit (or higher) gains:

Higher interest rates, a rebound in capital markets, and strong consumer and wealth businesses were all firing at once for banks, creating multiple sources of profit. Their scale and diversification helped offset weaker areas like commercial real estate and outperform more specialized lenders.

3. Semiconductors

As the world races to build out AI infrastructure, chipmakers like Nvidia (+40%), AMD (+83%), TSMC (+63%), and Broadcom (+48%) saw big double-digit gains over the last year.

The biggest winner in this category was Micron (+271%), a leading memory chipmaker. Higher demand and prices for DRAM and high-bandwidth memory drove rapid profit growth and a major re-rating of the stock.

4. Aerospace & Defense

Aerospace and defense stocks rose in 2025 as elevated global tensions, rising defense budgets, and sustained military aid commitments drove strong order backlogs and long-term revenue visibility for major contractors. GE Aerospace (+94%) and RTX (+63%) were two top performers.

5. Gold & Mining

Gold and mining stocks gained in 2025 as central bank buying, geopolitical risk, and expectations of easier monetary policy pushed gold prices to record highs, boosting margins and cash flows for producers.

U.S. Stock Market: Losers in 2025

1. Real Estate (REITs)

REITs struggled throughout the last year as elevated interest rates kept borrowing costs high and pressured property valuations, especially in office and commercial real estate. Higher bond yields also made income-oriented real estate less attractive relative to safer fixed-income alternatives.

Healthcare facility REITs avoided some of the damage, with Welltower Inc. (+47%) posting some of the strongest gains.

2. Software Applications

Non-AI software stocks lagged in 2025 as investors rotated away from high-valuation growth names toward companies with immediate AI monetization and stronger cash flows.

Flagship examples of this effect can be seen in the stock performance of heavyweights like Salesforce (-23%), Adobe (-25%), ServiceNow (-30%), and SAP (-2%).

3. Oil and Gas (Upstream)

Upstream oil and gas stocks underperformed as energy prices stabilized and production growth limited upside despite ongoing geopolitical risks. Investors also favored capital discipline and shareholder returns over aggressive exploration, muting growth narratives in the sector.

4. Consumer Staples

Considered a defensive sector, it was believed that consumer staples would have a stronger year amid the projected geopolitical and economic turmoil. However, with economic growth getting back on track and inflation easing, hopes were quickly dashed as consumers spent money on more discretionary purchases.

5. Fiserv

Fiserv shares have collapsed 67% over the last year, after earnings disappointed and margins came under pressure from rising costs and intensifying competition in payments and fintech. The company specializes in processing transactions for banks.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

What do experts see happening in markets in 2026? Check out our annual Prediction Consensus to get the lowdown.

2026-01-06 21:03:59

Who Has the World’s Oil, and Who Can Actually Produce It

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 recent U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reignited discussions this weekend about the Latin American country’s oil industry.

Venezuela currently holds the world’s largest oil reserves—about 303 billion barrels—but its oil industry has struggled in recent years due to mismanagement and U.S. sanctions.

Following Maduro’s capture, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Venezuela’s oil industry would be revived through the entry of American companies into the country.

This chart compares proven oil reserves and daily production across the world’s top oil producers, revealing stark contrasts between output-heavy producers and those sitting on vast untapped resources.

The data for this visualization comes from the Energy Institute and reflects oil production levels in 2024.

Ranked: Top Oil Producers and Their Reserves

The United States tops global oil production, pumping more than 20 million barrels per day.

While America’s proven reserves seem low at first sight at just 45 billion barrels, this is due to U.S. shale producers’ short investment cycles which book only a few years of economically viable reserves at a time, and replace them through ongoing drilling.

Rank (Production)	Country	Oil production in 2024 (barrels per day)	Proven oil reserves (billion barrels of oil)
1	United States	20,135,000	45.0
2	Saudi Arabia	10,856,000	267.2
3	Russia	10,752,000	80.0
4	Canada	5,888,000	163.0
5	Iran	5,062,000	208.6
6	Iraq	4,398,000	145.0
7	China	4,264,000	28.2
8	United Arab Emirates	4,006,000	113.0
9	Brazil	3,466,000	15.9
10	Kuwait	2,719,000	101.5
11	Mexico	1,911,000	5.1
12	Kazakhstan	1,836,000	30.0
13	Norway	1,833,000	6.9
14	Qatar	1,806,000	25.2
15	Nigeria	1,641,000	37.3
16	Algeria	1,380,000	12.2
17	Argentina	1,214,000	3.0
18	Libya	1,188,000	48.4
19	Angola	1,181,000	2.6
20	Oman	993,000	5.0
21	Venezuela	960,000	303.2
22	Colombia	773,000	2.0
23	India	735,000	5.0
24	United Kingdom	653,000	1.5
25	Egypt	637,000	3.3

Countries like Mexico, Argentina, and the United Kingdom also have relatively modest reserves paired with sustained output, though each situation is unique.

Reserve-Rich, Output-Light Producers

Venezuela stands apart from every other producer. With more than 300 billion barrels in proven reserves, its reserves-to-production ratio exceeds 800 years—the highest in the world by a wide margin. Iran, Libya, Kuwait, and Iraq also post triple-digit reserve lifespans.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates strike a middle ground. Saudi Arabia’s reserves could last more than 60 years at current output, while Canada’s oil sands give it one of the longest reserve lifespans among high-production countries.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Saudi Aramco’s massive oil reserves on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-01-06 05:20:49

Where Housing Inventory is Rising in U.S. Cities

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.

After years of historically tight housing supply, inventory levels across the U.S. are rebounding. More homes are coming onto the market, giving buyers greater choice and easing some of the pressure that defined the post-pandemic housing boom. This map highlights how housing inventory changed across major U.S. cities in July 2025 compared to a year earlier.

The data for this visualization comes from Homes.com.

Sun Belt Cities Lead the Inventory Surge

Several fast-growing Sun Belt metros top the list for inventory growth. Raleigh, North Carolina, saw the largest increase, with listings up 54.5% year over year.

Las Vegas, Miami, and Atlanta also posted gains above 35%, reflecting a rapid cooling from earlier housing booms.

Large Coastal Markets See Meaningful Gains

Major coastal cities are also seeing notable increases in housing inventory. San Diego’s listings rose 32.4%, while Los Angeles posted a 23.1% increase. Seattle, Sacramento, and Portland all saw gains near or above the national average.

Although inventory is rising, affordability challenges remain acute in these markets. Higher mortgage rates and elevated home prices continue to limit buyer activity.

In contrast, several Midwestern and Northeastern cities recorded more modest inventory growth. Chicago’s listings increased just 6.7%, while Minneapolis and San Jose saw gains below 10%. New York City’s inventory rose 17.6%, well below the national average.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out America’s 1.1 Million Job Cuts by State in 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

2026-01-05 21:05:05

Top 50 Economies and Their Average Real GDP Growth Since 2000

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.

With an economy worth $30.6 trillion, the United States remains the undisputed global economic heavyweight—and it is expected to retain that lead for years to come.

Yet while the U.S. dominates in size, many rivals dominate in growth and momentum. China, its closest competitor, has grown real GDP at an average rate of 8% annually since 2000, while emerging economies like India, Vietnam, and the Philippines have recorded sustained periods of even faster expansion.

This graphic shows the GDP of the world’s largest economies along with real GDP growth between 2000-2025, based on data from the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook.

Real GDP Growth Trends Over 25 Years

Below, we show the GDP of the top 50 economies, along with average annual real GDP growth between 2000 and 2025:

Rank	Country	2025 Real GDP (Billions)	Average Annual Real GDP Growth 2000-2025
1	U.S.	$30,616	2.1%
2	China	$19,399	8.0%
3	Germany	$5,014	1.0%
4	Japan	$4,280	0.6%
5	India	$4,125	6.4%
6	UK	$3,959	1.5%
7	France	$3,362	1.2%
8	Italy	$2,544	0.4%
9	Russia	$2,541	3.0%
10	Canada	$2,284	1.9%
11	Brazil	$2,257	2.3%
12	Spain	$1,891	1.7%
13	Mexico	$1,863	1.5%
14	South Korea	$1,859	3.4%
15	Australia	$1,830	2.7%
16	Türkiye	$1,565	5.0%
17	Indonesia	$1,443	4.9%
18	Netherlands	$1,321	1.5%
19	Saudi Arabia	$1,269	3.9%
20	Poland	$1,040	3.6%
21	Switzerland	$1,003	1.8%
22	Taiwan	$884	3.7%
23	Belgium	$717	1.6%
24	Ireland	$709	5.2%
25	Argentina	$683	1.9%
26	Sweden	$662	1.8%
27	Israel	$611	3.5%
28	Singapore	$574	4.5%
29	UAE	$569	3.9%
30	Austria	$566	1.3%
31	Thailand	$559	3.2%
32	Norway	$517	1.6%
33	Philippines	$494	5.0%
34	Vietnam	$485	6.4%
35	Bangladesh	$475	5.9%
36	Malaysia	$471	4.5%
37	Denmark	$460	1.4%
38	Colombia	$438	3.5%
39	Hong Kong SAR	$428	2.7%
40	South Africa	$426	2.1%
41	Romania	$423	3.5%
42	Pakistan	$410	3.9%
43	Czechia	$383	2.4%
44	Iran	$357	3.1%
45	Egypt	$349	4.3%
46	Chile	$347	3.4%
47	Portugal	$338	1.0%
48	Peru	$318	4.2%
49	Finland	$315	1.1%
50	Kazakhstan	$300	5.6%

America’s economy accounts for more than a quarter of global GDP.

Over the past 25 years, U.S. real GDP growth has averaged 2.1%, meaningfully higher than several other mature, high-income countries. For context, Japan’s economy has averaged 0.6% growth over the period, while Germany grew at a 1% pace.

Within Europe, however, countries like Ireland and Poland have seen above-average growth rates of 5.2% and 3.6%, respectively. For Ireland in particular, 10 U.S. companies drive about 60% of the country’s corporate tax revenue.

Overall, no major economy has grown faster than China in real terms. Since 2000, China’s economy has surged from $1.2 trillion to $19.4 trillion today, powered by its expanding influence in global manufacturing and trade.

India Taking the Reins on Growth

This year, India passed the United Kingdom to become the world’s fifth largest economy.

Although India’s growth (6.4%) has averaged below China’s (8.0%) over the past 25 years, the trend has reversed in recent years.

In 2026, for example, India is projected to grow at 6.3% while China is expected to grow just 4.0%.

For that reason, India is likely to pass Japan in the next year to become the world’s fourth largest economy, with Germany (3rd place) in the crosshairs after that.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the fastest-growing economies in 2025.

2026-01-05 19:11:40

Mapped: Democracy Around the World 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.

Most countries have incredibly stable political regimes that don’t experience significant year-to-year change.

In Venezuela, however, citizens woke up on January 3, 2026 to a completely different reality: Nicolás Maduro was no longer the de facto president of the country for the first time since 2013.

Today’s map (and the interactive version below) visualizes data from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, published in 2025.

Interactive Version

Firstly, here’s an interactive version of the map above to play with:

You can change the year shown all the way back to 2006, or switch to table or line chart views to view series in a different way.

The Data on Democracy

Below are the world’s countries ranked based on their latest democracy score.

Rank	Country or Entity	Democracy Score	Region
1	Norway	9.81	Europe
2	New Zealand	9.61	Oceania
3	Sweden	9.39	Europe
4	Iceland	9.38	Europe
5	Switzerland	9.32	Europe
6	Finland	9.30	Europe
7	Denmark	9.28	Europe
8	Ireland	9.19	Europe
9	Netherlands	9.00	Europe
10	Luxembourg	8.88	Europe
11	Australia	8.85	Oceania
12	Taiwan	8.78	Asia
13	Germany	8.73	Europe
14	Canada	8.69	North America
15	Uruguay	8.67	South America
16	Japan	8.48	Asia
17	United Kingdom	8.34	Europe
18	Costa Rica	8.29	North America
19	Austria	8.28	Europe
20	Mauritius	8.23	Africa
21	Estonia	8.13	Europe
22	Spain	8.13	Europe
23	Czechia	8.08	Europe
24	Portugal	8.08	Europe
25	Greece	8.07	Europe
26	France	7.99	Europe
27	Malta	7.93	Europe
28	United States	7.85	North America
29	Chile	7.83	South America
30	Slovenia	7.82	Europe
31	Israel	7.80	Asia
32	South Korea	7.75	Asia
33	Latvia	7.66	Europe
34	Belgium	7.64	Europe
35	Botswana	7.63	Africa
36	Lithuania	7.59	Europe
37	Cape Verde	7.58	Africa
38	Italy	7.58	Europe
39	Poland	7.40	Europe
40	Cyprus	7.38	Europe
41	India	7.29	Asia
42	Slovakia	7.21	Europe
43	South Africa	7.16	Africa
44	Malaysia	7.11	Asia
45	Trinidad and Tobago	7.09	North America
46	East Timor	7.03	Asia
47	Panama	6.84	North America
48	Suriname	6.79	South America
49	Jamaica	6.74	North America
50	Montenegro	6.73	Europe
51	Philippines	6.63	Asia
52	Dominican Republic	6.62	North America
53	Mongolia	6.53	Asia
54	Argentina	6.51	South America
55	Hungary	6.51	Europe
56	Croatia	6.50	Europe
57	Brazil	6.49	South America
58	Namibia	6.48	Africa
59	Indonesia	6.44	Asia
60	Colombia	6.35	South America
61	Bulgaria	6.34	Europe
62	North Macedonia	6.28	Europe
63	Thailand	6.27	Asia
64	Serbia	6.26	Europe
65	Ghana	6.24	Africa
66	Albania	6.20	Europe
67	Sri Lanka	6.19	Asia
68	Singapore	6.18	Asia
69	Guyana	6.11	South America
70	Lesotho	6.06	Africa
71	Moldova	6.04	Europe
72	Romania	5.99	Europe
73	Papua New Guinea	5.97	Oceania
74	Senegal	5.93	Africa
75	Paraguay	5.92	South America
76	Malawi	5.85	Africa
77	Zambia	5.73	Africa
78	Peru	5.69	South America
79	Bhutan	5.65	Asia
80	Liberia	5.57	Africa
81	Fiji	5.39	Oceania
82	Armenia	5.35	Asia
83	Madagascar	5.33	Africa
84	Mexico	5.32	North America
85	Ecuador	5.24	South America
86	Tanzania	5.20	Africa
87	Bosnia and Herzegovina	5.06	Europe
88	Kenya	5.05	Africa
89	Honduras	4.98	North America
90	Morocco	4.97	Africa
91	Ukraine	4.90	Europe
92	Tunisia	4.71	Africa
93	Georgia	4.70	Asia
94	El Salvador	4.61	North America
95	Nepal	4.60	Asia
96	Guatemala	4.55	North America
97	Uganda	4.49	Africa
98	Gambia	4.47	Africa
99	Bangladesh	4.44	Asia
100	Benin	4.44	Africa
101	Sierra Leone	4.32	Africa
102	Bolivia	4.26	South America
103	Turkey	4.26	Asia
104	Cote d'Ivoire	4.22	Africa
105	Nigeria	4.16	Africa
106	Angola	4.05	Africa
107	Mauritania	3.96	Africa
108	Lebanon	3.56	Asia
109	Algeria	3.55	Africa
110	Kyrgyzstan	3.52	Asia
111	Palestine	3.44	Asia
112	Mozambique	3.38	Africa
113	Rwanda	3.34	Africa
114	Jordan	3.28	Asia
115	Ethiopia	3.24	Africa
116	Qatar	3.17	Asia
117	Kazakhstan	3.08	Asia
118	United Arab Emirates	3.07	Asia
119	Oman	3.05	Asia
120	Togo	2.99	Africa
121	Zimbabwe	2.98	Africa
122	Cambodia	2.94	Asia
123	Comoros	2.84	Africa
124	Pakistan	2.84	Asia
125	Azerbaijan	2.80	Asia
126	Iraq	2.80	Asia
127	Congo	2.79	Africa
128	Egypt	2.79	Africa
129	Kuwait	2.78	Asia
130	Haiti	2.74	North America
131	Djibouti	2.70	Africa
132	Vietnam	2.62	Asia
133	Eswatini	2.60	Africa
134	Cuba	2.58	North America
135	Cameroon	2.56	Africa
136	Burkina Faso	2.55	Africa
137	Bahrain	2.45	Asia
138	Mali	2.40	Africa
139	Libya	2.31	Africa
140	Niger	2.26	Africa
141	Venezuela	2.25	South America
142	Gabon	2.18	Africa
143	Burundi	2.13	Africa
144	China	2.11	Asia
145	Uzbekistan	2.10	Asia
146	Nicaragua	2.09	North America
147	Saudi Arabia	2.08	Asia
148	Guinea	2.04	Africa
149	Guinea-Bissau	2.03	Africa
150	Russia	2.03	Europe
151	Belarus	1.99	Europe
152	Eritrea	1.97	Africa
153	Iran	1.96	Asia
154	Yemen	1.95	Asia
155	Democratic Republic of Congo	1.92	Africa
156	Equatorial Guinea	1.92	Africa
157	Chad	1.89	Africa
158	Tajikistan	1.83	Asia
159	Laos	1.71	Asia
160	Turkmenistan	1.66	Asia
161	Sudan	1.46	Africa
162	Syria	1.32	Asia
163	Central African Republic	1.18	Africa
164	North Korea	1.08	Asia
165	Myanmar	0.96	Asia
166	Afghanistan	0.25	Asia
--	World Average	5.17	--

Norway leads with a score of 9.81, and other Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark) also score well. In fact, nine of the top 10 countries are all European.

Meanwhile, the highest scoring country in the Americas is Canada with a Democracy Index score of 8.69 (Rank: 14th) while the U.S. comes in with 7.85 (Rank: 28th).

Venezuela’s Democracy Ranking

The Maduro regime in Venezuela has steadily fallen in the rankings since he took power in 2013 from Hugo Chávez.

Year	Country	Democracy Score	Change from Prev Year
2013	Venezuela	5.07	-0.08
2014	Venezuela	5.07	0.00
2015	Venezuela	5.00	-0.07
2016	Venezuela	4.68	-0.32
2017	Venezuela	3.87	-0.81
2018	Venezuela	3.16	-0.71
2019	Venezuela	2.88	-0.28
2020	Venezuela	2.76	-0.12
2021	Venezuela	2.21	-0.55
2022	Venezuela	2.23	0.02
2023	Venezuela	2.31	0.08
2024	Venezuela	2.25	-0.06
2013-2024	Total Change	-2.82	--

Why did Venezuela fall so swiftly in global democracy rankings?

As Nicolás Maduro consolidated power, Venezuela saw an erosion of checks and balances and weakening of electoral integrity.

Elections have been widely criticized for lacking fairness, transparency, and meaningful opposition participation. The government has curtailed judicial independence, sidelined the National Assembly, and ruled increasingly by decree.

Finally, media freedom has sharply declined through censorship, shutdowns, and intimidation. Civil liberties have been undermined by repression of protests, arbitrary detentions, and political persecution.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Which countries have the most oil reserves? Venezuela tops that list in this visualization on Voronoi.