The world, ranked.
43 reference tables across seven categories — geography, demographics, economy, culture, travel, nature, governance. Sourced from the major institutions (UN, World Bank, IMF, UNESCO, Pew, BIS) and updated each year. Click any country to read its profile.
Geography
Land, water and the lines we draw on the map. Coastlines, peaks, river systems and the patchwork of borders that organise the planet.
Largest countries by area
km² (millions)
Total surface area including inland water. Russia is nearly twice the size of the runner-up.
Smallest countries by area
km²
Vatican City is so small that 80 of them would fit inside Central Park.
Longest coastlines
km
Canada's coastline is so fractal it dwarfs every other country — six times longer than Russia's.
Highest peaks (by country)
metres
Each country's tallest mountain. Eight of the top ten are in the Himalaya/Karakoram chain.
- 1 Nepal (Everest) 8,849
- 2 China (Everest border) 8,849
- 3 Pakistan (K2) 8,611
- 4 India (Kanchenjunga) 8,586
- 5 Bhutan (Gangkhar Puensum) 7,570
- 6 Tajikistan (Ismoil Somoni) 7,495
- 7 Afghanistan (Noshaq) 7,492
- 8 Kyrgyzstan (Jengish Chokusu) 7,439
- 9 Kazakhstan (Khan Tengri) 7,010
- 10 Argentina (Aconcagua) 6,961
Longest rivers
km
River-length measurement is famously contested — these are the most-cited figures.
Most bordering countries
land borders
China and Russia each share land borders with 14 countries — more than any others.
Most timezones
including territories
France leads thanks to overseas departments from French Polynesia to French Guiana.
Demographics
How many we are, where we live, how long we last, how young or old we tend to be.
Most populous countries
population (billions)
India overtook China in 2023 to become the world's most populous country.
Least populous countries
population
Vatican City has fewer residents than a typical city block.
Highest population density
people per km²
Monaco fits 39,000 residents into 2 km² — Manhattan-level density at country scale.
Highest life expectancy
years (at birth)
The "Blue Zones" overlap heavily with the top of this list — Hong Kong, Japan, Italy.
Youngest median age
years
The median person in Niger is just 14.8 — half the population is school-age or younger.
Oldest median age
years
Monaco's median resident is 56.9 — one of the consequences of being a tax haven for retirees.
Most urbanised
% urban population
Several countries are functionally 100% urban — entire micro-states or city-states.
Economy
Output, currencies and reserves — the financial sinews that bind nations together.
Largest economies (GDP)
nominal GDP, USD trillions
The US economy alone accounts for ~25% of global GDP at nominal prices.
Highest GDP per capita
USD
Luxembourg leads — small population, large financial-services sector, EU institutions.
Most-traded currencies
% of daily forex turnover
Percentages sum to 200 because every trade has two sides — buying one currency means selling another.
- 1 US Dollar 88%
-
2 Euro 31%
- 3 Japanese Yen 17%
- 4 Pound Sterling 13%
- 5 Chinese Yuan 7%
- 6 Australian Dollar 7%
- 7 Canadian Dollar 6%
- 8 Swiss Franc 5%
-
9 Hong Kong Dollar 3%
- 10 Singapore Dollar 2%
Top oil producers
million barrels/day
The US has been the world's top crude producer since 2018, thanks to shale.
Largest gold reserves
tonnes (central bank holdings)
The US holds more gold than the next three countries combined — about 75% of its forex reserves.
Top exporters
goods exports, USD trillions
China has been the world's top exporter since 2009, eclipsing Germany.
Culture
What we speak, what we believe, what we celebrate. The intangible heritage that makes places feel themselves.
Most-spoken languages
total speakers (billions)
English leads when counting all speakers; Mandarin leads if you only count native speakers.
World religions
adherents (billions)
About 84% of the world identifies with one of the major faith groups; 16% are unaffiliated.
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1 CH Christianity 2.38B
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2 IS Islam 1.91B
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3 — Unaffiliated 1.19B
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4 HI Hinduism 1.16B
-
5 BU Buddhism 506M
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6 FO Folk religions 430M
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7 JU Judaism 14.7M
-
8 SI Sikhism 30M
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9 BA Baha'i 8M
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10 JA Jainism 6M
Most UNESCO heritage sites
inscribed sites
Italy and China are tied at 60 sites — from Pompeii and the Dolomites to the Great Wall and Mt Tai.
Highest literacy rates
% of adults
A dozen countries have effectively universal literacy; the figures here are for ages 15+.
Most Nobel laureates
cumulative (1901–2024)
The US dominates partly thanks to émigrés — about 35% of US laureates were foreign-born.
Happiest countries
World Happiness score (0-10)
Finland has topped the index for seven consecutive years.
Travel
Tourist arrivals, airport throughput, the longest non-stops on the timetable. Movement at planetary scale.
Most-visited countries
international arrivals (millions)
France has been the world's top tourist destination for over 30 years.
Busiest airports
passengers (millions/year)
Atlanta's ATL handles more passengers than any other airport on Earth — and has done since 1998.
Highest tourism spend (inbound)
USD billions (receipts)
The US captures the most tourist dollars despite ranking third by visitor count.
Longest non-stop flight routes
km (great-circle distance)
The longest scheduled flight in the world is Singapore Airlines' New York-Singapore route at 18 hours.
- 1 Singapore — New York (SIN-JFK) 15,349
- 2 Singapore — Newark (SIN-EWR) 15,344
- 3 Perth — London (PER-LHR) 14,499
- 4 Auckland — New York (AKL-JFK) 14,207
- 5 Melbourne — Dallas (MEL-DFW) 14,166
- 6 Doha — Auckland (DOH-AKL) 14,535
- 7 Auckland — Doha (AKL-DOH) 14,535
- 8 Houston — Sydney (IAH-SYD) 13,834
- 9 Sydney — Dallas (SYD-DFW) 13,804
- 10 San Francisco — Bengaluru (SFO-BLR) 13,993
Most-powerful passports
visa-free destinations
The Henley Index ranks passports by visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
Nature
Forests, biodiversity, rainfall, emissions. The planet's ecological scorecards.
Most forested countries
% of land area
Suriname is over 95% forest — most of it is undisturbed Amazon rainforest.
Most biodiverse countries
mammal + bird + amphibian species
The 17 "megadiverse" countries hold over 70% of the world's species. Top here is by raw counts.
Wettest countries
mm/year (national average)
Colombia's Pacific coast and Bangladesh's monsoon belt drive their averages sky-high.
Driest countries
mm/year (national average)
Egypt averages just 51mm of annual rainfall — most of which falls along the Mediterranean coast.
Top CO₂ emitters
megatonnes CO₂/year
Total emissions only — China's lead shrinks dramatically when you compare per-capita.
Highest % of protected land
% of total area
Venezuela protects more than half its land — much of it part of the Tepuis and Gran Sabana.
Governance
Democracy ages, press freedom, perceived corruption, defence budgets. How nations organise their public life.
Oldest continuous democracies
year established
Iceland's Alþingi began in 930 CE — though modern democracies tend to date from the 19th century.
Newest countries
year of independence
South Sudan, declared in 2011, is the world's newest UN member state.
Highest press freedom
RSF score (lower = freer)
Norway has topped the World Press Freedom Index every year since 2017.
Lowest perceived corruption
CPI score (0–100, higher = cleaner)
Denmark and New Zealand have alternated atop the Corruption Perceptions Index for years.
Highest military spending
USD billions
The US alone accounts for 37% of global military spending.
Highest top income tax rates
% of top bracket
Top marginal rate on individual income — the figure most often cited in tax-haven debates.