World
Religiously unaffiliated rank third among religious adherents worldwide
India Eid al Fitr
Source: AP Photo/Channi Anand
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Countries with Largest Unaffiliated Populations
Median Age of Religious Adherents
Major Religions of the World
The Religiously Unaffiliated now rank as the world's third largest religious… Read more
The Least-settled Countries on Earth
Population density is a simple function of how many people, on average, live in a given area of a country. Density is a quick and reliable way of gauging how urbanized a country is—more and bigger cities tend to equal a higher density. There are a few caveats to this: the densest countries tend to be very… Read more
The Tightest-packed Countries on Earth
Population density is a simple function of how many people, on average, live in a given area of a country. Density is a quick and reliable way of gauging how urbanized a country is—more and bigger cities tend to equal a higher density. There are a few caveats to this: the densest countries tend to be very… Read more
According to the annual survey by the Berlin-based organization Transparency International, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden are perceived to be the world's least corrupt countries, and Somalia, North Korea, and Afghanistan are perceived to be the most corrupt. For a list of the most corrupt nations, see the Most Corrupt Nations. The index defines… Read more
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Where People Want to Be
Travel+Leisure has compiled its annual list of the world's best cities, as voted by users worldwide as we continue to navigate the pandemic and its impact on travel. Mexico had a great showing, appearing in the "Hall of Fame" with several individual entries.
Rank
City
Score
1
San Miguel de… Read more
(international tourist arrivals)
Taxi trikes awaiting customers in Paris
Source: AP Photo/Francois Mori
The following table shows the top ten tourism destinations according to the UN World Tourism Organization. They UNWTO publishes regular updates about global tourism. These figures come from 2018, the most recent year on read as per… Read more
The data in this table reflects a survey measuring the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment. Produced by Mercer, a global human resources and financial consulting firm, the survey is used to help multinational companies and governments determine… Read more
A picture's worth a lot more than a thousand words
Despite their frequency in movies, art heists are actually fairly rare. Art is hard to move, hard to keep, and hard to sell. And, art thieves aren't always the most educated about what pieces are worth. But, there have been a few high profile (and high cost) capers since the infamous theft of… Read more
A tragic measure of public health
One of the most common metrics of public health is how many children born in that country survive infancy, or more broadly how many reach the age of five. Luckily, infant mortality rates are much lower today that in the past, when most families expected to lose children. Here are the countries that have made… Read more
Too Little of a Bad Thing
Many people are aware of the risks of inflation; as the value of money decreases over time, their purchasing power decreases. When inflation outpaces wage growth (the average increase of people's paychecks over time) this can cause grave economic consequences, as people can now no longer afford the same amount of goods… Read more
A tragic measure of public health
One of the most common metrics of public health is how many children born in that country survive infancy, or more broadly how many reach the age of five. Due to their vulnerability, children are more likely to die from common injuries and diseases than adults. Luckily, infant mortality rates are much lower… Read more
Based on the average scores on a 20-question driving test commissioned by the GMAC Insurance Company, the most knowledgeable drivers in the U.S. are from Kansas and the least knowledgeable are from the District of Columbia. These figures are from 2011, the last year in which such a national test was issued.
State
Rank
Average
KS
1… Read more
The countries with the lowest literacy rate, defined as the ability to read and write at a specified age.
The figures given are from 2015, the last year in which UNESCO did a global analysis.
1.
South Sudan
27.0%
2.
Afghanistan
28.1
3.
Niger
28.7
4.
Burkina Faso
28.7
5.
Mali
33.4
6.
Chad
35.4
7… Read more
The U.S. Travel and Tourism Office tracks the nationalities of foreigners who visit the United States. Here are the figures from 2019, the last year for which the office has released comprehensive figures.
Residence of
travelers
to the U.S.
2019
arrivals in millions
1.
Canada
20.7
2.
Mexico
18.1
3.
United… Read more
Frequent fliers beware, the airports below process the most passengers of all the world's hubs
Atlanta is world's busiest airport
AP Photo/David Goldman
Airport
Total
passengers
1.
Atlanta, Hartsfield (ATL)
110,531,300
2.
Beijing (PEK)
100,011,000
3.
Los Angeles International (LAX)
88,068,013
4.… Read more
Find the airports that process the most cargo of all the world's hubs
FedEx cargo plane in flight
AP Photo/Nick Ut
Airport
Total
cargo (tons)
1.
Hong Kong (HKG)
5,120,811
2.
Memphis (MEM)
4,470,196
3.
Shanghai (PVG)
3,768,573
4.
Incheon (ICN)
2,952,123
5.
Anchorage (ANC)
2,806,743
6… Read more
The following table includes information about the worst industrial disasters in history.
Year
Day
Incident
Location
Fatalities
2013
04/24
Rana Plaza, a building containing several factories, collapses
Savar, Bangladesh
more than 1,100
1984
12/02
42 tons of lethal methyl isocyanate
leak from the Union… Read more
According to the Fund for Peace's Fragile States Index
The Fund for Peace has ranked troubled countries that are in danger of collapse. The countries are ranked according to 12 social, economic, political, and military indicators, including economic decline and inequality, demographic pressures, war, and corruption. They are scored on a scale of… Read more
HM Queen Elizabeth II continues her reign at the top
Though less common now than they once were, monarchs have had an important role in history since at least the 3000s B.C.E. These are the living rulers who have been part of more history than the rest.
Rank
Monarch
Country
Accession
1
Elizabeth II
United Kingdom
02/06… Read more
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According to the UN's Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI), published by the UN, ranks nations according to their citizens' quality of life rather than strictly by a nation's traditional economic figures. There is a secondary report, the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), that adjusts a nation's HDI… Read more
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