Chart: Which Countries Eat the Most Instant Noodles?

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54 seconds ago

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June 23, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Chart: Which Countries Eat the Most Instant Noodles?

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 world collectively consumed 120 billion instant noodle servings in 2023. But which countries ate the most?

We visualize the country-level breakdown with estimated figures from the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA).

ℹ️ Established in March 1997, WINA collects and distributes data related to instant noodles for safe consumption and quality. Ranked: Countries by their Instant Noodle Consumption

Unsurprisingly, the now second-most populous country in the world, China, (along with Hong Kong SAR) ate about 42 billion instant noodle servings in 2023. This works out to about 30 noodle helpings per person in the year.

RankCountryRegionInstant Noodle
Servings Consumed 1🇨🇳 China and
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
Asia42.2B 2🇮🇩 IndonesiaAsia14.5B 3🇮🇳 IndiaAsia8.7B 4🇻🇳 VietnamAsia8.1B 5🇯🇵 JapanAsia5.8B 6🇺🇸 U.S.North America5.1B 7🇵🇭 PhilippinesAsia4.4B 8🇰🇷 South KoreaAsia4.0B 9🇹🇭 ThailandAsia4.0B 10🇳🇬 NigeriaAfrica3.0B 11🇧🇷 BrazilSouth America2.6B 12🇷🇺 RussiaEurope/Asia2.2B N/A🌍 Rest of WorldOther15.6B

Staying in Asia, Indonesia (14.5 billion servings), India (8.7 billion), Vietnam (8.1 billion) and Japan (5.8 billion) make up the top five.

The U.S. is the top ranked country by instant noodle consumption (5.1 billion servings) from outside Asia. There are also only two non-Asian countries in the top 10, with the other being Nigeria (3 billion portions).

Russia is the top ranked European country for instant noodle consumption, 12th overall with 2.2 billion servings.

Noodle Preferences Around the World

There’s a large variety in instant noodle brands worldwide, catering to different populations’ specific cultural and dietary habits.

For example, given Indonesia’s largely Muslim population, most noodle products are halal.

On the other hand, vegetable and tomato-based soups are eaten the most in India due to its large vegetarian population.

Meanwhile, Vietnam prefers a shrimp-flavored broth along with pho rice noodles, which are popular in the country.

To end with a fun fact, instant noodles sold in the U.S. are generally

Mapped: 15 Countries with the Highest Smoking Rates

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9 seconds ago

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June 21, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Mapped: 15 Countries with the Highest Smoking Rates

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.

It was not until 1950 when the link between smoking and lung cancer was proven, though physicians as far back as the late 19th century had identified it as a potential cause.

Since then, many countries have discouraged tobacco products in an attempt to reduce smoking rates, and consequent health effects.

We visualize the countries with the highest rates of tobacco use among their population aged 15 and older. Data is sourced from the World Health Organization, and is current up to 2022.

Which Countries Smoke the Most?

In Nauru, nearly half of the population aged 15+ uses a tobacco product, the highest in the world. The island also has a high obesity rate, and nearly one-third of the population suffers from diabetes, due to poor nutritional variety in the food supply.

Here’s a list of smoking rates by country, ranked from highest to lowest.

RankCountryTobacco use in
those aged 15+ 1🇳🇷 Nauru48% 2🇲🇲 Myanmar44% 3🇰🇮 Kiribati40% 4🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea40% 5🇧🇬 Bulgaria40% 6🇷🇸 Serbia40% 7🇹🇱 Timor-Leste39% 8🇮🇩 Indonesia38% 9🇭🇷 Croatia37% 10🇸🇧 Solomon Islands37% 11🇦🇩 Andorra36% 12🇧🇦 Bosnia &
Herzegovina36% 13🇨🇾 Cyprus36% 14🇯🇴 Jordan36% 15🇫🇷 France35% N/A🌍 World23%
Note: Figures rounded. “Tobacco use” includes smoke and smokeless products.

Meanwhile, countries in the Balkan also see a high incidence of tobacco use, bucking the general European trend. Entrenched cultural norms, lax laws, and inexpensive cigarettes are some of the most commonly identified causes.

On the other hand, tobacco use is a lot lower in the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa.

In the U.S., fewer than one in four adults smoke. Canada is even lower at 12% of the population. But some African countries (Nigeria and Ghana) are all the way down in the single-digits, at 3%.

Interestingly, men smoke more than women

Ranked: The Countries Receiving the Most Remittances From Abroad

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June 16, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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The Countries Receiving the Most Remittances From Abroad

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.

We chart the top countries by money received from abroad, in current U.S. dollars, based on 2000-2023 data from Knomad.

Specifically, these transfer totals shown represent personal remittances, or money sent between residents and non-residents, including personal transfers and compensation for work done abroad. It does not include, and is separate from, foreign investment.

Top 10 Countries by Personal Remittances Received (2000-2023)

The Indian diaspora—measuring nearly 18 million people—collectively sent more than $125 billion back to the country in 2023. In fact, India became the first country to ever receive more than $100 billion in personal remittances in 2022.

Top Countries Receiving
Money From Abroad2000 Top Countries Receiving
Money From Abroad2023e 🇮🇳 India$13B🇮🇳 India$125B 🇫🇷 France$9B🇲🇽 Mexico$67B 🇲🇽 Mexico$8B🇨🇳 China$50B 🇵🇭 Philippines$7B🇵🇭 Philippines$40B 🇬🇧 UK$5B🇫🇷 France$34B 🇹🇷 Türkiye$5B🇵🇰 Pakistan$24B 🇰🇷 South Korea$5B🇪🇬 Egypt$24B 🇺🇸 U.S.$4B🇧🇩 Bangladesh$23B 🇵🇹 Portugal$4B🇳🇬 Nigeria$21B 🇩🇪 Germany$4B🇬🇹 Guatemala$20B
Note: 2023 figures are estimates. All numbers rounded.

For context, India’s remittances received adds to more than the next two countries, Mexico ($67 billion) and China ($50 billion) combined.

Meanwhile, over the last two decades, the top 10 has seen a major shift. Countries from Europe have fallen out, replaced by Asian and African countries with big diaspora communities.

And the countries they’ve replaced—France, UK, Germany—are now some of the top destinations for immigration, from where remittances are usually sent.

The UN states that at least one in nine people globally are supported by funds received from abroad, and half of the amount ends up in rural areas, where some of the world’s poorest people live. This also makes remittances three times more important than international aid.

On a global scale, personal inbound remittances have risen seven times between 2000 and 2023.

Ranked: The Countries Most Dependent on Agricultural Exports

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59 mins ago

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June 10, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Ranked: The Countries Most Dependent on Agricultural Exports

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.

Between 2019 and 2021, agricultural products accounted for more than one-third of the total value of global commodity exports. This graphic ranks the most agriculturally-export-dependent countries in the world, using data from UN Trade & Development (UNCTAD).

For this graphic we have only included countries where agricultural products represent more than 75% of its total exports. Resource dependency can make a country vulnerable to economic shocks via price fluctuations.

Ranked: Countries that Rely Heavily on Agricultural Exports

In Micronesia, a staggering 98% of all its exports are agricultural, of which 89% are fish in various forms. In fact, five of the top 10 countries are small island nations in the Pacific. Four of them also have fish as their top agricultural export.

Below is a more extensive list showing countries whose agricultural products make up more than 60% of their total exports. Also listed: their most-valued agriculture export in 2022, sourced from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

RankCountry% of Merchandise
Exports From
AgricultureTop Agricultural
Export (2022) 1🇫🇲 Micronesia98%🐟 Fish 2🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau94%🌰 Cashew Nuts 3🇲🇼 Malawi93%🚬 Raw Tobacco 4🇸🇧 Solomon Islands89%🌲 Rough Wood 5🇲🇻 Maldives88%🐟 Fish 6🇻🇺 Vanuatu86%🐟 Fish 7🇰🇮 Kiribati84%🐟 Fish 8🇹🇴 Tonga82%🐟 Fish 9🇺🇾 Uruguay79%🐄 Bovine Meat 10🇪🇹 Ethiopia77%☕ Coffee 11🇳🇿 New Zealand77%🥛 Milk 12🇦🇷 Argentina76%🌱 Soybean Meal 13🇬🇲 Gambia75%🥜 Groundnuts 14🇧🇿 Belize75%🍬 Sugar 15🇼🇸 Samoa69%🥥 Coconut Oil 16🇵🇾 Paraguay68%🌱 Soybeans 17🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire67%🍫 Cocoa Beans 18🇸🇴 Somalia67%🐑 Sheep & Goats 19🇦🇫 Afghanistan65%☁️ Raw Cotton 20🇸🇾 Syria63%🫒 Pure Olive Oil 21🇸🇩 Sudan62%🌿 Sesame Seeds 22🇧🇯 Benin61%☁️ Raw Cotton 23🇨🇫 Central African Republic60%🌲 Rough Wood

Maldives, in the Indian ocean, is also within the top 10. Its top agricultural export is also fish. Interestingly, the Observatory of Economic

Mapped: The World’s Wettest and Driest Countries

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May 24, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Where are the World’s Wettest and Driest Countries?

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.

From tropical rainforest nations to the sandy deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, the world’s wettest and driest countries are a study in contrasts.

We map and rank the countries that receive the highest and lowest average annual precipitation in millimeters, per latest data from the World Bank.

Ranked: Top 10 Wettest Countries

Colombia tops the list of nations with the highest average precipitation at 3,240 millimeters (128 inches) in a year.

Its Tutunendo district is the one of the world’s wettest places, averaging nearly 12,000 mm (463 inches) of rain annually.

RankCountryAverage Annual
Precipitation (mm) 1Colombia3,240 2Sao Tome & Principe3,200 3Papua New Guinea3,142 4Solomon Islands3,028 5Panama2,928 6Costa Rica2,926 7Samoa2,880 8Malaysia2,875 9Brunei2,722 10Indonesia2,702
Note: Figures are rounded.

Off the coast of Africa however, Sao Tome & Principe is not far behind Colombia, receiving about 3,200 mm of rain in 2020.

Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands also average more than 3,000 mm of rain in a year, and Panama (2,928 mm) rounds out the top five.

Noticeably, all 10 countries lie in close proximity to the equator, and near oceans, where rising hot and humid air leads to abundant rainfall.

Ranked: Top 10 Driest Countries

On the other end of the scale, Egypt records the lowest average annual rainfall across all countries, at 18 mm (0.7 inches). For comparison, Colombia receives nearly 180x the amount of rain Egypt does.

RankCountryAverage Annual
Precipitation (mm) 1Egypt18 2Libya56 3Saudi Arabia59 4Qatar74 5UAE78 6Bahrain83 7Algeria89 8Mauritania92 9Jordan111 10Kuwait121
Note: Figures are rounded.

In fact, countries from North Africa and the Middle East make up the entirety of this list of the driest countries in the world.

Learn

Mapped: The Top Exports in Asian Countries

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8 seconds ago

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May 15, 2024

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The Top Exports in Asian Countries

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.

Asia’s exports span a wide range, from petroleum and minerals to technology components and textile products.

In this map, we display the top exports (as of 2022) of Asian countries, excluding Middle Eastern nations. Data was sourced from The Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Editor’s Note: For our most recent Middle East themed version of this map, go here.

Diverse Economies Across the Continent

Like in many other countries around the world, petroleum is a significant component of the Asian continental economy, with petroleum products as India’s top exporting category, amounting to approximately $86 billion per year in trade.

Another top product coming from Asia is integrated circuits. These are used in a multitude of applications spanning computing, communications, consumer electronics, automotive, industrial automation, medical devices, aerospace and defense.

CountryTop Export (2022)Top Export Value (USD Billions) 🇨🇳 ChinaBroadcasting Equipment$272.0 🇹🇼 TaiwanIntegrated Circuits$223.0 🇰🇷 South KoreaIntegrated Circuits$121.0 🇯🇵 JapanCars$89.0 🇮🇳 IndiaPetroleum Products$86.2 🇸🇬 SingaporeIntegrated Circuits$81.9 🇲🇾 MalaysiaIntegrated Circuits$78.9 🇻🇳 VietnamBroadcasting Equipment$58.5 🇮🇩 IndonesiaCoal Briquettes$50.8 🇰🇿 KazakhstanPetroleum Products$47.6 🇵🇭 PhilippinesIntegrated Circuits$32.4 🇦🇿 AzerbaijanPetroleum Products$19.4 🇹🇭 ThailandMachinery$19.3 🇹🇲 TurkmenistanPetroleum Products$9.2 🇧🇩 BangladeshTextiles and Garments$9.1 🇲🇳 MongoliaCoal Briquettes$6.5 🇺🇿 UzbekistanGold$5.2 🇧🇳 BruneiPetroleum Products$4.9 🇵🇰 PakistanTextiles and Garments$4.9 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)Ore & Minerals$4.1 🇰🇭 CambodiaTextiles and Garments$3.1 🇱🇦 LaosElectricity$2.4 🇱🇰 Sri LankaTea$1.3 🇬🇪 GeorgiaOre & Minerals$1.0 🇦🇲 ArmeniaOre & Minerals$0.7 🇹🇯 TajikistanGold$0.6 🇦🇫 AfghanistanCoal Briquettes$0.4 🇲🇻 MaldivesPlanes, Helicopters, Spacecraft$0.4 🇧🇹 BhutanOre & Minerals$0.3 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste (East Timor)Petroleum Products$0.3 🇳🇵 NepalPalm Oil$0.2 🇰🇬 KyrgyzstanPetroleum Products$0.1 🇰🇵 North KoreaOre & Minerals$0.03

In addition, the region is also a big manufacturer of semiconductors, crucial for applications ranging from telecommunications and artificial intelligence to

Ranked: The Top 20 Countries in Debt to China

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58 mins ago

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April 29, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Ranked: The Top 20 Countries in Debt to China

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.

In this graphic, we ranked the top 20 countries by their amount of debt to China. These figures are as of 2022, and come from the World Bank (accessed via Yahoo Finance).

The data used to make this graphic can be found in the table below.

CountryTotal external debt to China ($B) 🇵🇰 Pakistan$26.6 🇦🇴 Angola$21.0 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka$8.9 🇪🇹 Ethiopia$6.8 🇰🇪 Kenya$6.7 🇧🇩 Bangladesh$6.1 🇿🇲 Zambia$6.1 🇱🇦 Laos$5.3 🇪🇬 Egypt$5.2 🇳🇬 Nigeria$4.3 🇪🇨 Ecuador$4.1 🇰🇭 Cambodia$4.0 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire$3.9 🇧🇾 Belarus$3.9 🇨🇲 Cameroon$3.8 🇧🇷 Brazil$3.4 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo$3.4 🇿🇦 South Africa$3.4 🇲🇳 Mongolia$3.0 🇦🇷 Argentina$2.9

This dataset highlights Pakistan and Angola as having the largest debts to China by a wide margin. Both countries have taken billions in loans from China for various infrastructure and energy projects.

Critically, both countries have also struggled to manage their debt burdens. In February 2024, China extended the maturity of a $2 billion loan to Pakistan.

Soon after in March 2024, Angola negotiated a lower monthly debt payment with its biggest Chinese creditor, China Development Bank (CDB).

Could China be in Trouble?

China has provided developing countries with over $1 trillion in committed funding through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive economic development project aimed at enhancing trade between China and countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Many believe that this lending spree could be an issue in the near future.

According to a 2023 report by AidData, 80% of these loans involve countries in financial distress, raising concerns about whether participating nations will ever be able to repay their debts.

While China claims the BRI is a driver of global development, critics in the West have long