Ranked: Countries with the Most Embassies Around the World

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9 hours ago

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June 13, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Mapped: Countries with the Most Embassies Around the World

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’s easy to contextualize a country’s economic might (GDP) or military prowess (military budgets), but what about diplomatic influence?

The Global Diplomacy Index by the Lowy Institute is an attempt to measure and compare diplomatic networks worldwide to understand the foreign ties that influence geopolitics.

From their 2024 update, we visualize the top 25 countries with the most embassies worldwide. Data for this graphic is current up to November 2023, and does not reflect diplomatic consequences from the Israel-Hamas war.

Ranked: Countries by Worldwide Embassy Count

China leads with 173 embassies around the world, eclipsing the U.S. (168) by just five more foreign posts.

Former colonial powers, France (158) and the UK (156) rank third and fourth respectively. Japan (152) rounds out the top five.

RankCountryEmbassies Overseas 1🇨🇳 China173 2🇺🇸 U.S.168 3🇫🇷 France158 4🇬🇧 UK156 5🇯🇵 Japan152 6🇩🇪 Germany148 7🇹🇷 Türkiye145 8🇷🇺 Russia143 9🇧🇷 Brazil135 10🇮🇳 India135 11🇮🇹 Italy124 12🇪🇸 Spain114 13🇰🇷 South Korea114 14🇳🇱 Netherlands106 15🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia104 16🇨🇭 Switzerland102 17🇨🇦 Canada98 18🇿🇦 South Africa98 19🇮🇩 Indonesia92 20🇵🇱 Poland91 21🇨🇿 Czech Republic91 22🇵🇰 Pakistan89 23🇦🇷 Argentina87 24🇭🇺 Hungary87 25🇸🇪 Sweden87
Note: As of November, 2023.

The index notes some key findings in the regional footprint of all these foreign posts as well.

For example, China has a larger diplomatic presence in Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific, while the U.S. leads in the Americas, Europe, and South Asia. This reflects the two superpowers’ trade and economic ties as well.

Meanwhile, Türkiye and India have grown their diplomatic networks the most in recent years. Interestingly, both countries prioritized Africa in their new outreach. In fact, India is a key export

Which Countries Have the Most Economic Influence in Southeast Asia?

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53 mins ago

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May 16, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Countries With the Most Economic Influence in Southeast Asia

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.

This chart visualizes the results of a 2024 survey conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Nearly 2,000 respondents from 10 countries were asked to select which country/region they believe has the most influential economic power in Southeast Asia.

The countries surveyed are all member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic union of 10 countries in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia Perceptions: Who’s Got Economic Influence?

Across all ASEAN nations, China is regarded as the region’s most influential economic power.

Laos and Thailand had the highest share of respondents picking China, at 78% and 71% respectively. As the report points out, China is Laos’ largest foreign investor as well as its top export market.

Country🇨🇳 China🌏 ASEAN🇺🇸 U.S. 🇧🇳 Brunei64%18%8% 🇰🇭 Cambodia60%11%20% 🇮🇩 Indonesia54%28%8% 🇱🇦 Laos78%8%8% 🇲🇾 Malaysia67%17%9% 🇲🇲 Myanmar60%7%20% 🇵🇭 Philippines31%26%28% 🇸🇬 Singapore60%15%21% 🇹🇭 Thailand71%9%11% 🇻🇳 Vietnam53%29%11%
Note: Percentages are rounded.

Other ASEAN countries usually score highly as well, along with the United States.

It’s only in the Philippines, where China (31%), the U.S. (28%) and ASEAN (26%) were perceived as having a similar amount of influence.

ASEAN, Japan, and the EU

Filipinos also rated Japan’s economic influence the highest (9%) compared to those surveyed in other ASEAN countries. In 2023, the Southeast Asian bloc celebrated 50 years of friendship with Japan, marking it as one of their most important “dialogue partners.”

Country🇯🇵 Japan🇪🇺 EU🌐 Other 🇧🇳 Brunei3%1%7% 🇰🇭 Cambodia1%5%3% 🇮🇩 Indonesia5%1%3% 🇱🇦 Laos1%4%1% 🇲🇾 Malaysia4%0%2% 🇲🇲 Myanmar6%6%2% 🇵🇭 Philippines9%4%3% 🇸🇬 Singapore3%0%2% 🇹🇭 Thailand3%4%4% 🇻🇳 Vietnam3%3%2%
Note: Percentages are rounded. Other countries include: Australia, South Korea, India, and the UK.

The EU

Mapped: Southeast Asia’s GDP Per Capita, by Country

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9 seconds ago

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May 8, 2024

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Mapped: Southeast Asia’s GDP Per Capita, by Country

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 1937, as America navigated the Great Depression, Russian-born economist Simon Kuznets presented a novel idea on measuring a country’s economy. And thus, gross domestic product (GDP) was born.

Nearly eight decades later, measuring GDP, and GDP per capita—which helps make data comparable between populations—has become a benchmark statistic to compare and contrast countries’ economies and productivity.

In this map, we compare Southeast Asia’s GDP per capita levels. Data is in current U.S. dollars, sourced from the International Monetary Fund’s DataMapper tool, last updated April 2024.

Ranked: Southeast Asian Countries by GDP Per Capita

Singapore stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of the region with a per capita GDP past $88,000. It is also, incidentally, one of the richest nations in the world by this metric.

The 734 km² country has only 5.6 million residents and very few natural resources. However the country’s strategic location makes it a center for trade and commerce.

CountryGDP Per Capita 🇸🇬 Singapore$88,450 🇧🇳 Brunei$35,110 🇲🇾 Malaysia$13,310 🇹🇭 Thailand$7,810 🇮🇩 Indonesia$5,270 🇻🇳 Vietnam$4,620 🇵🇭 Philippines$4,130 🇰🇭 Cambodia$2,630 🇱🇦 Laos$1,980 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste$1,450 🇲🇲 Myanmar$1,250
Note: Figures are rounded.

This is in sharp contrast to Brunei, Southeast Asia’s next richest country, with a per capita GDP of $35,110.

Oil is a critical part of Brunei’s economy, making it both very wealthy, but landing it in a vulnerable, resource-dependent position. Oil and gas revenues contribute half the country’s entire revenue receipts.

Two countries known for their large tourism sectors, Malaysia and Thailand rank third and fourth, at $13,310 and $7,810 respectively.

Finally, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the world’s fourth-most populous country Indonesia, rounds out the top five with a GDP per capita of $5,270.

Mapped: The Most Valuable Company in Each Southeast Asian Country

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2 mins ago

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May 6, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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The Most Valuable Company in Each Southeast Asian Country

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.

Southeast Asia has been emerging as an economic powerhouse in the past decade. However, there are very noticeable disparities in the sizes of the largest publicly-traded corporations in countries within the region.

In this visualization, we map the most valuable company in each Southeast Asian country, by their market capitalization in current U.S. dollars as of April 18th, 2024.

Data for this visualization and article is sourced from Companiesmarketcap.com, and the Laos and Yangon stock exchanges.

Southeast Asia’s Biggest Companies are Banks

The most valuable companies in Indonesia and Singapore, Bank Central Asia and DBS Group, are each worth more than $60 billion, and both are banks.

In the quartet of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the largest companies by market cap are all worth around $20 billion. Out of the four, two are banks.

CountryCompanyMarket Cap 🇮🇩 Indonesia🏦 Bank Central Asia$73B 🇸🇬 Singapore🏦 DBS Group$69B 🇲🇾 Malaysia🏦 Maybank$28B 🇹🇭 Thailand⛽ PTT PCL$27B 🇻🇳 Vietnam🏦 Vietcombank$20B 🇵🇭 Philippines📈 SM Investments
Corporation$20B 🇰🇭 Cambodia🚢 Sihanoukville
Autonomous Port$1B 🇱🇦 Laos🏭 LALCO$312M 🇲🇲 Myanmar📈 First Myanmar
Investment$139M
Note: Figures are rounded, and current as of April 18th, 2024.

Cambodia stands by itself, with its most valuable publicly listed company, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, worth $1 billion.

Meanwhile, LALCO in Laos is a credit leasing company worth $312 million and Myanmar’s biggest company, First Myanmar Investment, is worth $139 million.

Finally, Brunei and Timor-Leste do not have public stock exchanges, but for different reasons.

Most of Brunei’s economy relies on the state-owned oil sector, which also helps make its sultan the world’s second-richest monarch. However, in Timor-Leste, a small population combined with limited access to credit and liquidity has led to limited opportunities for the creation of publicly-listed companies or an exchange.

Charted: What Southeast Asia Thinks About China & the U.S.

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47 mins ago

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May 3, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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What Southeast Asia Thinks About China & the U.S.

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.

This chart visualizes the results of a 2024 survey conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Nearly 2,000 respondents were asked if they were worried or welcoming of rising Chinese and American geopolitical influence in their country.

The countries surveyed all belong to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic union of 10 states in Southeast Asia.

Feelings Towards China

On average, a significant share of respondents from all 10 countries are worried about rising influence from both the U.S. and China.

However, overall skepticism is higher for China, at 74% (versus 59% for U.S.).

CountryWorried About Growing
🇨🇳 InfluenceWelcome Growing
🇨🇳 Influence 🇧🇳 Brunei58%42% 🇰🇭 Cambodia66%34% 🇮🇩 Indonesia57%43% 🇱🇦 Laos68%32% 🇲🇾 Malaysia56%44% 🇲🇲 Myanmar95%5% 🇵🇭 Philippines81%19% 🇸🇬 Singapore74%26% 🇹🇭 Thailand84%16% 🇻🇳 Vietnam96%4% Average74%27%

The recently-cooled but still active territorial concerns over the South China Sea may play a significant role in these responses, especially in countries which are also claimants over the sea.

For example, in Vietnam over 95% of respondents said they were worried about China’s growing influence.

Feelings Towards America

Conversely, rising American influence is welcomed in two countries with competing claims in the South China Sea, the Philippines (69%) and Vietnam (55%).

CountryWorried About Growing
🇺🇸 InfluenceWelcome Growing
🇺🇸 Influence 🇧🇳 Brunei73%27% 🇰🇭 Cambodia58%42% 🇮🇩 Indonesia73%27% 🇱🇦 Laos79%21% 🇲🇾 Malaysia68%32% 🇲🇲 Myanmar45%55% 🇵🇭 Philippines32%69% 🇸🇬 Singapore37%63% 🇹🇭 Thailand80%20% 🇻🇳 Vietnam45%55% Average59%41%

Despite this, on a regional average, more respondents worry about growing American influence (59%) than they welcome it (41%).

Interestingly, it seems almost every ASEAN nation has a clear preference for one superpower over the other.

The