education - World Visualized

education

Culture / 6 weeks ago

Why school start times vary so widely across Latin America

Across Latin America, school start times range from 6 a.m. in Colombia to 10 a.m. in Uruguay. Across Latin America, school start times range from 6 a.m. in Colombia to 10 a.m. in Uruguay. While it might seem like a small detail, the hour a student begins class can make a big difference in how they learn, sleep, and grow. Sleep experts have long warned that early school starts clash with adolescents' natural rhythms. Teenagers biologically tend to fall asleep later and wake up later, making those pre-dawn routines a real struggle.

Culture / 7 weeks ago

Same effort, different score: The wildly uneven grading systems of South America

In a striking visual overview of educational systems across South America, the grading scales used by countries vary widely, reflecting the region’s complex histories and educational infrastructures. The map shows how school grades are awarded from “worst” to “best,” with ranges like 0–10, 1–5, 0–20, and even 1–100 appearing in different nations. While superficially this might look like a quirky oddity, it actually reveals deeper truths about how schooling and standards operate in Latin America.

Culture / 7 weeks ago

Europe’s grading systems reveal as much about culture as they do about scores

Across Europe, the marks on one's report card say far more than "good" or "bad" — they’re steeped in national traditions, educational philosophies and the challenges of translating achievement across borders. From numeric scales of 0–20 in France to 1–5 in Austria, and 12-point systems in Ukraine, the continent’s grading landscape is vast and varied.

Culture / 8 weeks ago

Japanese, Italian, and Chinese lead as Australia’s top school languages

From Tokyo to Milan, classrooms across Australia reflect the country’s global connections. A newly-released infographic reveals that in several states and territories, the top three languages taught in schools are as diverse as the country itself, led by Japanese, Chinese, Italian, German and Spanish. For example, in Queensland the top trio includes Japanese, German and Chinese, while in Western Australia it’s Italian, Indonesian and Japanese. In Victoria, Italian leads the way, with Indonesian and French close behind. These patterns underscore how the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority language courses mesh with migration, trade and community language trends.

Culture / 11 weeks ago

What the new IQ map really tells us about America

A new map ranking the average IQ scores of U.S. states in 2025 has reignited the national conversation about intelligence, education, and opportunity in America. Created by Maven Mapping in collaboration with The World in Maps, the visualisation claims to show how the average cognitive scores of residents vary across the country, but experts urge caution before drawing sweeping conclusions.

Culture / 13 weeks ago

Ireland’s Irish: A language of identity but not always of daily life

Despite being the Republic of Ireland’s first official language, Irish (Gaeilge) lives unevenly in daily life outside classrooms. The map above, based on the 2022 Census, shows how in many areas fewer than 5% of people speak Irish daily, while only pockets reach 20–60%. According to the Central Statistics Office’s Census 2022 Profile 8: The Irish Language and Education, nearly 1,873,997 people aged three or older declared they could speak Irish, about 40% of that age group. But of that number, only 71,968 said they spoke Irish daily outside the education system — a slight drop from 2016.

Culture / 14 weeks ago

Where and why some U.S. counties shut down for Jewish holidays

As Rosh Hashanah begins this evening, a new map has drawn attention to a U.S. reality many might not know: in certain counties, public schools close in observance of Jewish holidays. The visual representation shows counties shaded to indicate at least one school district in that county that shuts down for Jewish holidays, sometimes just major ones like Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, sometimes more.

Culture / 19 weeks ago

More than a treat: Why your go-to drink could be a sugar overdose

A single 500 ml McDonald’s strawberry milkshake contains 56g of sugar (around 14 sugar cubes), while a 330ml can of Coca-Cola packs in 36g (about 9 cubes). Even 250ml of Red Bull and 440ml of Drench juice contain 28g (7 cubes) each. On the contrary, Diet Coke and plain Evian water contain zero sugar.

World / 20 weeks ago

The world is growing older: Median age rising sharply since 1950

World Visualized’s graphic charting the median age of the global population from 1950 to 2025 shows a steady rise: from around 22 years in 1950 to more than 30 years in 2025. The pattern highlights how advancements in healthcare and education, combined with declining fertility rates, are transforming societies worldwide. In the early post‑war era, the planet was remarkably young. According to the chart, the global median age fell from 22.2 years in 1950 to a low of 20.3 years in 1970 before beginning a long ascent.

World / 21 weeks ago

Is your country the best place for your child's happiness?

It is a parent's dream to consistently ensure the safety, happiness, and overall well-being of their children. But what happens when the foundation you've believed in all your life starts cracking when it comes to your children? There is a trend of misfortunes, including economic meltdowns, flash floods, bombardments and gun violence around the world lately, and these environments are very harsh on children.

Environment / 24 weeks ago

Damascus, Caracas, Kyiv top list of world’s least liveable cities in 2025

The latest edition of the Global Liveability Index 2025, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), paints a grim picture of urban life for millions around the globe. The report ranks cities based on key quality-of-life indicators, and this year’s findings highlight the persistent challenges faced by residents in some of the world’s most troubled regions.

World / 26 weeks ago

Sweden tops list of countries with most dentists, but global shortage looms

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Sweden ranks highest globally in the number of dentists per 10,000 people, boasting 17.7 dentists. Trailing closely behind are Chile (15.8), Bulgaria (15.6), and Lithuania (14.2), reflecting a concentration of oral healthcare professionals primarily in Europe and parts of Latin America. Despite these strong national showings, WHO data reveals a concerning global shortfall in dental professionals. The world currently has just over 2.5 million dentists, while the estimated global need is more than 4.1 million, indicating a deficit of over 1.5 million.

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