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World / 1 day ago

80 years of the United Nations: From 51 to 193 member states

On October 24, 1945, the world witnessed the birth of the United Nations, an institution established in the aftermath of World War II to promote peace, security, and cooperation among nations. Eighty years later, the UN remains one of the most significant symbols of global unity, with 193 member states spanning every corner of the globe. What began with 51 founding members has grown into a truly universal body, reflecting decades of decolonisation, independence movements, and shifting political landscapes.

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World / 1 day ago

Countries where euthanasia is legal in 2025

Euthanasia, the practice of allowing or assisting a person to end their life, continues to spark ethical and legal debates worldwide. The map above visualises how different countries approach the issue: some permit active voluntary euthanasia, others allow only passive euthanasia, many prohibit all forms, and several simply have no clear regulation.

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World / 1 week ago

5 of the world’s 10 largest countries now below replacement-level fertility

Across much of the world, people are having fewer children than ever before. A new visual from World Visualised, using World Bank data, shows a striking pattern: between 2000 and 2023, fertility rates in the ten largest countries have fallen sharply, and in five of them, they’ve dropped below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman. According to the data, this includes China, Russia, the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia, nations that together make up nearly half of the world’s population. Meanwhile, countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India have also seen steady declines, though their rates remain above replacement for now.

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World / 1 week ago

Why agriculture still matters in Southeast Asia and where it’s heading

In Southeast Asia, agriculture, forestry, and fishing remain foundational to national economies, contributing 8% to 16.6% of GDP in 2024, depending on the country, even as their shares have declined in recent years. The data in the image shows Cambodia at 16.6%, Vietnam at 11.9%, Myanmar at 20.8%, the Philippines at 9.1%, Indonesia at 12.6%, Thailand at 8.7%, and Malaysia at 8.2%. Some of these figures represent decreases from 2021; for example, Cambodia saw a drop of 6.2 percentage points, and Vietnam declined by 3.0 points.

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World / 1 week ago

Africa leads the world in population growth as Europe shrinks

The world’s population is still growing, but not evenly. According to the World Population Review, Africa is adding about 32.4 million people every year, making it the fastest-growing continent on Earth. Asia follows closely, increasing by around 29.5 million people per year. In contrast, Europe’s population is shrinking, losing nearly one million people annually.

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World / 1 week ago

Countries with the highest civilian gun ownership in the world

The United States leads the world in civilian gun ownership, with an average of 120.5 firearms for every 100 residents. That far exceeds the next country on the list, Yemen, with 52.8 guns per 100 people, followed by New Caledonia at 42.5. Other nations in the top ten include Serbia and Montenegro (each at 39.1), Canada (34.7), Uruguay (34.7), Cyprus (34.0), Finland (32.4), and Lebanon (31.9), according to the chart.

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World / 1 week ago

The world by age: Why Africa is youngest and Europe is oldest

A striking new map from The World in Maps places the continents side by side by their median age, the age at which half the population is younger and half older. According to the graphic sourced from UN 2024 data, Africa’s median age sits at about 19.3 years, making it by far the youngest continent. Europe leads in age, with a median of 42.7 years.

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World / 2 weeks ago

When faith shapes law: The global map of state-backed religions

The world has become increasingly diverse and interconnected; thus, around 40 countries maintain a formal link between religion and the state. A produced by The World in Maps categorises these nations by their official or constitutionally endorsed faiths — Christianity (in red), Islam (in green), and Buddhism (in dark grey) — pointing to the enduring complexity of how states and religions interact globally.

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World / 2 weeks ago

Global rice exports hit record high but farmers face growing pressure

The global rice export landscape is reshaping under a flood of supply, shifting policies, and volatile markets. According to the striking graphic above, global exports reached 88.4 million tonnes, led overwhelmingly by India with more than 33 million tonnes. Following India in the top ten are Thailand (10.9 M), Vietnam (8.6 M), Pakistan (6.7 M), Belgium (4.9 M), China (3.2 M), Myanmar (3.2 M), the U.S.A (3.0 M), Brazil (2.0 M), and the Netherlands (1.6 M).

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World / 3 weeks ago

Is your right eye in charge? What 70% of people don’t realise about eye dominance

Did you know that 70% of people are right-eye dominant, while roughly 30% are left-eye dominant? That’s according to visual science sources citing ocular dominance studies. Though eye dominance doesn’t equate to better vision, it plays a subtle but meaningful role in how our brain processes visual information.

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