placestats

Last European coloniser: United Kingdom · Largest religious group: Christians. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

United States

Against high income countries, United States ranks 13th of 72 on education and 44th of 47 on equality. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare United States with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure United States reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025+1.0040 of 17937 of 58moderate +0.53
Health score 2023+0.2651 of 19327 of 63moderate +0.32
Education score 2022+1.1113 of 19913 of 72proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022+0.9414 of 11014 of 49high +0.80
Equality score 2024+0.01101 of 16544 of 47high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+1.5328 of 21027 of 80proxy +0.90
Gender score 2025+1.0642 of 18627 of 58moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024-0.74192 of 21371 of 83moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025+0.8623 of 19521 of 67high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for United States, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Public order spending1.85%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate5.76per 100,000 population2023higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance39%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important37.1%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Frequent prayer62.3%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions53.1%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Divorce rate2.5divorces per 1,000 people2021no agreed direction
Births outside marriage40.5%% of live births2020no agreed direction
Women's age at first marriage28.6years2021no agreed direction
Marriage rate6.2marriages per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Children with one parent25.1%% of children aged 0-172023no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated29.7%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share64%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share1.19%% of population2020no agreed direction
Single-parent households9.13%% of households2015no agreed direction
One-person households27.9%% of households2015no agreed direction
Women in a union52.1%% of women aged 15-492022no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)6.1marriages per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction

demography

Median age38years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing29.9years2023no agreed direction
Population341,784,857people2025no agreed direction
Population growth0.522%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization80.2%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+18.4%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1417.1%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate1.63births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate10.6per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration1,230,663people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population15.2%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

Public social spending19.8%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Family benefits spending0.604%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Old-age spending6.8%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Aid given0.094%% of GNI2025no agreed direction
Government spending per capita$34,073current international dollars2024no agreed direction
Corporate tax rate25.8%% of profit2018no agreed direction
HDI0.938index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.832index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$76,931international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$75,332international $2024higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$67,946US$2025higher is better
GDP growth2.16%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation2.95%% per year2024no agreed direction
Trade openness25%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
FDI inflows1.3%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Tax revenue10.8%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption13.6%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government expense24.4%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Military spending3.42%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture1.52%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

PISA maths465PISA points2022higher is better
PISA reading504PISA points2022higher is better
PISA science499PISA points2022higher is better
Primary completion100%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling15.9years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling13.9years2023higher is better
Education spending5.42%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Primary enrollment97%% gross2022higher is better
Secondary enrollment97.5%% gross2022higher is better
Tertiary enrollment79.4%% gross2022higher is better
Compulsory schooling12years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary3.98%% of primary-age children2022higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio14.2pupils per teacher2017higher is worse
Researchers4,937per million people2022higher is better

environment

Recycling rate25.7%% of municipal waste2014higher is better
CO2 per capita13.6t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area33.9%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land46.1%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land12.9%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender wage gap18.1%% of men's median earnings2016higher is worse
Gender Inequality Index0.169index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index1.01ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.829index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers40%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament28.9%% of seats2025higher is better
Women in management44.1%% of managers2025higher is better

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index65index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)2rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)2rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Trust in government28%% of respondents2024higher is better
Pre-trial detainee share26.7%% of prisoners2023higher is worse
Refugees originating1.16per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.735index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.571index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.51index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.902index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type2regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.06index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.729index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.913index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.865index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.963index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration100%% of children under 52022higher is better
Control of corruption1.09index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law0.962index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness1.36index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality1.35index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability0.887index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability-0.0951index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy78.9years2024higher is better
Infant mortality5.5per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality6.5per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending16.7%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Suicide rate15.6per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds2.68per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Basic water access100%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation99.6%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting4.2%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility12.4births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality17per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance99.1%% of births2020higher is better
Alcohol consumption9.9litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use15.8%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths12.7per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians3.68per 1,000 people2022higher is better
DTP3 immunisation94%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
Tuberculosis incidence3.2per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality13.7%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women15%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending10.9%% of health spending2023higher is worse
Undernourishment2.5%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity10.3%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity41%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index88index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Market-income Gini0.506index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Redistribution22.1%% reduction in the Gini2023no agreed direction
Gini index41.8index (0-100)2024higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate1.1%% of population2024higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users94.7%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions113per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access100%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population0.0932%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband38.9per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Active labour market spending0.078%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Unemployment benefit spending0.113%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Retirement age, men67.9years2018no agreed direction
Retirement age, women66.5years2018no agreed direction
Hours worked1,742hours per year2016no agreed direction
Unemployment4.2%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation56.3%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation67.1%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study11.6%% of 15 to 24 year olds2025higher is worse
Vulnerable employment3.81%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust37%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness88.2%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction6.82score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with United States

Also in North America: Bermuda, Canada.

Also high income, in other regions: American Samoa, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, The, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong SAR, China, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, and more on the full list of countries.