Ranking Countries

DEU · Europe · refreshed Aug 10, 2026

If Germany were a US state

It would sit in the top half on 20 of 29 measures — and come first on 11 of them.

Map showing where Germany is in the world
8th
median, of 52
37th
median, world
11
first places
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Countries that rank like Germany

Head to head: Germany vs the United States, measure by measure · or against South Korea.

From the blog: How representative are country rankings?

All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →

Common questions

Questions people ask about Germany

If Germany were a US state, how would it rank?

Across 29 measures of health, safety, money, education and the environment, Germany's median rank would be 8th on a list of the 50 states plus Washington, DC. It lands in the top half of that list on 20 of the 29 measures.

Is Germany richer than the average US state?

Germany's GDP per capita is $75,407, price-adjusted so states and countries sit on one scale. That would rank 34th of 52 among the states — poorer than most US states. Source: World Bank (PPP), 2025. See the full ranking

What is life expectancy in Germany vs the US?

People in Germany live 80.8 years on average — 1.9 years longer than the US figure of 78.9 years. Among the states, Germany would rank 1st of 52. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

How safe is Germany compared to US states?

Germany's homicide rate is 0.9 per 100k — a lower rate than every US state. Ranked with the states on the lowest rate, it would come 1st of 52. Source: UNODC / WHO, 2023. See the full ranking

Where does Germany rank in the world?

On the 30 measures with wide global coverage, Germany's median rank is 37th out of roughly 190 countries (coverage varies by measure). Rank 1st means best in the world.

What is Germany best at?

Compared with US states, Germany's strongest measure is life expectancy: at 80.8 years, it would rank 1st of 52. It does equally well on lowest homicide rate. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

What is Germany weakest at?

Germany's weakest showing is fastest economic growth: 0.2 % per year would rank 52nd of 52 — last place on the list. Source: World Bank, 2025. See the full ranking

How happy are people in Germany?

Germany scores 6.88 / 10 for self-reported life satisfaction, ranking 17th of 162 countries worldwide. Source: World Happiness Report, 2025. See the full ranking

How big is Germany compared to a US state?

Germany has about 83.5 million people — more people than any US state. Dropped into the list of 50 states plus DC, it would rank 1st of 52 by population. Source: World Bank, 2025. See the full ranking