Ranking Countries

USA · Americas · refreshed Aug 10, 2026

If the United States were a US state

It would sit in the top half on 15 of 26 measures — and come first on 1 of them.

Map showing where United States is in the world
25th
median, of 52
62nd
median, world
1
first places
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Countries that rank like United States

From the blog: Census, BEA, CDC, BLS: why US state data is unusually good · 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 the United States

If the United States were a US state, how would it rank?

Across 27 measures of health, safety, money, education and the environment, the United States's median rank would be 25th on a list of the 50 states plus Washington, DC. It lands in the top half of that list on 17 of the 27 measures.

Is the United States richer than the average US state?

The United States's GDP per capita is $90,027, price-adjusted so states and countries sit on one scale. That would rank 17th of 52 among the states — richer than most US states. Source: World Bank (PPP), 2025. See the full ranking

What is life expectancy in the United States?

Life expectancy in the United States is 78.9 years. Set against its own 50 states and DC, the national figure would rank 6th of 52. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

How safe is the United States compared to US states?

The United States's homicide rate is 5.8 per 100k — higher than in most US states. Ranked with the states on the lowest rate, it would come 29th of 52. Source: UNODC / WHO, 2023. See the full ranking

Where does the United States rank in the world?

On the 30 measures with wide global coverage, the United States's median rank is 62nd out of roughly 190 countries (coverage varies by measure). Rank 1st means best in the world.

What is the United States best at?

Compared with US states, the United States's strongest measure is statutory paid holiday: at 0 days, it would rank 1st of 52. It does equally well on lowest income inequality. Source: OECD / national statutes, 2026. See the full ranking

What is the United States weakest at?

The United States's weakest showing is lowest obesity: 41.8 % of adults would rank 52nd of 52 — last place on the list. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, 2024. See the full ranking

How happy are people in the United States?

The United States scores 6.82 / 10 for self-reported life satisfaction, ranking 23rd of 162 countries worldwide. Source: World Happiness Report, 2025. See the full ranking

How big is the United States compared to a US state?

The United States has about 341.8 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