The record · Sources
Sources & methods
We never invent numbers. Every value on this site comes from an official published dataset — linked below, with how and when it was last refreshed. Weekly sources are pulled straight from the publisher; the rest update when the publisher ships a new edition.
How well the two sides compare
A — measured the same way on both sides. B (†) — small differences; the rank is still a fair guide. C (‡) — measured quite differently; treat the rank as a rough guide. The grade and its note appear on every row where a measure is used.
Life expectancygrade A
refreshed Jul 30, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank / UN Population Division (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC NCHS (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Both use period life tables; state and country data years may differ slightly.
Homicide rategrade A
refreshed Jul 30, 2026- Countries:
- UNODC / WHO (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC WONDER (assault mortality) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- State figures use cause-of-death coding (ICD-10 X85–Y09), the same vital-registration basis most international figures rest on.
Gun deathsgrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- IHME Global Burden of Disease (updated per edition)
- US states:
- CDC WONDER (firearm mortality) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- US figures come from complete death registration; some countries' figures are modeled estimates.
Incarceration rategrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- UNODC (prisons & prisoners) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (updated per edition)
- Caveat:
- State figures count state prisons; international totals may include jails and remand. Scope is matched where possible.
Health coveragegrade B
refreshed Jul 16, 2026- Countries:
- OECD (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census Bureau SAHIE (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Most OECD countries have universal statutory coverage by definition; US state figures measure insured share.
Paid maternity leavegrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- OECD Family Database (PF2.1) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- Curated from state PFL statutes (updated per edition)
- Caveat:
- Policy facts, not survey data. Most US states have no statutory paid leave; ~13 states and DC do.
Statutory paid holidaygrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- OECD / national statutes (updated per edition)
- US states:
- No US state mandates paid annual leave (0 days) (updated per edition)
- Caveat:
- Every US state is 0 by statute — any country with a mandate ranks 1st. That is the honest comparison.
Years in educationgrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- UNDP Human Development Report (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- Global Data Lab (subnational) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Both series are computed on the UNDP definition; Global Data Lab builds the state series to match.
Road deathsgrade B
refreshed Jul 30, 2026- Countries:
- WHO Global Health Observatory (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- NHTSA FARS (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- FARS counts deaths within 30 days of a crash, matching the WHO reporting convention for most countries.
Drug deathsgrade C
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- IHME / UNODC (updated per edition)
- US states:
- CDC VSRR / WONDER (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- The US codes overdose deaths more completely than almost anywhere. Part of the US's high figures reflects better measurement.
Minimum wagegrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- OECD (real minimum wages) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- Curated from state statutes (DOL) (updated per edition)
- Caveat:
- Country figures are PPP-adjusted; state figures are nominal USD. Within-US price differences are not applied to wages.
Pupil performancegrade C
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- OECD PISA (updated per edition)
- US states:
- NAEP (NCES Data Service) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- PISA and NAEP are different tests. Ranks use the published NAEP–PISA linking studies and are indicative, not exact.
Environmental performancegrade C
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- Yale Environmental Performance Index (updated per edition)
- US states:
- Composite from EPA data (site methodology) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- No state-level EPI exists. State scores are our own composite from EPA air-quality data, scaled to the EPI range — treat ranks as indicative.
Human development indexgrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- UNDP Human Development Report (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- Global Data Lab Subnational HDI (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Global Data Lab computes state HDI on the UNDP method specifically so the two are comparable.
Obesitygrade C
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- WHO Global Health Observatory (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC BRFSS (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- State figures are self-reported (which understates obesity); WHO country figures are measured or modeled. State ranks flatter the states.
GDP per capitagrade B
refreshed Jul 30, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank (PPP) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- BEA (RPP-adjusted) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- States are deflated by BEA regional price parities; countries use World Bank PPP. Both anchor to the US price level, but the adjustments come from different programs.
Median disposable incomegrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- OECD Income Distribution Database (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- OECD countries only for now; US states pending a Census API key.
Unemploymentgrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank (ILO modelled) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Both follow the ILO unemployment definition; annual averages compared.
Infant mortalitygrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank / UN IGME (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC NCHS (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Vital-registration based on both sides; minor differences in birth-registration cutoffs.
Suicide rategrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- WHO Global Health Observatory (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC (NVSS) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- WHO country figures are age-standardized; state figures follow NVSS conventions. Reporting completeness varies by country.
CO₂ emissionsgrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US EIA (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Country figures cover all CO₂ sources; state figures cover energy-related CO₂, which is most but not all of it.
Renewable energygrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank / IEA (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US EIA SEDS (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Share definitions differ slightly between IEA and EIA accounting; directionally sound.
Happinessgrade B
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- World Happiness Report (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Countries only — the Gallup ladder isn't published per US state.
Nobel laureatesgrade C
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- Nobel Foundation API (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- Nobel Foundation API (birthplace) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Birthplace credit is one convention among several (laureates often work elsewhere), and small places swing wildly per capita. For fun, not policy.
Populationgrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- World Bank (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census Bureau (refreshed weekly)
Land areagrade A
refreshed Jul 27, 2026- Countries:
- UN / world-countries (updated per edition)
- US states:
- US Census gazetteer (updated per edition)
Cost of livinggrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank (price level ratio) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- BEA Regional Price Parities (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Countries use the GDP-basis PPP price level, states BEA's consumption-basis regional price parities — both rebased to US = 100.
Income inequalitygrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census ACS (B19083) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Countries measure equivalized disposable income or consumption; states use pre-tax household money income, which reads a few points higher.
Labor force participationgrade A
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank / ILO (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Countries count ages 15+, US states the 16+ civilian noninstitutional population — a negligible difference.
Economic growthgrade A
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- BEA (real state GDP) (refreshed weekly)
Foreign-born populationgrade A
no data yet- Countries:
- UN DESA International Migrant Stock (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census ACS (B05012) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Both count foreign-born residents; the UN's US figure is itself built from Census data.
Median agegrade A
no data yet- Countries:
- UN World Population Prospects (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census ACS (B01002) (refreshed weekly)
Birth rategrade A
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank / UN (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC NCHS (provisional counts) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- State figures divide provisional CDC birth counts by Census population estimates; provisional counts are revised slightly.
Alcohol consumptiongrade A
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank / WHO (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- NIAAA surveillance data (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Both are sales-based apparent consumption of pure ethanol; countries count ages 15+, states 14+.
Marriage rategrade A
no data yetDivorce rategrade A
no data yetAir pollution (PM2.5)grade B
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank (satellite-derived) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Both are modeled population-weighted annual means; countries use satellite-derived models, states CDC's ground-model, and data years differ.
Internet accessgrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank / ITU (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census ACS (B28002) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Countries count individuals using the internet, states count households with a subscription — close but not identical.
College degreesgrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- World Bank / UNESCO (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- US Census ACS (S1501) (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Same bachelor's-or-higher concept; some countries' latest survey year is several years old — the year shows next to each value.
Average wagesgrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- ILO (ILOSTAT) (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- BLS QCEW, price-adjusted (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Countries: ILO average monthly earnings in PPP dollars. States: average annual pay ÷ 12, deflated by BEA regional price parities.
House price growthgrade B
no data yet- Countries:
- BIS residential property prices (refreshed weekly)
- US states:
- FHFA House Price Index (refreshed weekly)
- Caveat:
- Year-over-year growth of each side's official index; index construction differs by country. Good or bad depends on whether you're buying or owning.