Because Every Country Is The Best At Something

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

International Number Ones: Because Every Country Is The Best At Something
International number ones

Data: http://bit.ly/IntNoOnes

Note: Roll over the main image to see the countries.

Review the changes we’ve made to this image

Tags —


Credits —


DESIGN: David McCandless
RESEARCH: David McCandless, Chris J Hall, Alexia Wdowski, Pearl Doughty White, Caroline Flynn, James Key (yes it was a lot of work!)
ADDITIONAL DESIGN: Matt Hancock, Joe Swainson
SOURCES: NationMaster.com, The CIA World FactBook, Wikipedia, FAO @ The UN, Press Reports
DATA: Explore in this Google doc

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  • töff

    The US is best at SERIAL KILLERS!? That might be so, but how does “serial killers” become something we take note of being “best” at? How about international aid, or deposing violent dictators … something positive. If we have the most serial killers, I’d say we’re the “worst” at it.

  • http://2LMN.co.za lebogang nkoane

    Ole,

    I think there is something wrong in statistical data that is not coherent to itself based on time. e.g: the data on South Africa (yes, I am South African) is 10 years old (1998-2000), whereas the data on Afghanistan is 1 year old (2009).

    Surely, for the title ‘every country is the best at something’, the time frame would have to be the same, for that data to make sense, and I am sure each year the stats change, no?

    I know stats on countries are contested issues, especially when a country is viewed in a negative light, but if the data is correct but of different time frames, then the visualisation thereof cannot be true (or should the phrase obscured? :)

    Alas, it would be interesting to see the same visualisation of this date using a common year.

    /word

  • http://2LMN.co.za lebogang nkoane

    *correction last sentence should read: Alas, it would be interesting to see the same visualisation using a common year (or time-frame.)

    :-)

  • webXL

    Serial Killers? Are you trying to make a statement?

    How about Life Saving Drugs and Technology? inventions? or any number of sports? universities? Diversity and Freedom!!!?

  • Suhaa

    Nice diagram, but you’re missing Kuwait and I’m pretty sure Zimbabwe’s debt is not a subset of nature…

  • City Athena

    It seems you forgot Ghana! It’s in West Africa, and was the 1st colonized African nation to gain independence.

  • http://calculatingwords.blogspot.com Dan Bowen

    Wow. This graphic is pretty misleading in general. I might understand if these were “industries” that each country is the best at, but these labels seem way too general. I mean, we’re summing up the best of what the US is good at and saying “Serial Killers”(?). And Quitar is the best at “Men”??? … what does that even mean. Do they have the highest ratio of men:women… and how is the creator comparing that to ?rates? of serial killing, or any of the other apples and oranges, to the ratio of men:women (if that’s what “Men” means). The carelessness that produces this graphic makes me a little upset.

    This is a huge fail for the designer, displaying almost no useful information. It appears more like a class exercise than a noteworthy infographic. Please tell me it was a class exercise – I’ll take back my critical comments.

    My opinion.

  • Vijay

    It isnt fair that China is reputed for PIGS while the same acronym bearing countries of Euro region are almost bringing down our financial domino (house of cards, more like!)

  • http://strangeplankton.blogspot.com/ Andrew Yool

    Excellent work! On this graphic and on so many others – this site is just great.

    If I can gripe just a little, Zimbabwe’s “Public Debt” and Lesothos’s “Highest Population” are both colour-tagged as “Nature”, when other tags might be more appropriate (though population does have a strong effect on nature).

    Anyway, keep up the good work!

  • http://twitter.com/?status=%lordmanley%20 Manley

    Rolling over does the square root of sod all for me – can you also provide the additional data in an accessible form please, for those of us who don’t have traditional browsers.

  • Pieter

    What’s the point of this graph? To enforce stereotypes? The USA is the best at serial killers, and the Netherlands is the best at xtc. How profound! Why not mention other, more positive areas where these countries are the best (Dutch hydro-engineering, for example, and take your pick for the USA; they’re the best at a lot of things). It would be more meaningful if a complete graph was produced for each separate category.

    The design of the graph is quite nice, but the underlying idea is terribly misconceived.

  • http://twitter.com/?status=%lordmanley%20 Manley

    Thank you for the alternate data source.

  • Marcus Hurst

    Love the graph and I love your work but i have one qualm…
    How is Spain the number 1 country in the world at robberies?
    Can you point me to the statistics?

  • David Ron

    Hey, the #1 in world cup wins is Brazil, not Uruguay. Uruguay only won two WC (Uruguay ’30 and Brazil ’50). Even Italy and Germany have won more world cups than Uruguay.

  • http://www.zoombits.co.uk/search/sumvision-cyclone-micro-hd-movie-player/19245 sumvision cyclone

    Wonderful work, Every country have at list one talent in any work and that’s why we are made relationship between each other. Because we need something and some country help each other.

    • Wasington State

      so we can send some of our serial killers over to your country, since your saying its what makes the world work? I don’t think we’ve killed Gary Ridgeway here in Washington State so you can have him if you want? Unfortunately, we gassed Ted Bundy I think. Or did he hang?

  • Gastón

    Argentina: Horse Meat ? HORSE !?!? Not beef?
    Uruguay more world cup wins that Argentina? Sounds fishy but I am not a soccer fan.
    Or may be these two are reversed.

  • Marek Glowacki

    What about Poland? Also some Balkan countries are missing.

  • Carlos

    Uruguay is NOT # 1 in World Cup wins. (I’m asumming you mean Football/Soccer here.)They have 2 cups to Brazil’s 5.

  • imajoebob

    Interesting, but dubious. The first one I dug into was Papua New Guinea – Languages. The supporting data shows the “Top 20″ countries for multiple languages used. The US was listed at number 5, with 311 languages spoken, and Vindalu is 20 with 115. Here’s the problem: the United Kingdom isn’t on the list. In 2003 the City of London had a “300″ weekend, to celebrate the MORE THAN 300 DIFFERENT native/primary languages of its residents. A full SEVEN YEARS LATER, are we to assume that there are now LESS than 115 native languages spoken in London? And this was just London, not including the rest of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (or even the Falklands!).

    Nice attempt. Nice concept. Curious as to it’s dependability.

    And is that “Serial Killer” stat supposed to be anything other than provocative or insulting? There wasn’t anything else to use?

  • http://www.ordino.at Dietmar Walser

    yes, there are stereotypes in visualzing things like that, but beautiful one´s!

    I´m missing my country – Austria…. “Mozartkugel”, “Ski” or something else….

  • http://ultrasmall.at/ Bernhard Benke

    Austria is good in playing soccer bad – please add this ,-)

    • dfghbjnfdfgh

      Ridiculous pretty much? There are far worse soccer teams.
      …not many, yes, but there are.

  • http://www.ovelhaeletrica.com/blog Ronnyxxx

    Names of Brazil and Bolívia are wrong (by location). And Uruguay is the “best” in World Cup Wins, but in what sport? Soccer? No, my friends. Brazil win the World Cup 5 times!!!

  • http://shemeanswellbut.blogspot.com Mandi M

    What about Greece? (And PLEASE don’t say “DEBT” or “BAIL OUT”!)

  • dakota fuzz

    Why were so many countries left out. Like Belarus, Armenia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lesotho, Borneo, Syria, Slovakia, Kosovo, Nicaragua, Estonia, Turkmenistan, Brunei, East Temor, Bahrain, Jamaica, Venezuela, Seychelles, Equatorial Guinea. And the list goes on and on and on. I guess these countries aren’t number one is something.
    And Puerto Rico is not a country.

  • kostas

    Basically, Mandi M, right after the image, there is a link directing to the datasheet.
    Inside the datasheet now, Greece is best at smoking. (Yes we are, yes we can).
    Still I would like also to see that written on the image.

  • david

    Thanks for all the comments.

    Just a note on missing countries. Sometimes we just couldn’t fit them in the design. Other times, we couldn’t find any data for that country.

    You can see all the data for MOST of the countries here:

    http://spreadsheets1.google.com/ccc?key=trOg9GTCQEbf1PjYAkt8agg&hl=en_GB#gid=3

  • chiara

    What about ALBANIA? Hasn’t it got records?

  • patrickdh

    @infobeautiful
    - who makes wine,
    - who has highest transplant rate;
    - who produces most solar energy.

    Spain does robberies best? check again

  • http://gabidearest.blogspot.com Gabriela Sáenz

    Colombia is the best at producing cocaine? For someone who has a website promoting information, you seem quite ignorant. Did you know, for instance, that 90% of the entire flower production that people in the US buy for Valentine’s day comes from Colombia? Check your facts, douchebag.

  • dakota fuzz

    If you couldn’t fit in info or find any for all nations then be careful with using “every country is number one at something” as the heading. It’s like having a 99 cents or less store where some things cost 2 bucks. There might be a good reason for the mark-up but it sort of kills the whole idea.
    And you have to admit, the heading IS the concept. So my unsolicited advice is – make room for all nations. Even if you need to put a legend on the side.
    Or change the title.

  • Lucía

    Regarding Uruguay and science for kids, last year we implemented One Laptop Per Child.
    That’s got to be better than the amount of science hours in 1999!

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8309583.stm

  • Mantas

    Lithuania isn’t better than other countrys by sucides (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate ), it is best by upload speeds-http://speedtest.net/global.php#0

  • Neil K

    Canada has more interesting stats than fruit juice drinking.

    - #1 in the world at marijuana consumption per capita
    http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/06/24/f-unitednations-drug-report-canada-ecstasy.html

    - #1 in the world at social networking (as per capita time spent per week)
    http://www.canadaisbetter.com/2010/01/05/canada-leads-the-world-in-social-networking-time-wasting/

    - #1 in coastline length:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_length_of_coastline

    #1 in uranium production:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_uranium_production

    Actually, this page is a great source for national number ones, in general.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_statistically_superlative_countries

  • Francesco Aloisio

    Ireland is an awful place to live. I wonder where you’ve picked the data from. It can’t be on first place in the ranking. Honestly IT CAN’T!

  • http://www.ermesculos.com ermes culos

    Dunno about Canadians as juice drinkers…but never had the slightest doubt that us Italians have never stopped ruling ever since the time of the Caesars!
    Ermes C

  • bertha

    So is it a joke or how come you title the grafic as the best things countries have and put categories such as cocaine, robberies, terrorism and serial killers?
    the only thing you’re reaching is increase the levels of prejudice

  • Gz

    Ireland number one in “quality of life”?? LOL. Good joke :)
    You should live here lads… :)

  • James Blunt

    For most women MPs, how did you get Belgium for this?

    http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm is probably the best source you can get…

  • http://teawithmcnair.typepad.com/tea_with_mcnair/ 100%mcnair

    WOW. USA is No.1 at serial killers? That’s the best you can do? No bias for you guys. HA!

  • agenerousdesigner

    congrats for this fun map. our country did not fit, but i’m rather happy at this time :)
    forget the old stereotypes, these are the new ones :D

  • http://www.articlesandtexticles.co.uk Michael

    Borneo has the biggest concentration of butterfly species in the world. It contains more (956) species of butterflies than the rest of the world put together.

  • ANGEL
  • Griffin

    Not sure it makes complete sense to have a graph like this without saying exactly what you are comparing, i.e. total number, per capita, percentage of population who ____, etc.

    For instance, I don’t think it makes sense that Mauritania is #1 in Muslims. Especially since Indonesia is purported to have the highest population of Muslims (and certainly there are other countries that have more total Muslims than Mauritania). So it must have been that you compared a percentage of the population. But for Solar Cells, do you compare percentage of the population who own a solar cell, percentage of energy from solar cells, or total number of solar cells, etc?

  • Carlos

    Hey Venezuela is best at Rhum, Cocoa and precambric formations, so you should fix this like yeah

  • Dan

    I am not sure what #1 in mammal species means with regard to Belize. Does that mean largest number of species? If so, I am not sure that Belize would be #1.

    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/env_kno_mam_spe-environment-known-mammal-species

    The known number of mammal species at 125 for Belize is quite consistent across various sources, putting Belize far from the highest ranked countries in this category (some countries have four times this). I would be surprised if Belize beat biodiverse hot spots such as Brazil or Indonesia.

    Perhaps Belize wins #1 for most interesting mammal species, but that is debatable.

  • Piet

    ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz…… what a waste of binary.

  • Brat

    I am not going to question the integrity of the data. I am assuming that you have chosen the most unconventional fact from the lists to spice the graph up. Good work!

  • http://www.ba.be Jan Guldentops

    I think you made a mistake on the Belgian “first”: female MP’s

    * first of all your source counts the number of ministers / secretaris in the government not the Members of parlement.
    * secondly the percentage is not 55% as your source says but 33,3333%. We have 15 ministers of which 5 are women… cfr. http://www.belgium.be/nl/over_belgie/overheid/federale_overheid/federale_regering/samenstelling_regering/

  • MOZ

    Cannabis is not a crime, and it would remove 90% of the bad things listed on the map, if it was used enough.

  • Class 09A TSBE

    We have noticed that both Armenia and Azabajan are number one in the catagory “software piracy”.
    Could you check the data in the spreadsheet for us?

    Regards

    TSBE 09A English Class (Switzerland)

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