Background: Globally, the 20th century was marked by (a) two devastating World Wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about environmental degradation including deforestation, energy and water shortages, declining biological diversity, and air pollution; and (h) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population continues to expand at a fast rate: from 1 billion in 1820 to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, 7 billion in 2012, and 8 billion in 2022. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine and agriculture) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war).

Area
Total: 510.072 million km²
Land: 148.94 million km²
Water: 361,899,999 km²
Note: 70.9% of the world's surface is water, 29.1% is land
Comparative: land area about 16 times the size of the US

Land boundaries: the land boundaries in The World Factbook total 279,035.5 km (not counting shared boundaries twice), but the number is only an estimate because of the difficulty in precisely measuring natural features such as rivers
Note 1: 46 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czechia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked
Note 2: worldwide, about one quarter of interior (non-coastal) borders are rivers; South America with 43% leads the continents, followed by North America with 32%, Africa with 30%, Europe with 23%, and Asia with 18%; Australia has no interior national river borders
Note 3: two nations, China and Russia, each border 14 other countries

Coastline: 356,000 km
Note: 95 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Baker Island, Barbados, Bermuda, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cabo Verde, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Taiwan, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna

Maritime claims
Most countries make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm

Climate: a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates is bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates
Ten driest places on Earth (average annual precipitation): McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica 0 mm (0 in); Arica, Chile 0.76 mm (0.03 in); Al Kufrah, Libya 0.86 mm (0.03 in); Aswan, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in); Luxor, Egypt 0.86 mm (0.03 in); Ica, Peru 2.29 mm (0.09 in); Wadi Halfa, Sudan 2.45 mm (0.1 in); Iquique, Chile 5.08 mm (0.2 in); Pelican Point, Namibia 8.13 mm (0.32 in); El Arab (Aoulef), Algeria 12.19 mm (0.48 in)
Ten wettest places on Earth (average annual precipitation): Mawsynram, India 11,871 mm (467.4 in); Cherrapunji, India 11,777 mm (463.7 in); Tutunendo, Colombia 11,770 mm (463.4 in); Cropp River, New Zealand 11,516 mm (453.4 in); San Antonia de Ureca, Equatorial Guinea 10,450 mm (411.4 in); Debundsha, Cameroon 10,299 mm (405.5 in); Big Bog, US (Hawaii) 10,272 mm (404.4 in); Mt Waialeale, US (Hawaii) 9,763 mm (384.4 in); Kukui, US (Hawaii) 9,293 mm (365.9 in); Emeishan, China 8,169 mm (321.6 in)
Ten coldest places on Earth (lowest average monthly temperature): Verkhoyansk, Russia (Siberia) -47°C (-53°F) January; Oymyakon, Russia (Siberia) -46°C (-52°F) January; Eureka, Canada -38.4°C (-37.1°F) February; Isachsen, Canada -36°C (-32.8°F) February; Alert, Canada -34°C (-28°F) February; Kap Morris Jesup, Greenland -34°C (-29°F) March; Cornwallis Island, Canada -33.5°C (-28.3°F) February; Cambridge Bay, Canada -33.5°C (28.3°F) February; Ilirnej, Russia -33°C (-28°F) January; Resolute, Canada -33°C (-27.4°F) February
Ten hottest places on Earth (highest average monthly temperature): Death Valley, US (California) 39°C (101°F) July; Iranshahr, Iran 38.3°C (100.9°F) June; Ouallene, Algeria 38°C (100.4°F) July; Kuwait City, Kuwait 37.7°C (100°F) July; Medina, Saudi Arabia 36°C (97°F) July; Buckeye, US (Arizona) 34°C (93°F) July; Jazan, Saudi Arabia 33°C (91°F) June; Al Kufrah, Libya 31°C (87°F) July; Alice Springs, Australia 29°C (84°F) January; Tamanrasset, Algeria 29°C (84°F) June

Terrain: a compilation of terrain extremes can be found in the World elevation entry; the world's ocean floors also display wide variation, as explained in the bathymetry and major ocean currents entries under each of the five ocean entries (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern)
Top ten world 2025 caves: compiled from Geography - note(s) under country entries
Largest cave: Son Doong in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam, is the world's largest cave (greatest cross sectional area) and is the largest known cave passage by volume; it currently measures a total of 38.5 million m³ (about 1.35 billion cu ft); it connects to Thung cave, but not yet officially -- when recognized, it will add an additional 1.6 million m³ in volume
Largest ice cave: the Eisriesenwelt (Ice Giants World) inside the Hochkogel mountain near Werfen, Austria, is the world's largest and longest ice cave system at 42 km (26 mi)
Longest cave: Mammoth Cave in west-central Kentucky is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 mi) of surveyed passageways
Longest salt cave: the Malham Cave in Mount Sodom in Israel is the world's longest salt cave at 10 km (6 mi); its survey is not complete, so its recorded length will eventually increase
Longest underwater cave: the Sac Actun cave system in Mexico is the longest underwater cave in the world at 348 km (216 mi), and the second-longest cave worldwide
Longest lava tube cave: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep
Deepest cave: Veryovkina Cave in the country of Georgia is the world's deepest cave at 2,212 m (7,257 ft)
Deepest underwater cave: the Hranice Abyss in Czechia is the world's deepest surveyed underwater cave at 404 m (1,325 ft); its survey is not complete, and it could be 800-1,200 m deep
Largest cave chamber: the Miao Room in the Gebihe cave system in China's Ziyun Getu He Chuandong National Park has about 10.78 million m³ (380.7 million cu ft) of volume
Largest bat cave: Bracken Cave outside San Antonio, Texas, is the world's largest bat cave; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October, making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals
Largest sinkhole: the Xiaoxhai Tiankeng sinkhole in Chongqing Municipality, China is 660 m deep, with a volume of 130 million m³

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Everest 8,849 m
Lowest point: Denman Glacier (Antarctica) more than -3,500 m (in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific Ocean)
Mean elevation: 840 m
Top ten highest mountains (measured from sea level): Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,849 m; K2 (China-Pakistan) 8,611 m; Kanchenjunga (India-Nepal) 8,586 m; Lhotse (China-Nepal) 8,516 m; Makalu (China-Nepal) 8,485 m; Cho Oyu (China-Nepal) 8,188 m; Dhaulagiri (Nepal) 8,167 m; Manaslu (Nepal) 8,156 m; Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) 8,125 m; Annapurna (Nepal) 8,091 m;
Note: Mauna Kea (United States) is the world's tallest mountain as measured from base to summit; the peak lies on the island of Hawaii, but its base begins more than 70 km offshore and at a depth of about 6,000 m; total height estimates range from 9,966 m to 10,203 m
Top ten highest island peaks: Puncak Jaya (New Guinea) 4,884 m (Indonesia)*; Mauna Kea (Hawaii) 4,207 m (United States); Gunung Kinabalu (Borneo) 4,095 m (Malaysia)*; Yu Shan (Taiwan) 3,952 (Taiwan)*; Mount Kerinci (Sumatra) 3,805 m (Indonesia); Mount Erebus (Ross Island) 3,794 (Antarctica); Mount Fuji (Honshu) 3,776 m (Japan)*; Mount Rinjani (Lombok) 3,726 m (Indonesia); Aoraki-Mount Cook (South Island) 3,724 m (New Zealand)*; Pico de Teide (Tenerife) 3,718 m (Spain)*; * indicates the highest peak for that Factbook entry
Highest point on each continent: Asia - Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,849 m; South America - Cerro Aconcagua (Argentina) 6,960 m; North America - Mount McKinley (United States) 6,190 m; Africa - Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) 5,895 m; Europe - El'brus (Russia) 5,633 m; Antarctica - Vinson Massif 4,897 m; Australia - Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Highest capital on each continent: South America - La Paz (Bolivia) 3,640 m; Africa - Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 2,355 m; Asia - Thimphu (Bhutan) 2,334 m; North America - Mexico City (Mexico) 2,240 m; Europe - Andorra la Vella (Andorra) 1,023 m; Australia - Canberra (Australia) 605 m
Lowest point on each continent: Antarctica - Denman Glacier more than -3,500 m; Asia - Dead Sea (Israel-Jordan) -431 m; Africa - Lac Assal (Djibouti) -155 m; South America - Laguna del Carbon (Argentina) -105 m; North America - Death Valley (United States) -86 m; Europe - Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-Russia) -28 m; Australia - Lake Eyre -15
Lowest capital on each continent: Asia - Baku (Azerbaijan) -28 m; Europe - Amsterdam (Netherlands) -2 m; Africa - Banjul (Gambia); Bissau (Guinea-Bissau), Conakry (Guinea), Djibouti (Djibouti), Libreville (Gabon), Male (Maldives), Monrovia (Liberia), Tunis (Tunisia), Victoria (Seychelles) 0 m; North America - Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Kingstown (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Panama City (Panama), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Roseau (Dominica), Saint John's (Antigua and Barbuda), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) 0 m; South America - Georgetown (Guyana) 0 m; Australia - Canberra (Australia) 605 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 38% (2022 est.)
Arable land: 10.7% (2022 est.)
Permanent crops: 1.5% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 25.8% (2022 est.)
Forest: 30.6% (2022 est.)
Other: 31.4% (2022 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,242,917 km² (2012 est.)

Major rivers
Top ten longest rivers: Nile (Africa) 6,650 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Yangtze (Asia) 6,300 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,275 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,539 km; Huang He/Yellow (Asia) 5,464 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,410 km; Congo (Africa) 4,700 km; Amur (Asia) 4,444 km; Lena (Asia) 4,400 km
Note: there are 21 countries without rivers: three in Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Libya), one in the Americas (Bahamas), eight in Asia (Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen), three in Europe (Malta, Monaco, Holy See), and six in Oceania (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu); these countries also do not have natural lakes

Natural hazards: large areas of the world are subject to severe weather and natural disasters (cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, etc.)
Volcanism: this is a driver and consequence of plate tectonics, the physical process reshaping the Earth's lithosphere; the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, with over 500 of these erupting in recorded history; an estimated 500 million people live near volcanoes; associated dangers include lava flows, mud flows, pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gas emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior created a list of 16 'Decade Volcanoes' with great potential for destruction: Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy), Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (US), Merapi (Indonesia), Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (US), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini (Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua New Guinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)
Countries with the most volcanoes: (Holocene Epoch, the past 12,000 years*): United States (162), Japan (122), Indonesia (120), Russia (117), Chile (91); *roughly 1,350 volcanoes have erupted over this time period; about 40-50 eruptions are ongoing at any one time; the frequency of volcanoes has not increased
Longest erupting volcano: Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala has been constantly erupting since 22 June 1922; the Yasur volcano on Tanna Island in Vanuatu has been in constant activity since Captain Cook observed it in 1774, but it is not cited due to lack of a clear start date; tephra stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating show that the Yasur activity may have begun ca. A.D. 1270
Highest volcano (above sea level): Nevado Ojos del Salado (6,893 m; 22,615 ft) on the Chile-Argentina border is the world's highest volcano above sea level and the highest peak in Chile
Highest volcano (from base): Mauna Kea (US) is the world's tallest mountain, measured from base to summit; the peak lies on the island of Hawaii, but its base begins more than 70 km (43 mi) offshore and at a depth of about 6,000 m; total height estimates range from 9,966 m to 10,203 m
Earthquakes: the vast majority of earthquakes occur in three large zones; the Circum-Pacific Belt (known as the Ring of Fire) borders the Pacific and is the largest zone of volcanic and seismic activity, with about 90% of earthquakes (81% of the largest) and about 75% of active volcanoes; the belt extends northward from Chile along the South American coast, then through Central America, Mexico, the western US, southern Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands, to Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the southwestern Pacific, and New Zealand; the Alpide Belt extends from Java to Sumatra, northward along the mountains of Burma, eastward through the Himalayas and the Mediterranean, and into the Atlantic Ocean, accounting for about 17% of the largest earthquakes; the third belt follows the long Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Geography
Note note: the Earth is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, about one-third of the 13.8-billion-year age estimated for the universe; the earliest widely accepted date for life appearing on Earth is 3.48 billion years ago

Population
Total: 8,057,236,243 (2024 est.)
Male: 4,046,854,454
Female: 4,010,381,789
Distribution: six of the world's seven continents are widely and permanently inhabited; Asia is the most populous continent, with about 60% of the world's population (China and India together account for over 35%); Africa comes in second with over 15%, Europe has about 10%, North America 8%, South America almost 6%, and Oceania less than 1%; the harsh conditions on Antarctica prevent any permanent habitation
Growth rate: 1.03% (2021 est.)
Growth rate note: this rate results in about 154 net additions to the worldwide population every minute or 2.6 people every second

Languages
Most-spoken language: English 18.8%, Mandarin Chinese 13.8%, Hindi 7.5%, Spanish 6.9%, French 3.4%, Arabic 3.4%, Bengali 3.4%, Russian 3.2%, Portuguese 3.2%, Urdu 2.9% (2022 est.)
Most-spoken first language: Mandarin Chinese 12.3%, Spanish 6%, English 5.1%, Arabic 5.1%, Hindi 3.5%, Bengali 3.3%, Portuguese 3%, Russian 2.1%, Japanese 1.7%, Punjabi, Western 1.3%, Javanese 1.1% (2018 est.)
Note 1: the six UN languages -- Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Castilian) -- are the mother tongue or second language of about 49.6% of the world's population (2022), and are the official languages in more than half the states in the world; some 400 languages have more than a million first-language speakers (2018)
Note 2: all told, there are estimated to be 7,168 living languages spoken in the world (2023); approximately 80% of these languages are spoken by fewer than 100,000 people; about 150 languages are spoken by fewer than 10 people; communities that are isolated in mountainous regions often develop multiple languages -- Papua New Guinea, for example, boasts about 840 separate languages (2018)
Note 3: approximately 2,300 languages are spoken in Asia; 2,140, in Africa; 1,310 in the Pacific; 1,060 in the Americas; and 290 in Europe (2020)

Religions: Christian 31.1%, Muslim 24.9%, Hindu 15.2%, Buddhist 6.6%, folk religions 5.6%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unaffiliated 15.6% (2020 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.5% (male 1,018,005,046/female 958,406,907)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,658,595,672/female 2,592,930,538)
65 years and over: 10.3% (2024 est.) (male 370,253,736/female 459,044,344)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53.4 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 37.7 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 15.7 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 6.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 31 years (2020 est.)
Male: 30.3 years
Female: 31.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.03% (2021 est.)
Note: this rate results in about 154 net additions to the worldwide population every minute or 2.6 people every second

Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Note: this rate results in about 260 worldwide births per minute or 4.3 births every second

Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Note: this rate results in about 121 worldwide deaths per minute or 2 deaths every second

Population distribution: six of the world's seven continents are widely and permanently inhabited; Asia is the most populous continent, with about 60% of the world's population (China and India together account for over 35%); Africa comes in second with over 15%, Europe has about 10%, North America 8%, South America almost 6%, and Oceania less than 1%; the harsh conditions on Antarctica prevent any permanent habitation

Urbanization
Urban population: 57.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population ten largest urban agglomerations: Tokyo (Japan) - 37,393,000; New Delhi (India) - 30,291,000; Shanghai (China) - 27,058,000; Sao Paulo (Brazil) - 22,043,000; Mexico City (Mexico) - 21,782,000; Dhaka (Bangladesh) - 21,006,000; Cairo (Egypt) - 20,901,000; Beijing (China) - 20,463,000; Mumbai (India) - 20,411,000; Osaka (Japan) - 19,165,000 (2020)
Population ten largest urban agglomerations, by continent: Africa - Cairo (Egypt) - 20,901,000; Lagos (Nigeria) - 134,368,000; Kinshasha (DRC) - 14,342,000; Luanda (Angola) - 8,330,000; Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) - 6,702,000; Khartoum (Sudan) - 5,829,000; Johannesburg (South Africa) - 5,783,000; Alexandria (Egypt) - 5,281,000; Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) - 5,203,000; Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - 4,794,000; Asia - Tokyo (Japan) - 37,393,000; New Delhi (India) - 30,291,000; Shanghai (China) - 27,058,000; Dhaka (Bangladesh) - 21,006,000; Beijing (China) - 20,463,000; Mumbai (India) - 20,411,000; Osaka (Japan) - 19,165,000; Karachi (Pakistan) - 16,094,000; Chongqing (China) - 15,872,000; Istanbul (Turkey) - 15,190,000; Europe - Moscow (Russia) - 12,538,000; Paris (France) - 11,017,000; London (United Kingdom) - 9,304,000; Madrid (Spain) - 6,618,000; Barcelona (Spain) - 5,586,000, Saint Petersburg (Russia) - 5,468,000; Rome (Italy) - 4,257,000; Berlin (Germany) - 3,562,000; Athens (Greece) - 3,153,000; Milan (Italy) - 3,140,000; North America - Mexico City (Mexico) - 21,782,000; New York-Newark (United States) - 18,804,000; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana (United States) - 12,447,000; Chicago (United States) - 8,865,000; Houston (United States) - 6,371,000; Dallas-Fort Worth (United States) - 6,301,000; Toronto (Canada) - 6,197,000; Miami (United States) - 6,122,000; Atlanta (United States) - 5,803,000; Philadelphia (United States) - 5,717,000; Oceania - Melbourne (Australia) - 4,968,000, Sydney (Australia) - 4,926,000; Brisbane (Australia) - 2,406,000; Perth (Australia) - 2,042,000; Auckland (New Zealand) - 1,607,000; Adelaide (Australia) - 1,336,000; Gold Coast-Tweed Head (Australia) - 699,000; Canberra (Australia) - 457,000; Newcastle-Maitland (Australia) - 450,000; Wellington (New Zealand) - 415,000; South America - Sao Paulo (Brazil) - 22,043,000; Buenos Aires (Argentina) - 15,154,000; Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - 13,458,000; Bogota (Colombia) - 10,978,000; Lima (Peru) - 10,719,000; Santiago (Chile) - 6,767,000; Belo Horizonte (Brazil) - 6,084,000; Brasilia (Brazil) - 4,646,000; Porto Alegre (Brazil) - 4,137,000; Recife (Brazil) - 4,127,000 (2020)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 197 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.5 years (2020)
Male: 68.4 years
Female: 72.6 years

Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 16% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 8.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 11.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 29.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 19.2% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.3% (2022)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4.9% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 5.3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Time difference: there are 21 world entities (20 countries and 1 dependency) with multiple time zones: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, France, Greenland (part of the Danish Kingdom), Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Russia, Spain, United States
Note 1: in some instances, the time zones pertain to portions of a country that lie overseas
Note 2: in 1851, the British set their prime meridian (0° longitude) through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England; this meridian became the international standard in 1884 and thus the basis for the standard time zones of the world; today, GMT is officially known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and is also referred to as 'Zulu time'; UTC is the basis for all civil time, with the world divided into time zones expressed as positive or negative differences from UTC
Note 3: each time zone is based on 15° starting from the prime meridian; in theory, there are 24 time zones based on the solar day, but there are now upward of 40 because of fractional hour offsets that adjust for various political and physical geographic realities; see the Standard Time Zones of the World map included with the World and Regional Maps
Daylight saving time: some 67 countries -- including most of the world's leading industrialized nations -- use daylight savings time (DST) in at least a portion of the country; China, Japan, India, and Russia are major industrialized countries that do not use DST; Asia and Africa generally do not observe DST, and it is generally not observed near the equator, where sunrise and sunset times do not vary enough to justify it; some countries observe DST only in certain regions; only a minority of the world's population -- about 20% -- uses DST

Administrative divisions: 197 countries, 69 dependent areas and other entities

Dependent areas
Australia dependencies: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island (6)
France dependencies: Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)
New Zealand dependency: Tokelau (1)
Norway dependencies: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard (3)
United Kingdom dependencies: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Turks and Caicos Islands (12)
United States dependencies: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island (14)

Legal system
The legal systems of nearly all countries are modeled on elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law), common law (including English and US law), customary law, mixed or pluralistic law, and religious law (including Islamic sharia law); an additional type of legal system -- international law -- governs the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another

International law organization participation: all UN members are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court; as of June 2025, 125 countries have also ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICCt), the treaty that established the ICCt (see the reference guide on International Organizations and Groups for differences between the ICJ and ICCt mandates)

Executive branch
Chief of state: there are 27 countries with royal families in the world: most are in Asia (13) and Europe (10), three are in Africa, and one in Oceania; monarchies by continent are as follows: Asia (Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates); Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom); Africa (Eswatini, Lesotho, Morocco); Oceania (Tonga)
Note 1: Andorra and the Holy See (Vatican) are also monarchies of a sort, but they are not ruled by royal houses; Andorra has two co-princes (the president of France and the bishop of Urgell) and the Holy See is ruled by an elected pope
Note 2: the UK sovereign is also the monarch for the 14 Commonwealth countries (including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand)

Legislative branch: 230 political entities have legislative bodies; of these, 144 are unicameral (a single “house”) and 86 are bicameral (both upper and lower houses); 33 territories, possessions, or other special administrative units have their own governing bodies

National anthem
Title: almost every country has a national anthem (and Denmark and New Zealand have two); most anthems have lyrics, which are usually in the official language or the most common language of the country; countries with more than one official language sometimes offer several versions
Note: the first anthem to be officially adopted (1795) was 'La Marseillaise' (The Song of Marseille) of France; Japan claims to have the shortest anthem, 'Kimigayo' (The Emperor's Reign), that consists of 11 measures; Japan's anthem has the world's oldest lyrics, dating to the 10th century or earlier; Greece has the anthem with the longest lyrics, 'Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian' (Hymn to Liberty), with 158 stanzas; Uruguay has the anthem with the longest musical score, 'Himno Nacional' (National Anthem of Uruguay), with 105 bars (almost five minutes)

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1,223 (952 cultural, 231 natural, 40 mixed) (2024)
Note: a summary of each country's UNESCO World Heritage sites can be found in the national heritage data field, under the Government category for the country

Real gdp growth rate: 2.9% (2024 est.); 2.9% (2023 est.); 3.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 2.9% (2024 est.); 2.9% (2023 est.); 3.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 56.4% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 16.6% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 25.9% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 29.1% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -28.3% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4% (2024 est.)
Industry: 26% (2024 est.)
Services: 66.2% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries
Among the world 2025's largest and most technologically advanced regions, the EU industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverages, furniture, paper, textiles: dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to these technological forces; the accelerated development of new technologies is complicating already grim environmental problems

Industrial production growth rate: 2.9% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 3.696 billion (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 4.9% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 5.3% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4.9% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 5.3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $21.68 trillion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $23.81 trillion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 13.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $32.379 trillion (2024 est.); $31.271 trillion (2023 est.); $31.782 trillion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
Commodities top ten commodities by share of world 2025 trade: crude petroleum, cars, refined petroleum, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, gold, natural gas, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, packaged medicine (2022)

Imports: $31.244 trillion (2024 est.); $30.334 trillion (2023 est.); $30.871 trillion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
Commodities top ten - share of world 2025 trade: see listing for exports

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 9.08 billion kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 27.047 trillion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 810.999 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 804.542 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 2.053 trillion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 91.4% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 97.7%
Access electrification - rural areas: 84%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 60.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 9.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 5.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 14.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 9.368 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 9.382 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.494 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.507 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.166 trillion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 99.887 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 101.86 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 1.697 trillion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 4.143 trillion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 4.1 trillion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.219 trillion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.226 trillion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 206.683 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 37.079 billion metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 16.652 billion metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 12.463 billion metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 7.964 billion metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 73.108 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 839.8 million (2024 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9,144,200,000 (2024 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2024 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 74% (2025 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,495,600,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2022 est.)
Note: the worldwide total of fixed broadband subscriptions has been higher than fixed telephony subscriptions since 2017

Military expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.); 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 47,242 (2025)

Heliports: 21,741 (2025)

Railways
Total: 1,148,186 km (2013)

Merchant marine
Total: 103,577 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 13,141, container ship 5,815, general cargo 19,918, oil tanker 11,604, other 53,099