It’s human nature to want to be the best. To have more, to achieve more, to rack up numbers that make you stand out. It doesn’t even matter what it’s about, we just really like numbers. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes it’s not. But it gets a lot more interesting when we zoom out and look at entire populations who do the most, have the most, and so on. Per capita statistics can tell you a lot about a place, even if they’re not always flattering.
10. The Vatican has the highest wine consumption per capita
Many people around the world enjoy a cold beer or port when the mood strikes. However, when it comes to wine, it is not the French who prefer to enjoy the most electric grape juice, but the good people of the Vatican.
According to a study by the California Wine Institute, the average Vatican resident drank 74 liters of wine per year in 2012. In Italy as a whole, the figure is half that, as is France. In America, it’s a paltry 3.18 gallons, or just over 12 liters per capita.
Given the size of the average bottle of wine, we'd expect Vatican residents to consume about 100 bottles of wine a year. Keep in mind, however, that the Vatican has an absurdly small population of about 800 residents, and, with the exception of a few Swiss Guards and others, almost no one has children. These details would skew the statistics considerably, making residents seem a little more brash than the average European or North American.
9. Estonia has the most models per capita
Have you ever wondered what the most beautiful country in the world is? Not the scenery, but the people. Where do the beautiful people live? Well, that's a very superficial question, and shame on you for thinking so. But if we were trying to objectify and quantify beauty, we might start by looking at a profession known for its beauty, like modeling. And who has the most models? It turns out it's Estonia.
Statistically, Estonia produces more models than any other country: 74 models per million inhabitants. They even use it to try to boost tourism, and also mention that they are the third highest country in Europe.
Of course, Estonia is still a small country, and overall it doesn't have more models than most countries. The United States still produces more models than any other country, but not per capita.
8. Uruguay has the most cows per capita
Do you like beef and/or milk? Well, then there's a good chance you like cows. America obviously has a big dairy industry, with about 92 million cows roaming the countryside somewhere. But the industry is actually getting bigger in other countries, and on a per capita basis, the United States actually falls to eighth place.
The largest producer of cattle per capita is Uruguay. Uruguay has almost 12 million cows, but only 3.45 million citizens. That means there are almost three and a half cows for every person in the country. Americans get only 0.28 cows.
Since 2006, beef has become Uruguay's largest export commodity, bringing in over a billion dollars to the country's economy.
7. Canadians produce the most trash per capita
Canadians have long been praised for their politeness. On the world stage, it seems to be what they are best known for, along with things like Mounties, maple syrup, and beavers. But there is at least one other thing they can call their own: Canadians are the dirtiest people on the planet. Canada produces more trash per capita than any other country.
Canada produces 36.1 tonnes of waste per capita each year, ahead of the United States, which produces 25.9 tonnes, and places it third and second among waste producers, Bulgaria, with 26.7 tonnes.
This doesn’t mean that every Canadian is a Godzilla-style trash monster. The average Canadian household will never throw away 36 tons of trash a year, or at least hopefully not have that many Tim Hortons cups to throw away. Almost all of that waste is industrial, which means Canadian businesses are extremely poorly managed and inefficient. Efforts to divert more waste from landfills are increasing, but not as well as other countries have managed.
6. New Hampshire holds the title of the state with the most beer consumption
New Hampshire residents love to drink, at least compared to any other state. Per capita alcohol consumption is 4.43 gallons per capita, or about 17 liters. Of course, the statistics vary a little from year to year, but New Hampshire consistently ranks near the top.
In 2017, that number dropped to 1.96 gallons of spirits, 1.88 gallons of beer, and 0.88 gallons of wine. Again, New Hampshire still led in every single category.
Data collected to reflect only people over 21 changes the story a bit. What seemed like a modest amount of alcohol consumption increases significantly when you ignore all minors. New Hampshire residents now consume 41.5 gallons, or 157 liters, of beer per person.
If that doesn’t sound like much to you, don’t worry, it’s nowhere near the total amount of alcohol consumed worldwide. That honor goes to Eastern Europe and places like the Czech Republic, where residents drank 14.26 liters of pure alcohol per capita per year in 2019. That number seems suspiciously low, but that’s only because it’s “pure alcohol.” So a 12-ounce beer contains just 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol.
If a liter is 33.8 ounces, then the Czechs drank about 482 ounces of pure alcohol per capita. If beer is 0.6 ounces, then they drank more than 800 types of beer per year.
5. In the Netherlands, people eat far more mushrooms than anywhere else.
Do you like mushrooms? If you're not a big fan, you probably won't want to travel to the Netherlands anytime soon because, man, do the Dutch love mushrooms. The Dutch eat 11.62 kilograms of mushrooms a year, which is just under 26 pounds. Ireland comes in second with just over half that amount. Americans eat about 3.65 pounds per capita.
Globally, China is the largest producer and consumer of mushrooms, but on a per capita basis it ranks very low, at just 1.16 kilograms. The Netherlands, on the other hand, has been steadily and purposefully developing its mushroom industry since the 1950s. Today, there are more than 120 companies growing mushrooms in the Netherlands, and the country is quickly becoming one of the world's largest exporters.
4. Finland produces the most heavy metal bands
Is art related to culture? Are some people more creative than others? It’s an interesting proposition, but it’s certainly going to be hard to prove or disprove without a lot of historical and sociological data. But one thing you can look at without any context is the straight numbers. For example, Finland produces more heavy metal bands per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Scandinavia generally loves loud, heavy music. But Finland produces 53.2 heavy metal bands per 100,000 residents. That beats second-place Sweden, which produces just 37.14.
So what is it about Finland that makes them so fond of these hardcore guitar lines? Speculation can run rampant, but there are other interesting things to consider. For one, Finland is also considered the happiest country in the world. Perhaps heavy metal allows Finns to deal with their negative feelings in a country that is notoriously conservative when it comes to such things. Or, as others have suggested, perhaps it speaks to the brutal and intense heritage of the Vikings in a more modern and manageable form.
3. Argentina has the most pets per capita
Americans love their pets. About 66% of all American households have pets, with dogs being the absolute favorite pet, followed by cats, and fishing coming in at a distant third. But as much as Americans love their pets, they are still not on the same level as Argentines. Argentines love their animals very much.
Argentina has the most pets per capita of any country in the world. That's not to say other countries don't have more pets—there are more dogs in America than people in Argentina. In one study, 66% Argentines said they owned dogs, while 32% said they owned cats.
2. Samoa produces more NFL players than anywhere else
Many young people dream of becoming professional athletes one day, and spend years playing sports in school to achieve that goal. Those who excel in high school can earn a college scholarship, and then you're on your way to the big money with a major league contract. Maybe.
Talent can come from anywhere, and scouts are always looking for something new, but NFL scouts probably feel a little less stressed when they go scouting in Samoa because for some reason Samoa produces more NFL players per capita than anywhere else.
In 2019, three percent of the league's players were Samoan, meaning Samoans are 40 times more likely to make it to the NFL than the general population. Samoans are 56 times more likely to be an NFL player than non-Samoans.
Why are Samoans so popular in the NFL? The culture takes football seriously. It is very popular and almost everyone plays it. Because they have a history of excellence, new generations work much harder. Football is a window to success, not just in the NFL, but to scholarships and education, opportunities that may not otherwise be available.
1. Iceland has more writers per capita than anywhere else in the world.
It's hard to say what makes a person want to create things. Can it be cultivated, and if so, how? What about different artists? We've seen that Finland seems to have a knack for producing heavy metal bands, and how that might be related to their history and culture of expression, but what about painters? Sculptors? Writers?
If you want to master writing, you might want to head to Iceland. For some reason, Iceland has an advantage in writing. Even though their population is very small, only about 300,000, they have managed to produce more published writers per capita than anywhere else in the world. About 10% of Iceland’s population will publish a book at some point in their lives.
Iceland seems to really respect the written word, and writers can even get government support for their craft, earning a salary for it. When you leave the house, you can scan codes on benches to download audiobooks so you have something to listen to while you sit. The whole culture just loves to read and write.
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