Geography
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin…
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
United States
North AmericaGlobal Leader
Among all countries, United States stands 1st in economic output. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
Among all countries, United States stands 1st in economic output. This achievement puts it ahead of the vast majority of countries. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
38.0, -97.0 - North America
Area
9.5M km²
Pop.
338.02M
Stats
182
Reality brief
United States is a country in North America with a population of 338.02M and an area of 9,525,067 km². Life expectancy is 78.4 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Land Area
9.15M km²#3globally
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
GDP Per Capita
$75,491.61#11globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$85,809.9#11globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
CO2 Per Capita
14.2 t/person/yr#12globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Human Development Index
0.94#19globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about United States
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include English only (official) 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: United States of America.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in United States
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Denver
Colorado, United States
Famous86/100
Open city guide
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania, United States
Famous86/100
Open city guide
Dallas
Texas, United States
Famous85/100
Open city guide
Phoenix
Arizona, United States
Famous85/100
Open city guide
Detroit
Michigan, United States
Famous84/100
Open city guide
Los Angeles
California, United States
Famous100/100
Open city guide
New York City
New York, United States
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Washington
District of Columbia, United States
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Road Deaths
12.24 per 100k#1globallyTop stat
Road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Railway Length
293.6K km#1globallyTop stat
Total railway length from CIA World Factbook.
Foreign Patents
329.2K#1globallyTop stat
How many patent applications are filed by non-residents each year.
Air Passengers
941.56M#1globallyTop stat
Total passengers carried by airlines registered in that country, regardless of where flights originated or ended.
GDP (Nominal)
$28,750,956,130,731.2#1globallyTop stat
The country's total economic output in current US dollars.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Ranks #1 globally in airports
#116.2KAirports
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Has one of the highest total co2 emissions figures
#24.6K Mt CO2eTotal CO2 Emissions
Total carbon dioxide emissions excluding LULUCF from the World Bank latest available country value.
Ranks #2 globally in electric generating capacity
#21.24B kWElectric Generating Capacity
Installed electricity generating capacity in kilowatts from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Ranks #2 globally in domestic patents
#2262.2KDomestic Patents
How many patent applications are filed by residents each year.
Ranks #4 globally in forest area
#43.10M km²Forest Area
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Compared with the region
How United States Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
United States
North America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $85,809.9
- Region avg
- $38,271.63
- World avg
- $31,844.55
United Sta…$85,809.9
North America$38,271.63
World$31,844.55
+169% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 78.4 years
- Region avg
- 75.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
United Sta…78.4 years
North America75.5 years
World73.7 years
+6% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.94
- Region avg
- 0.77
- World avg
- 0.74
United Sta…0.94
North America0.77
World0.74
+27% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 93%
- Region avg
- 76.55%
- World avg
- 70.29%
United Sta…93%
North America76.55%
World70.29%
+32% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About United States
Country briefing
Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Read the full Factbook note
Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment, and rapid advances in technology.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
- Climate
- mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
- Terrain
- vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
- Natural Resources
- coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of America coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to intercontinental air travel; St. Helens (2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; other historically active volcanoes are mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii, including (in Alaska) Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof, (in Hawaii) Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi, (in the Northern Mariana Islands) Anatahan, (in the Pacific Northwest) Mount Baker, and Mount Hood; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
- Size Comparison
- about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- English only (official) 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)
- Religions
- Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- White 61.6%, Black or African American 12.4%, Asian 6%, Indigenous and Alaska native 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 8.4%, two or more races 10.2% (2020 est.)
- Major Cities
- 18.937 million New York-Newark, 12.534 million Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, 8.937 million Chicago, 6.707 million Houston, 6.574 million Dallas-Fort Worth, 5.490 million WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- constitutional federal republic
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Capital Coordinates
- 38 53 N, 77 02 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- United States of America
- Name Origin
- the name America was first used in 1507 and is derived from the first name of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512), an Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer; the name United States first appeared in a document subtitle during the discussions that led to the Declaration of Independence in 1776
- Independence
- 4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)
- National Symbols
- bald eagle
- National Anthem
- "The Star-Spangled Banner"
- UNESCO Heritage
- 26 (13 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Puerto Rico
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- world’s largest economy by nominal GDP; largest importer and second-largest exporter; home to leading financial exchanges and global reserve currency; high and growing public debt; inflation moderating but remains above pre-pandemic levels
- Industries
- highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
- Agricultural Products
- maize, soybeans, milk, wheat, sugar beets, sugarcane, potatoes, chicken, pork, tomatoes (2023)
- Export Partners
- Canada 14%, Mexico 13%, China 8%, Germany 5%, Japan 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, gas turbines, cars (2023)
- Import Partners
- Mexico 15%, China 15%, Canada 14%, Germany 5%, Japan 5% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, crude petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, garments (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- United States Armed Forces (aka US Military): US Army (USA), US Navy (USN; includes US Marine Corps or USMC), US Air Force (USAF), US Space Force (USSF); US Coast Guard (USCG); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2025)
- Military Service
- 17 years of age (under 18 with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; maximum enlistment age varies by service; 8-year initial service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty depending on the particular military service (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 58.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 18.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 5.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 5.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector; thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; over 15,000 radio stations, most commercial; National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of about 900 member stations; satellite radio available (2018)
- Space Program
- has a large, comprehensive space program and is one of the world's top space powers; builds, launches, and operates space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and the full spectrum of spacecraft, including interplanetary probes, manned craft, reusable rockets, satellites, space stations, and space planes/shuttles; has an astronaut program and a corps of astronauts; researching and developing a broad range of other space-related technologies, including advanced telecommunications and optics, navigational aids, propulsion, and robotics; has launched orbital or lander probes to the Sun and all the planets in the solar system, as well as to asteroids and beyond the solar system; has dozens of international missions and projects, including with Canada, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the ESA; as of January 2026, 60 countries had signed onto the US-led Artemis Accords to enhance the governance of civil exploration and use of outer space; the US commercial space industry is one of the world's largest and is active across the spectrum of US government space programs; US commercial companies conduct the majority of NASA and US military space launches (2026)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #1
GDP (Nominal)
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Government Debt (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
Gender Pay Gap (%)
GDP Growth Rate
Inflation Rate
Unemployment Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Employment Rate (%)
Long-Term Unemployment
Education & Future8 statsBest: #1
Foreign Patents
Domestic Patents
R&D Spending (% GDP)
Human Development Index
University Enrollment Rate
Education Spending (% GDP)
Leisure Time
Life Expectancy
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #1
Society & Equality5 statsBest: #1
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #1
Environment9 statsBest: #2
Total CO2 Emissions
Forest Area
Irrigated Land
234.8K km²#3
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Coverage (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Electricity Access (%)
Protected Land (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Energy2 statsBest: #2
Electric Generating Capacity
1.24B kW#2
Nuclear Electricity Share
18.5%#18
Demographics12 statsBest: #3
Population
Land Area
Elderly Population (%)
Urban Population (%)
Death Rate
Median Age
Dependency Ratio
Teen Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Population Density
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #4
Health Spending (% GDP)
Obesity Rate
Suicide Rate
Doctors (per 1,000)
Life Expectancy
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #5
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #6
Land Border Length
12.0K km#6
Coastline Length
19.9K km#9
Highest Elevation
6.2K m#14
Lowest Elevation
-86 m#231
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United States
#3 in Population
The total number of people living in the country.
Top 5% globally
338.02M
Frequently Asked Questions about United States
What is the population of United States?
United States has a population of 338.02M, ranking #3 globally by population.
What continent is United States in?
United States is located in North America. It has an area of 9,525,067 km².
What is the life expectancy in United States?
Life expectancy in United States is 78.4 years, ranking #61 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of United States?
United States's GDP per capita (PPP) is $85,809.9, ranking #11 globally.
What is United States known for in global statistics?
United States ranks particularly high in Population (#3), Land Area (#3), GDP Per Capita (#11).
What is United States's Human Development Index?
United States has an HDI of 0.938, ranking #19 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is United States?
United States has a population density of 36.8 people per km², ranking #165 globally.