It's human nature to want to be the best. To have more, to achieve more, and to rack up the numbers that make you outstanding. It doesn't even matter what it refers to; we just really like numbers. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not. But it gets much more interesting when we zoom out and look at entire population groups 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 per capita wine consumption.
Many people around the world enjoy a cold beer or port when the mood strikes. However, when it comes to wine, it's not the French who prefer to savor the most electric grape juice, but the good people of the Vatican.
According to a study by the California Wine Institute, in 2012, the average Vatican resident drank 74 liters of wine per year. In Italy as a whole, this figure is half that, as is in 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 around 100 bottles of wine per year. However, keep in mind that the Vatican has a ridiculously small population—around 800—and, with the exception of a few Swiss Guards and others, almost no one has children. These details would significantly skew the statistics, making residents appear slightly more brash than the average European or North American.
9. Estonia has the most models per capita
Have you ever wondered which country in the world is the most beautiful? Not because of the scenery, but because of the people. Where do beautiful people live? Well, that's a very superficial question, and shame on you for even thinking that way. But if we were trying to objectify and quantify beauty, we might start by considering a profession renowned 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 this to try to boost tourism, also mentioning 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 massive dairy industry, with some 92 million cows roaming the countryside. But in other countries, the industry is actually growing, and in per capita terms, the United States actually falls to eighth place.
Uruguay is the largest per capita cattle producer. Uruguay has nearly 12 million cows, but only 3.45 million citizens. This means there are almost three and a half cows per capita. Americans get only 0.28 cows per capita.
Since 2006, beef has become Uruguay's largest export commodity, generating over a billion dollars for the country's economy.
7. Canadians produce the most trash per capita.
Canadians have long been praised for their politeness. On the global stage, it seems to be what they're best known for, along with things like Mounties, maple syrup, and beavers. But there's 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 annually. This puts it 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 every Canadian is a Godzilla-esque garbage monster. The average Canadian family will never be able to throw out 36 tons of trash per year, or at least hopefully they won't have that many Tim Hortons cups to throw away. Almost all of this waste is industrial, meaning 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 most beer-consuming state
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. While the statistics fluctuate slightly from year to year, New Hampshire consistently remains at the top of the list.
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 situation slightly. What seemed like a modest amount of alcohol consumption increases significantly when all minors are ignored. New Hampshire residents currently consume 41.5 gallons, or 157 liters, of beer per person.
If that doesn't sound right 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. This figure seems suspiciously low, but only because it's "pure alcohol." So, a 12-ounce beer contains only 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol.
If a liter is 33.8 ounces, then Czechs consumed approximately 482 ounces of pure alcohol per capita. If beer is 0.6 ounces, then they consumed over 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 per 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 its per capita production ranks very low—only 1.16 kilograms. The Netherlands, on the other hand, has been steadily and purposefully developing its mushroom industry since the 1950s. Today, over 120 companies grow 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 hypothesis, but it's certainly difficult to prove or disprove without a wealth of historical and sociological data. But one thing you can look at without any context is the sheer numbers. For example, Finland produces more heavy metal bands per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Scandinavia generally favors loud, heavy music. But Finland produces 53.2 heavy metal bands per 100,000 residents. This outpaces second-place Sweden, which produces only 37.14.
So what's going on in Finland that makes them so fond of these hardcore guitar parts? Speculation can run rampant, but there are other interesting things to consider. For example, Finland is also considered the happiest country in the world. Perhaps heavy metal allows Finns to cope with their negative feelings in a country notoriously conservative when it comes to such matters. 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 highest number of pets per capita
Americans love their pets. About 66% of all American households have pets, with dogs being the undisputed favorite pet, followed by cats, and fishing a distant third. But as much as Americans love their pets, they still don't reach the same level as Argentines. Argentines love their animals very much.
Argentina has the highest number of pets per capita of any country in the world. This doesn't mean other countries don't have more pets—there are more dogs in America than people in Argentina. In one study, 66% Argentines reported owning dogs, while 32% reported owning cats.
2. Samoa produces more NFL players than anywhere else
Many young people dream of becoming professional athletes one day, and to that end, they spend years playing sports in school. Those who excel in high school can earn a college scholarship, and then you're on the brink of earning 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 stress 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 become NFL players than non-Samoans.
Why are Samoans so popular in the NFL? The culture takes football seriously. It's incredibly popular, and almost everyone plays it. Because they have a history of excellence, new generations work much harder. Football is a gateway to success, not just in the NFL, but also to scholarships and education—opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable.
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 emotional 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 when it comes to writing. Despite their small population of only about 300,000, they've managed to produce more published writers per capita than anywhere else in the world. About 101,000,000 people in Iceland will publish a book at some point in their lives.
Iceland seems to truly respect the written word, and writers can even receive 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 entire culture simply loves reading and writing.