Maps

Mapped: Fertility Rate Decline by U.S. State (2005-2022)

Published

3 months ago

February 12, 2025

USAFacts

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Ryan Bellefontaine

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Mapped: Fertility Rate Decline by U.S. State (2005-2022)

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Over the past two decades, the United States has experienced a significant decline in fertility rates, with some states seeing dramatic drops and others seeing smaller drops.

This map, created by USAFacts, uses data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to show the states with the largest declines in fertility rates from 2005 to 2022.

The Leaders of the Declining Fertility Rate

Here is a table showing the change in fertility rates of U.S. states from 2005 to 2022.

Rank	State	Change in Fertility Rate (2005-2022)
1	Utah	-33.9%
2	Arizona	-31.9%
3	Delaware	-31.2%
4	Nevada	-28.0%
5	New Mexico	-27.3%
6	Idaho	-26.0%
7	Colorado	-26.0%
8	California	-25.1%
9	Oregon	-24.8%
10	Illinois	-22.7%
11	Wyoming	-22.4%
12	Georgia	-21.6%
13	Texas	-20.0%
14	Montana	-16.9%
15	Oklahoma	-15.8%
16	Kansas	-15.4%
17	Washington	-15.4%
18	Rhode Island	-14.6%
19	Hawaii	-14.3%
20	Connecticut	-13.8%
21	Florida	-13.5%
22	North Carolina	-13.5%
23	Arkansas	-13.4%
24	Wisconsin	-13.3%
25	Mississippi	-13.1%
26	Virginia	-13.1%
27	Nebraska	-13.0%
28	Massachusetts	-12.9%
29	Michigan	-12.8%
30	Missouri	-12.4%
31	Minnesota	-12.2%
32	Alaska	-12.2%
33	Vermont	-11.8%
34	New Hampshire	-11.5%
35	South Carolina	-11.4%
36	South Dakota	-11.0%
37	Indiana	-10.9%
38	Iowa	-10.5%
39	New York	-10.5%
40	Ohio	-9.8%
41	Tennessee	-9.1%
42	Pennsylvania	-8.9%
43	West Virginia	-8.8%
44	Maine	-8.5%
45	Maryland	-8.2%
46	New Jersey	-7.9%
47	Alabama	-7.7%
48	Kentucky	-6.0%
49	North Dakota	-4.3%
50	Louisiana	-0.3%

Among the most affected states, Utah saw the steepest drop, with a 33.9% decline in fertility rates.

Close behind, Arizona (-31.9%) and Delaware (-31.2%) also posted significant decreases, highlighting how many western states have seen some of the biggest declines in fertility rates. Other states with the highest declines include Nevada (-28.0%) and New Mexico (-27.3%).

On the other hand, the states with the smallest declines in their fertility rate were Louisiana (-0.3%), North Dakota (-4.3%), and Kentucky (-6.0%).

The Long-Term Impact of a Declining Fertility Rate

While lower fertility rates could lower pressure on housing costs in the short term, they also pose long-term challenges. A shrinking workforce could strain social security systems and lead to labor shortages in youth-reliant industries.

Countries like Taiwan and South Korea have already grappled with similar demographic challenges, offering potential lessons for U.S. policymakers.

As the fertility rate continues its downward trajectory, states will need to adapt. The U.S. is entering an era where demographic shifts will increasingly shape economic and policy decisions.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic from a global perspective, check out this graphic on the world’s plummeting fertility rate.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Maps

Mapped: The Size of Each Country’s Shadow Economy

From illicit trade to informal business transactions, the global shadow economy makes up a staggering 11.3% of GDP.

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2025

Dorothy Neufeld

Map showing the size of each country's shadow economy as a share of GDP in 2023.

Mapped: The Size of the World’s Shadow Economies

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Globally, the shadow economy is estimated to equal 11.8% of GDP.
The underground economy is valued at more than half of GDP in Sierra Leone, Niger, and Nepal.
Meanwhile, America’s shadow economy accounts for 5% of GDP, valued at an estimated $1.4 trillion.

The global shadow economy generates trillions in revenue each year, driven by criminal activity and other unreported transactions.

In low income countries, shadow activity makes up a larger slice of GDP, standing at an estimated 42.4% share. In comparison, this drops to 5.9% of GDP in rich countries, with the UAE seeing the smallest share overall.

This graphic shows the size of each country’s shadow economy, based on analysis from the Ernst & Young Global Shadow Economy Report 2025.

Defining the Shadow Economy

To start, the shadow economy includes unreported or untaxed activity, making it difficult for authorities to monitor.

This includes illegal enterprises, drug trafficking, street vendors, or cash transactions made off the books. While measuring the informal economy is hard to quantify, it has shrunk from 17.7% of world GDP in 2000 to 11.8% in 2023.

Breaking Down the Shadow Economy by Country

Here are countries with the largest shadow economies as a share of GDP:

Rank	Country	Shadow Economy % of GDP in 2023	Shadow Economy Value	GDP 2023
1	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	64.5	$4.1B	$6.4B
2	🇳🇪 Niger	56.3	$9.5B	$16.8B
3	🇳🇵 Nepal	51.0	$20.9B	$40.9B
4	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	50.2	$80.2B	$159.8B
5	🇧🇮 Burundi	49.2	$2.1B	$4.2B
6	🇲🇱 Mali	46.8	$9.5B	$20.2B
7	🇹🇿 Tanzania	44.7	$35.4B	$79.1B
8	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	43.8	$8.9B	$20.3B
9	🇨🇩 DRC	42.1	$28.2B	$66.9B
10	🇲🇿 Mozambique	39.8	$8.4B	$21.0B
11	🇰🇪 Kenya	38.4	$41.8B	$108.8B
12	🇲🇲 Myanmar	37.9	$24.4B	$64.5B
13	🇿🇲 Zambia	35.6	$10.0B	$28.2B
14	🇵🇰 Pakistan	35.0	$118.1B	$337.5B
15	🇸🇩 Sudan	34.9	$13.3B	$38.1B
16	🇨🇲 Cameroon	33.3	$16.4B	$49.3B
17	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	33.2	$4.0B	$11.9B
18	🇧🇯 Benin	32.9	$6.5B	$19.7B
19	🇨🇬 Congo	32.6	$4.6B	$14.2B
20	🇧🇴 Bolivia	32.1	$14.6B	$45.5B
21	🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	31.4	$9.6B	$30.7B
22	🇺🇬 Uganda	31.1	$15.2B	$48.8B
23	🇱🇸 Lesotho	30.9	$0.6B	$2.1B
24	🇲🇼 Malawi	30.9	$3.9B	$12.7B
25	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	30.7	$5.5B	$17.8B
26	🇦🇴 Angola	30.2	$25.6B	$84.8B
27	🇳🇬 Nigeria	30.0	$109.1B	$363.8B
28	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	29.0	$126.8B	$437.4B
29	🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire	28.8	$22.7B	$78.9B
30	🇹🇬 Togo	28.1	$2.6B	$9.2B
31	🇦🇱 Albania	27.8	$6.5B	$23.5B
32	🇵🇪 Peru	27.1	$72.5B	$267.6B
33	🇲🇦 Morocco	27.0	$39.0B	$144.4B
34	🇬🇭 Ghana	26.8	$20.5B	$76.4B
35	🇭🇳 Honduras	26.7	$9.2B	$34.4B
36	🇪🇨 Ecuador	26.5	$31.5B	$118.8B
37	🇰🇭 Cambodia	26.4	$11.2B	$42.3B
38	🇿🇦 South Africa	26.3	$100.1B	$380.7B
39	🇮🇳 India	26.1	$931.1B	$3,567.6B
40	🇻🇳 Vietnam	25.1	$107.9B	$429.7B
41	🇮🇶 Iraq	24.8	$62.2B	$250.8B
42	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	24.4	$24.8B	$101.6B
43	🇬🇹 Guatemala	24.3	$25.4B	$104.5B
44	🇩🇿 Algeria	24.2	$59.9B	$247.6B
45	🇹🇭 Thailand	24.0	$123.6B	$515.0B
46	🇮🇩 Indonesia	23.8	$326.3B	$1,371.2B
47	🇬🇦 Gabon	23.1	$4.5B	$19.4B
48	🇮🇷 Iran	22.5	$91.0B	$404.6B
49	🇬🇪 Georgia	22.1	$6.8B	$30.8B
50	🇪🇬 Egypt	21.2	$84.0B	$396.0B
51	🇹🇳 Tunisia	21.2	$10.3B	$48.5B
52	🇨🇴 Colombia	20.9	$76.0B	$363.5B
53	🇵🇾 Paraguay	20.9	$9.0B	$43.0B
54	🇵🇭 Philippines	20.7	$90.5B	$437.1B
55	🇧🇷 Brazil	20.6	$447.8B	$2,173.7B
56	🇨🇳 China	20.3	$3,612.3B	$17,794.8B
57	🇱🇰 SriLanka	20.1	$17.0B	$84.4B
58	🇸🇻 El Salvador	19.9	$6.8B	$34.0B
59	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	19.7	$11.9B	$60.6B
60	🇱🇧 Lebanon	19.6	N/A	N/A
61	🇺🇦 Ukraine	19.3	$34.5B	$178.8B
62	🇦🇲 Armenia	18.9	$4.6B	$24.1B
63	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	18.6	$5.1B	$27.5B
64	🇧🇾 Belarus	18.3	$13.2B	$71.9B
65	🇯🇴 Jordan	18.3	$9.3B	$51.0B
66	🇲🇽 Mexico	17.9	$320.2B	$1,789.1B
67	🇦🇷 Argentina	17.8	$115.0B	$646.1B
68	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	17.7	$12.8B	$72.4B
69	🇷🇸 Serbia	17.2	$14.0B	$81.3B
70	🇧🇼 Botswana	17.0	$3.3B	$19.4B
71	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	16.9	$2.7B	$15.8B
72	🇱🇾 Libya	16.3	$7.4B	$45.1B
73	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	16.2	$19.7B	$121.4B
74	🇹🇷 Türkiye	16.1	$180.0B	$1,118.3B
75	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	13.8	$11.9B	$86.5B
76	🇲🇪 Montenegro	13.6	$1.0B	$7.5B
77	🇺🇾 Uruguay	13.5	$10.4B	$77.2B
78	🇷🇴 Romania	13.1	$46.0B	$350.8B
79	🇷🇺 Russia	13.1	$264.8B	$2,021.4B
80	🇲🇾 Malaysia	12.3	$49.2B	$399.7B
81	🇵🇦 Panama	12.1	$10.1B	$83.3B
82	🇬🇷 Greece	12.0	$29.2B	$243.5B
83	🇨🇱 Chile	11.9	$39.9B	$335.5B
84	🇬🇾 Guyana	11.8	$2.0B	$17.2B
85	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	11.2	$29.4B	$262.6B
86	🇲🇺 Mauritius	10.6	$1.5B	$14.6B
87	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	10.5	$10.8B	$102.4B
88	🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	10.3	$12.1B	$117.9B
89	🇵🇱 Poland	9.7	$78.5B	$809.2B
90	🇭🇷 Croatia	9.3	$7.8B	$84.4B
91	🇱🇻 Latvia	9.3	$3.9B	$42.2B
92	🇵🇹 Portugal	9.3	$26.9B	$289.1B
93	🇭🇺 Hungary	9.2	$19.5B	$212.4B
94	🇸🇰 Slovak Republic	8.9	$11.8B	$132.9B
95	🇳🇿 New Zealand	8.2	$20.7B	$252.2B
96	🇸🇮 Slovenia	8.0	$5.5B	$69.1B
97	🇮🇹 Italy	7.8	$179.5B	$2,300.9B
98	🇮🇸 Iceland	7.6	$2.4B	$31.3B
99	🇰🇷 Korea	7.6	$130.2B	$1,712.8B
100	🇲🇹 Malta	7.5	$1.7B	$22.3B
101	🇪🇸 Spain	7.5	$121.5B	$1,620.1B
102	🇪🇪 Estonia	7.4	$3.1B	$41.3B
103	🇱🇹 Lithuania	7.4	$5.9B	$79.8B
104	🇩🇪 Germany	6.8	$307.7B	$4,525.7B
105	🇫🇷 France	6.7	$204.5B	$3,051.8B
106	🇯🇵 Japan	6.7	$281.7B	$4,204.5B
107	🇸🇪 Sweden	6.7	$39.2B	$585.0B
108	🇦🇹 Austria	6.6	$33.8B	$511.7B
109	🇧🇪 Belgium	6.6	$42.6B	$644.8B
110	🇫🇮 Finland	6.6	$19.5B	$295.5B
111	🇨🇿 Czechia	6.5	$22.3B	$343.2B
112	🇳🇴 Norway	6.4	$31.1B	$485.3B
113	🇴🇲 Oman	6.4	$7.0B	$108.8B
114	🇳🇱 Netherlands	6.3	$72.7B	$1,154.4B
115	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	6.1	$5.2B	$85.8B
116	🇩🇰 Denmark	5.9	$24.0B	$407.1B
117	🇦🇺 Australia	5.7	$98.5B	$1,728.1B
118	🇮🇱 Israel	5.5	$28.2B	$513.6B
119	🇧🇸 Bahamas	5.4	$0.8B	$14.3B
120	🇨🇾 Cyprus	5.3	$1.8B	$33.9B
121	🇬🇧 UK	5.3	$179.2B	$3,380.9B
122	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	5.2	$55.5B	$1,067.6B
123	🇮🇪 Ireland	5.1	$28.1B	$551.4B
124	🇨🇭 Switzerland	5.1	$45.1B	$884.9B
125	🇺🇸 United States	5.0	$1,386.0B	$27,720.7B
126	🇨🇦 Canada	4.5	$96.4B	$2,142.5B
127	🇰🇼 Kuwait	4.0	$6.5B	$163.7B
128	🇸🇬 Singapore	3.4	$17.0B	$501.4B
129	🇧🇭 Bahrain	2.5	$1.2B	$46.1B
130	🇶🇦 Qatar	2.2	$4.7B	$213.0B
131	🏳️ UAE	2.1	$10.8B	$514.1B

As we can see, Sierra Leone ranks first overall, with its shadow economy equaling 64.5% of GDP.

Like many other sub-Saharan African countries, the informal economy employs millions of workers, including subsistence farmers, street vendors, and small business owners. Underscoring this trend are limited opportunities in the formal sector along with bureaucratic red tape.

In particular, the DRC stands out in both the scale of its informal economy and prevalence of organized crime.

Meanwhile, Nepal ranks third overall, with shadow activity accounting for 51% of GDP. Notably, the agriculture sector employs a substantial share of informal workers. In fact, 85% of Nepal’s labor force participates in the informal economy, making it a vital source of livelihood for many.

In contrast, America’s underground economy comprises just 5% of GDP, yet its sheer size—valued at $1.4 trillion—makes it one of the world’s largest.