Culture
Visualizing Design: 196 Flags of Countries Around the World
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Visualizing Design: 196 Flags of Countries Around the World
Historically, flags primarily served as means of identification in warfare, but today, national flags are flown to represent a country both on the international stage and domestically.
Every flag incorporates design elements and colors that symbolize certain aspects of each country’s history and identity. And as you’ve likely noticed, many of them fall under similar color conventions or patterns, with the exception of a few rare outliers.
This visualization by Giulia De Amicis shows flags of 196 countries recognized by international standards, grouped according to the main design characteristics—color and pattern.
It includes 193 United Nations Member States, two permanent non-member observer states—Vatican City and Palestine, and Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy and an ex-member of the UN.
Flags of Countries: Common Shapes and Aspect Ratio
Most countries have flags in a quadrilateral shape—a four-sided polygon with four edges and four corners—mainly with a 2:3 or 1:2 aspect ratio.
In contrast, the flag of Nepal stands out with its unique layout. It consists of two triangular shapes with a white moon on the top and a white sun on the bottom section.

The unusual flag’s design has at times caused difficulties for large-scale reproduction.
In the 2016 Summer Olympics, for example, the Nepalese flag was placed on a white rectangular cloth shaped the same as other flags.
What are the Most Popular Colors in Flags?
By far, the most popular color used in national flags is red, with 20% of listed countries featuring it in their flag design. In vexillology—the study of flags—it is believed that red is a symbol of power, bravery, revolution, and vibrancy, as well as war in reference to past bloodshed.
Green comes as the second most used flag color with 15% of countries incorporating it, followed by black (14%), purple (12%), white (11.5%), light blue (11%), and blue (9.5%). Yellow was the least popular with just 7% of countries using it in their national flags.
Certain regions share a distinct mix of colors that neighboring countries have adopted. For example, red, white, green, and black are seen in several Arab nation flags. Similarly, green, red, and yellow combinations are often symbolic of Pan-African countries.
Patterns and Symbolism Behind Flag Designs
A simple tricolor design, in either a vertical and horizontal orientation, is the most frequent pattern with 68 countries displaying it on their flags. Stars follow with 40 country flags, while 29 flags had either a seal or stripes.
But there are many other flag designs to consider, such as the geometrical designs used by Cuba and South Africa, crosses like the Union Jack of the UK, and circles like those of Japan and South Korea. And not every flag fits one single design category, such as Pakistan’s white and green flag with a crescent and star, or the many flags that include a Union Jack within their design.
Symbolism ascribed to flag design can range from abstract to more literal explanations. The meaning of flag designs can change over time, too, often influenced by major political shifts.

For example, the red flag of the People’s Republic of China has one prominent yellow star, which used to stand for the Chinese Communist Party, while the smaller stars were previously associated with the four social classes making up the society. Today, the large star represents China itself, while the smaller stars stand for the country’s many national minorities.
In a similar manner, other nations have made changes to their flag designs to reflect major political changes, or people have ascribed their own revised meanings to the elements depicted in their country’s flag.
Which nation’s flag catches your eye? Are there any other flags that are memorable or unique but not featured on this list?

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.
Culture
Mapped: The World’s Happiest Countries in 2023
Where do the happiest people on earth live? This map is a snapshot of the world’s most (and least) happy countries in 2023.

The World’s Happiest Countries in 2023
Measuring subjective ideas like happiness and life satisfaction is tricky business.
Are wealth and prosperity legitimate measures of happiness? How about safety and health outcomes? In the West, we view democracy as a key component to happiness, yet there are countries under authoritarian rule that score high in the Happiness Index. Questions like these make “ranking happiness” a particularly challenging puzzle, but also one worth pursuing. If policymakers have a clearer picture of what conditions can foster happiness, they can enact policies that can improve the lives of people living their jurisdictions.
The map above is a global snapshot of life satisfaction around the world. It utilizes the World Happiness Report—an annual survey of how satisfied citizens are worldwide—to map out the world’s happiest and least happy countries.
To create the index the map is based on, researchers simply asked people how satisfied they are with their lives. Scores were assigned using these self-reported answers from people living within various countries, as well as quality of life factors. While there may be no perfect measure of happiness around the world, the report is a robust and transparent attempt to understand happiness at the global level. For more detailed notes on the report’s methodology and more, we recommend viewing the info box at the end of this article.
Now, let’s look at the world’s happiest countries in 2023.
Global Happiness, by Country
Global happiness currently averages out to 5.5 out of 10, a decrease of 0.1 from last year. Below is a look at every country’s score:
Rank | Country | Score |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 7.8 |
#2 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 7.6 |
#3 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 7.5 |
#4 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 7.5 |
#5 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 7.4 |
#6 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 7.4 |
#7 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 7.3 |
#8 | 🇨🇭Switzerland | 7.2 |
#9 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 7.2 |
#10 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 7.1 |
#11 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 7.1 |
#12 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 7.1 |
#13 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 7.0 |
#14 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 6.9 |
#15 | 🇺🇸 United States | 6.9 |
#16 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 6.9 |
#17 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 6.9 |
#18 | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 6.8 |
#19 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.8 |
#20 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 6.8 |
#21 | 🇫🇷 France | 6.7 |
#22 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 6.7 |
#23 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 6.6 |
#24 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 6.6 |
#25 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 6.6 |
#26 | 🇦🇪 UAE | 6.6 |
#27 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 6.5 |
#28 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 6.5 |
#29 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 6.5 |
#30 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 6.5 |
#31 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 6.5 |
#32 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 6.4 |
#33 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 6.4 |
#34 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 6.4 |
#35 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 6.3 |
#36 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 6.3 |
#37 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 6.3 |
#38 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 6.3 |
#39 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 6.3 |
#40 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 6.3 |
#41 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 6.2 |
#42 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 6.2 |
#43 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 6.2 |
#44 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 6.1 |
#44 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 6.1 |
#46 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 6.1 |
#47 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 6.1 |
#48 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 6.1 |
#49 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 6.1 |
#50 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 6.1 |
#51 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 6.0 |
#52 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 6.0 |
#53 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 6.0 |
#54 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 6.0 |
#55 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 6.0 |
#56 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 6.0 |
#57 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 6.0 |
#58 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 5.9 |
#59 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 5.9 |
#60 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 5.8 |
#61 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 5.8 |
#62 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 5.8 |
#63 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 5.8 |
#64 | 🇨🇳 China | 5.8 |
#65 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 5.8 |
#66 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 5.7 |
#67 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 5.7 |
#68 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 5.7 |
#69 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 5.7 |
#70 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 5.7 |
#71 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.6 |
#72 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 5.6 |
#73 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 5.6 |
#74 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 5.6 |
#75 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 5.5 |
#76 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 5.5 |
#77 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 5.5 |
#78 | 🇳🇵Nepal | 5.4 |
#79 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 5.3 |
#80 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 5.3 |
#81 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 5.3 |
#82 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | 5.3 |
#83 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 5.3 |
#83 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 5.3 |
#85 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 5.3 |
#86 | 🇨🇬 Congo | 5.3 |
#87 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 5.3 |
#88 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 5.2 |
#89 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 5.1 |
#90 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 5.1 |
#91 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 5.1 |
#92 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 5.1 |
#93 | 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast | 5.1 |
#94 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 5.1 |
#95 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 5.0 |
#96 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 5.0 |
#97 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 5.0 |
#98 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 5.0 |
#99 | 🇵🇸 Palestine | 5.0 |
#100 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 5.0 |
#101 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 5.0 |
#102 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 4.9 |
#103 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 4.7 |
#104 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 4.6 |
#105 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 4.6 |
#106 | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 4.6 |
#107 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 4.6 |
#108 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 4.6 |
#109 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 4.5 |
#110 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 4.5 |
#111 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 4.5 |
#112 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 4.4 |
#113 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 4.4 |
#114 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 4.4 |
#115 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 4.4 |
#116 | 🇧🇯 Benin | 4.4 |
#117 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 4.4 |
#118 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 4.3 |
#119 | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 4.3 |
#120 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 4.2 |
#121 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 4.2 |
#122 | 🇹🇬 Togo | 4.1 |
#123 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 4.1 |
#124 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 4.1 |
#125 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 4.0 |
#126 | 🇮🇳 India | 4.0 |
#127 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 4.0 |
#128 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 4.0 |
#129 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 3.7 |
#130 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 3.5 |
#131 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 3.5 |
#132 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 3.4 |
#133 | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3.2 |
#134 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 3.2 |
#135 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 3.1 |
#136 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 2.4 |
#137 | Afghanistan | 1.9 |
Note: Scores have been rounded to the first decimal place.
European countries make up the bulk of the top 10, with Israel (#4) and New Zealand (#10) also making it into the top ranks. Finland sits at the very top of the ranking for the sixth year in a row.
Now let’s look at the world’s happiest countries on a more regional basis.
North America
Current Mood: Happy (6.3)
North America’s happiness score averages out to 6.3/10. The happiest country in the region is Canada, slightly beating out the United States. However, the scores of both countries have actually decreased from last year. It’s difficult to pinpoint why citizens feel less satisfied, but inflation, economic uncertainty, and many other factors could play a role.
The only countries to see improvement in North America were Nicaragua and Jamaica. Although a more recent development, many Jamaicans could be experiencing even more happiness in the near future, with a recent announcement of plans to increase the minimum wage by 44%.
South America
Current Mood: Content (5.8)
South America’s average score is 5.8. Although Venezuela is the continent’s least happy country, its score actually improved from 4.9 to 5.2. That said, the ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis is not likely to instill much hope into the average Venezuelan. Over 6.8 million people have fled the struggling nation since 2014.
The two countries in the region with decreased scores were Brazil and Colombia, where citizens have reported feeling worse compared to the year before.
Europe
Current Mood: Happy (6.4)
Europe has some of the world’s happiest countries, with an average regional score of 6.4. Nordic countries like Finland, Sweden, and Iceland repeatedly report high scores, meaning people in these countries feel extremely satisfied with their lives.
Despite fending off an invasion, Ukrainians saw no diminishment of their happiness year-over-year, and many are feeling resilient and purposeful in their fight for freedom. Interestingly, Russia’s score actually increased slightly compared to last year, going from 5.5 to 5.7.
East Asia and Oceania
Current Mood: Neutral (5.6)
East Asia and Oceania’s collective average is 5.6. Oceania alone, however, would have the highest regional score in the world, at 7.1.
Bucking conventional wisdom—at least in the West—China has seen a noteworthy bump (+0.6) in its score in recent years. Across the strait, Taiwan records the second highest score in East Asia, after Singapore.
India once again has the lowest happiness score in its region. The country’s score has dropped -0.7 over the past decade.
Central Asia and The Middle East
Current Mood: It’s Complicated (5.2)
The average score in the Middle East and Central Asia is 5.2, and the array of happiness scores is wider than in any other region.
Afghanistan is the world’s least happy country, with citizens having reported extremely low levels of life satisfaction. Since the Taliban takeover, life has become objectively worse for Afghans, particularly women.
There is a lot of conflict in the region. Citizens of Armenia face particular tension with neighboring Azerbaijan, whose score was not recorded for this year. Conflicts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region have led to hundreds of deaths since 2020 and cause daily struggle for those who live in the disputed territory. Iran is still under economic sanctions and faces ongoing tensions with the U.S. and Israel. Some countries, like Syria and Yemen, are so destabilized that no data is available.
Still, there are bright spots as well. Israel has one of the world’s happiest countries with a top 10 score this year, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE have scores on par with many European countries.
Africa
Current Mood: Unhappy (4.4)
The least happy region, Africa, averages out to a score of 4.4, and there is a lot of regional variation.
The highest score in Africa goes to the island nation of Mauritius. In addition to the country’s natural beauty and stability, there is growing economic opportunity. Mauritius is classified as an upper-middle-income country by World Bank, and is one of the fastest growing high-income markets in the world.
Sierra Leone has the lowest score of African countries that were included in the index, followed by Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s worth noting, there are a few data gaps in the region, including Burundi, which is currently the poorest country in the world.
Where does this data come from?
Source: The World Happiness Report which leverages data from the Gallup World Poll.
Methodology: A nationally representative group of approximately 1,000 people is asked a series of questions relating to their life satisfaction, as well as positive and negative emotions they are experiencing. The life evaluation question is based on the Cantril ladder, wherein the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for a person (a score of 10/10) and on the flipside, the worst possible life (scored as 0/10). The main takeaway is that the scores result from self-reported answers by citizens of each of these countries. The results received a confidence interval of 95%, meaning that there is a 95% chance that the answers and population surveyed represent the average. As well, scores are averaged over the past three years in order to increase the sample size of respondents in each country.
Criticisms: Critics of the World Happiness Report point out that survey questions measure satisfaction with socioeconomic conditions as opposed to individual emotional happiness. As well, there are myriad cultural differences around the world that influence how people think about happiness and life satisfaction. Finally, there can be big differences in life satisfaction between groups within a country, which are averaged out even in a nationally representative group. The report does acknowledge inequality as a factor by measuring the “gap” between the most and least happy halves of each country.
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