the best of eu states, the worst of eu states

april 30, 2016 / strange maps

by frank jacobs

What each EU state is best at

France is the Colorado of Europe: both places have the lowest obesity rate within their respective Unions. And Iowa and Ireland have the lowest divorce rates in the US and EU, respectively. But most European best-ofs don’t have an equivalent on the American map, leaving us to wonder: Which US state is the twin of Portugal, top cork producer in the EU? And where in America do they have the most work experience with robots, as in Slovakia?

Danes regularly top the lists of happiest people in the world; perhaps not unconnected to the fact that they’re the dancingest, singingest people in Europe.

Many Europeans excel at being good to the environment, and their place in it: Belgians recycle most, Estonians waste least, the Dutch quit smoking the most, and the British kill each other the least.

The Germans are Europe’s happiest workers, the Italians live the longest and the Austrians are the least likely to be unemployed. Bulgaria has the cheapest electricity, and Slovenia the fewest teen moms. And Greece, much maligned of late? At least it has the lowest rate of tuberculosis.

What Each EU state is worst at

The rosy picture painted by the statistics above has a Dorian Gray-like twin, bringing out Europe’s ugly side.

Let’s hope an apple a day keeps the doctor away: Poland produces most of the former, but has least of the latter. The Netherlands has the highest share of cyclist deaths among road fatalities. Perhaps it’s all those ex-smokers trying to shape up.

The Czech Republic (or, newly, Czechia) is the best at drinking beer but, disconcertingly, also has more slavery than anywhere else in the EU. If Hungarians have the lowest illegal spend in Europe, perhaps it’s because they have less to spend per se: nobody pays more in VAT.

Lithuania has more secondary school graduates than anywhere else in Europe, but also higher suicide rates. And those Danes? They’re the Mainers of Europe, stuck with the continent’s biggest first-world problem: least Zaras per capita.

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All maps from Thrillist: here, here, here and here.

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Strange Map #781

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