Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
The United States at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
26%
of electricity
Food imported
7%
of merchandise imports · ~US$243,091m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About the United States.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see the United States, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingFood
Over half of adult calories are ultra processed
Between August 2021 and August 2023, ultra processed foods made up 53.0% of the calories eaten by US adults. For children and teenagers aged 1 to 18 the figure was 61.9%.
SoberingHealth
Four in ten adults live with obesity
40.3% of US adults had obesity between August 2021 and August 2023, and 9.4% had severe obesity.
SoberingHealth
40 million people have diabetes
An estimated 40.1 million people in the US, 12.0% of the population, had diabetes in 2023. A further 115.2 million adults are estimated to have prediabetes.
Source: CDC, National Diabetes Statistics Report · 2023
SoberingEnvironment
Only 5% of old growth redwood forest is left
Coast redwood forest once covered two million acres. Since logging began in 1850, only five percent of the ancient or old growth forest remains.
RemarkableNature
The world's first national park
Yellowstone was established as the world's first national park in 1872.
Source: US National Park Service, Yellowstone History and Culture · 1872
RemarkableNature
Redwoods that live for 2,000 years
Coast redwoods can grow to 367 feet (112 m) tall. They can reach ages of 2,000 years and regularly reach 600.
RemarkableNature
Bald eagles came back from the brink
Bald eagles in the lower 48 states fell to 417 known nesting pairs in 1963. Surveys in 2018 and 2019 counted more than 71,400 nesting pairs and an estimated 316,700 birds.
The History of the United States.
The United States is home to jazz, which grew up in New Orleans from the African dance and drumming of Congo Square and from the blues, spirituals and rural dances brought by Black Americans. Native American cultures endure across 575 federally recognised tribes and Alaska Native villages.
Where the name comes from
America is named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. The German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller first used the name on his world map of 1507, for the lands we now call South America, according to the Library of Congress.
The land itself: a vast central plain, mountains in the west, hills and low mountains in the east, with rugged ranges and broad river valleys in Alaska and volcanic terrain in Hawaii. Its high point is Denali, 6,190 m, renamed from Mount McKinley in 2015 to the Koyukon name Alaska had long used. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Twenty-three thousand years
Fossil footprints at White Sands in New Mexico are between 23,000 and 21,000 years old, the oldest fossil human footprints known in North America, an age confirmed by radiocarbon dating of pollen and by luminescence dating of the sediment. At Paisley Caves in Oregon, human DNA in directly dated coprolites shows people present by 12,300 radiocarbon years ago. Poverty Point in Louisiana raised vast earthworks between 3,700 and 3,100 years ago without farming, and Cahokia on the Mississippi was crowned by Monks Mound, the largest prehistoric earthen structure in the New World.
How it got here
Confederacy, slavery, removal
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy joined the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca nations at a date its people call time immemorial, with each nation's council led by chiefs chosen by clan mothers and a Grand Council for shared affairs. Enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia from 1619, and slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment in 1865. Thirteen colonies declared independence in 1776. From 1830 the Removal Act strengthened the use of treaties to push Native nations off their tribal lands.
The timeline
c. 23,000 to 21,000 years ago
White Sands.
Fossil footprints at White Sands in New Mexico, dated to between 21,000 and 23,000 years old, are the oldest fossil human footprints known in North America. Two further independent dating methods confirmed the first estimate. Source
12,300 radiocarbon years ago
Paisley Caves.
Human DNA in coprolites from Paisley Caves in south-central Oregon, dated to 12,300 radiocarbon years ago, places people there over 1,000 radiocarbon years before the accepted dates for Clovis. Some researchers dispute the finding. Source
c. 3,700 to 3,100 years ago
Poverty Point.
A complex of earthen monuments in Louisiana, including one of the largest earthen mounds in North America, is built by hunter-fisher-gatherers rather than farmers. Source
c. AD 850 to 1250
Chaco Canyon.
Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico is the heart of a vast ancestral Pueblo cultural complex, a focus for ceremonies, trade and politics that dominated much of what is now the south-western United States. Source
c. AD 1050 to 1150
Cahokia.
At its peak this farming society may have numbered 10,000 to 20,000 people. Its Monks Mound is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas. Source
1722
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Five nations already united under the Great Law of Peace welcome the Tuscarora as the sixth nation. Their Grand Council of fifty leaders decides by consensus, and the clan mothers choose those leaders and can remove them. Source
1619 to 1865
Slavery.
The first Africans arrive in Virginia in 1619, taken from a Portuguese slave ship. The 13th Amendment, ratified on 6 December 1865, abolishes slavery in the United States. Source
1776
Declaration of Independence.
Thirteen colonies declare independence from Britain in 1776. Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the declaration was signed, is inscribed by UNESCO. Source
1830 onward
Removal.
The Removal Act of 1830 strengthens the government's use of treaties to push Native nations off their tribal lands, clearing the way for settlers moving west. Source
Science, Independent age estimates resolve the controversy of ancient human footprints at White Sands · US Geological Survey · UNESCO World Heritage, Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point · US National Archives, 13th Amendment to the US Constitution: Abolition of Slavery · US Office of the Historian, The Declaration of Independence, 1776 · US Office of the Historian, Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830 · Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Who We Are · Science, DNA from Pre-Clovis Human Coprolites in Oregon, North America (2008) · UNESCO World Heritage, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site · UNESCO World Heritage, Chaco Culture · UNESCO World Heritage, Independence Hall
Nature and Biodiversity in the United States.
About 13% of US land and 19% of its waters are protected (World Bank, 2025), and marine protection includes some of the largest reserves on Earth, such as Papahanaumokuakea. Federal management through the National Park Service and the wilderness system is well funded and enforced, which lifts this above the land area figure alone.
Is wild United States protected? 12.9% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in United States?
Forest cover33.9%
Terrestrial protected area12.9%
Marine protected area19%
1931 listed as threatened.
Found only here. High endemism in Hawaii and California; the Joshua tree, giant sequoia and California condor
The watchlist
ThreatenedRoyal Vulture (Gymnogyps californianus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedGopherus agassizii Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedWhite Ash (Fraxinus americana) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedTorrey Pine (Pinus torreyana) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (conifer).
ThreatenedRed abalone (Haliotis rufescens) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedGreen abalone (Haliotis fulgens) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (species).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Royal Vulture (Gymnogyps californianus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 35 verified occurrence records.
Gopherus agassizii
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 10 verified occurrence records.
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 103 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for United States filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in New Jersey, mapped and named in the open record for United States. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in South Carolina, mapped and named in the open record for United States. OpenStreetMap.
Marine protected area in California, mapped and named in the open record for United States. OpenStreetMap.
Botanical garden in New York, mapped and named in the open record for United States. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in the United States.
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe. The serious caveats are regional: the south west faces a chronic Colorado River shortage, the Ogallala is being drawn down, and lead episodes such as Flint expose infrastructure gaps.
Does the United States have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
97.6% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: The upper Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain headwaters
How much fresh water does the United States have, per person?
8,437 m³
United States
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
United States withdraws about 444,290 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 28.2% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as medium water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 40%, homes and towns 13%, industry 47%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on United States beaches?
·Tap water: Varies.
✓Plastic rules: No federal ban; bag bans in some states such as California and New York.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 19% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Agate Beach, Ainsworth Beach, Anglers Bay Beach, Arrowhead Beach, Bay View Beach, Big Shoal Beach, Brooks Beach, Brownells Beach. That is 24 named beaches in the public record for United States, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
97.0%
of people have safely managed sanitation
97.0% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). That is close to universal coverage.
How is the sea around United States doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Regional extremes: hurricanes on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts (Jun–Nov), tornado season in the plains (spring), and wildfire season out west.
Nearshore
Protected water
19% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The upper Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain headwaters.
The record
Measured
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe.
The United States scored 80 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, above the global average of 72, and ranked 18th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
19%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
1101
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in United States?
97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 8,437 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 3 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 28.2% of what the United States renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is past the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply is being pushed towards its limit.
Seaweed on the beaches. Since 2011 large amounts of sargassum seaweed have appeared in the Caribbean every summer except 2013, part of what scientists call the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, with record years in 2018 and 2022. In the US, Texas beaches have had sargassum inundations every year, and the Florida Keys and east coast are likely to see it when large amounts drift along the Loop Current or through the Straits of Florida; Miami-Dade County spends millions of dollars a year clearing it from beaches. Rotting mats can release hydrogen sulphide and ammonia and can smother turtle nesting sites. The University of South Florida runs a sargassum watch system using NASA and USGS satellite data and works with NOAA on beaching forecasts.
When is the best time to visit United States? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does United States actually have?
Nature renews about 8,437 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks the United States 150 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in the United States.
The US now runs a farm trade deficit, with agricultural imports of $212 billion in 2025 against $171.5 billion of exports (USDA Economic Research Service). Horticultural products, including fresh fruit and vegetables, made up 45 per cent of those imports by value and tropical products such as coffee about 19 per cent. Ultra processed food supplies 53.0% of the calories eaten by US adults (CDC).
Where does the food in United States come from?
6.9% imported
about US$243,091m a year
On the plate: Maize, wheat, soy, potatoes, apples and wide regional produce
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$243,091m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 6.9% of everything the United States imports (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 0.9% of the economy and 46.1% of the land is agricultural, of which 16.6% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in the United States? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined77.4%
Diabetes13.7%
Federal Healthy People 2030 data put the rate at 6.2 lower limb amputations for every 1,000 adults with diagnosed diabetes in 2021, the same as in 2019, with the rate age adjusted. The goal for 2030 is 5.5, and the government rates progress as little or no detectable change. The figures come from national hospital records (AHRQ National Inpatient Sample) and the CDC's National Health Interview Survey. Source: Healthy People 2030, objective D-08.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 72.4%.
Can the United States feed itself?
16.6%
Arable land
46.1%
Agricultural land
2,666,120
Farmers
374,521,049
Arable acres
0.9%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Late summer to autumn, varying widely by region
Feeding itself
The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy, but it is no longer a net food exporter: agricultural imports reached $213 billion in 2024 against $176 billion of exports (USDA Economic Research Service). The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
Certification
Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
Water for crops
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 46.1% of the country is agricultural land and 16.6% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
MaizeSoybeansWheatSugar beetsSugarcanePotatoesTomatoes
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in United States are maize, soya beans, wheat, sugar beet and sugarcane (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Annandale Farmers Market, Bardstown Farmer's Market, Berkeley Flea Market, Berwyn Indoor Vintage Market, Burdett Hill Market, Burke Farmers Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Dirt Candy, vegan restaurant in New York (Allen Street, Manhattan): a five course vegan tasting menu; Buddha-Bodai, vegan restaurant in New York (Chinatown): vegan and kosher Chinese food, known for dim sum; Ras, vegan restaurant in New York (Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn): plant based Ethiopian dishes; Delice & Sarrasin, vegan restaurant in New York (West Village): French cooking made vegan; Soda Club, vegan restaurant in New York (Avenue B, East Village): vegan pasta and natural wine, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in the United States?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
MaizeWheatSoyPotatoesApplesWide regional produce
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Veggies Abroad, New York City vegan guide (updated 30 September 2026) · Veggies Abroad, NYC Michelin starred vegan restaurants (updated 28 May 2026) · US Department of Health and Human Services (ODPHP), Healthy People 2030, Reduce the rate of foot and leg amputations in adults with diabetes, D-08 · ODPHP, D-08 data methodology · USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. Agricultural Trade at a Glance · CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief 536
Climate and Energy in the United States.
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly. Federal climate policy has swung sharply, with the country again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back federal climate measures in 2025, though many states retain their own targets. High emissions, fossil dependence and weakened national policy place it in the low band.
What powers the United States?
Renewable 25.6%Fossil 57%
No single body owns the US grid. Local utilities run the distribution networks, and they come in four kinds: investor owned companies owned by stockholders, municipal utilities owned by local governments, cooperatives owned by their members, and federal power authorities such as the Bonneville Power Administration and the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 2017 there were 168 investor owned utilities, 1,958 publicly owned utilities and 812 cooperatives, and the investor owned companies served 72 per cent of customers. The lower 48 states run as three largely separate systems, the Eastern and Western interconnections and ERCOT in most of Texas, with regional transmission organisations and balancing authorities managing day to day operation. NERC writes and enforces mandatory reliability standards, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approves.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
13.62 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
23.11 tonnes
The grid
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly.
Pollution
Baseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York. Worsening wildfire seasons now drive severe, if episodic, smoke pollution across large regions.
Water stress
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.79.7%
2Industry Fracking and oil and gas zones, industrial feedlots, and wildfire smoke seasons.named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.7.0
4On the record Baseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York.
What has the United States promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today20.3% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target12.9% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target19% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 20.3% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 79.7% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year13.62 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.83 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy2.8 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy2.35 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.04 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy1.18 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to the United States emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. In July 2018 FEMA, through the National Flood Insurance Program, sponsored a US$500 million catastrophe bond, FloodSmart Re, covering flood losses from named storms; Artemis describes it as the first US flood catastrophe bond and FEMA's first entry into the catastrophe bond market. FEMA placed a new FloodSmart Re bond in every year from 2019 to 2024, and in March 2024 it placed a US$575 million FloodSmart Re bond covering flood from named storms over three years.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · US Energy Information Administration, Electricity explained: delivery to consumers · US Energy Information Administration, Investor-owned utilities served 72% of U.S. electricity customers in 2017 · Artemis, FloodSmart Re Ltd. (Series 2018-1) · Artemis, FloodSmart Re Ltd. (Series 2024-1)
AI and Data Centres in the United States.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in the United States.
Data centres
1,376
Operational facilities, Cloudscene, July 2026.
Grid renewable
25.6 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in the United States?
Most of the power behind a machine here is still burned.
Renewable 25.6%Fossil 74.4%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 20.3% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. United States has at least 250 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Los Angeles (15), New York (13), Atlanta (8), alongside 100 internet exchanges (Equinix Ashburn, Equinix Chicago, Equinix Dallas, Equinix Los Angeles). Named sites include Equinix DC1-DC15,DC21-DC22 - Ashburn, Digital Realty SFO (200 Paul), Equinix DA1 - Dallas, Equinix SV8 - Silicon Valley, Palo Alto.
Where the cables land. 168 landing points · Akutan, AK, Anchorage, AK, Angoon, AK, Bandon, OR
Economy and Tourism in the United States.
67% residents to 33% visitors across a year. 165,478,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 341,784,857 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in United States
45,037k
Visitors a year
0.1
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is the United States?· for every $100 the United States earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2020 peak
$ 133The worst year on the IMF record. The United States owed $133 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2020signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 126What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 142The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $142 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 the United States earns in a year, it owes $126 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). That is more than a full year of national income, and the interest is paid before anything else.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in the United States?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 165,478,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 341,784,857 residents, one visitor a year for every 2 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in the United States is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 6.9% of everything the United States imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, maize, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, sugarcane, potatoes, tomatoes, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
79.7% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split6
Pay the bank first
The United States owes $126 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$126 per $1007
A spread hand
The largest single export, mineral fuels and oils, is 16.0% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 16.0%8
Community chest
Tourism earns 3.9% of everything the United States makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
3.9% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 2.83 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.83 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$32,384 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$32,384bnGDPUS$30,769.7bn
Agriculture, share of GDP0.9%
Visitors a year45,037,000
Visitors per resident0.1
Residents~341,784,857
Agriculture
Farming is 0.9% of the economy. The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy, but it is no longer a net food exporter: agricultural imports reached $213 billion in 2024 against $176 billion of exports (USDA Economic Research Service).
Natural materials
The US is a major cotton and wool producer and keeps living craft traditions, including Navajo weaving, Appalachian white oak basketry and a deep denim heritage. Natural fibres remain part of both industry and craft.
Energy
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly.
Who owns the biggest hotels in the United States?
By rooms · company records and press.
Habitat SuitesOwnership not publishednot published
The Charleston Place · ~434 roomsIndependent (locally owned)not published
AC Hotel Savannah Historic District · ~170 roomsMarriott franchise (AC Hotels)mixed
Perry Lane Hotel · ~167 roomsMarriott Luxury Collectionmixed
The DeSoto Savannah · ~246 roomsIndependentnot published
The Spectator Hotel · ~41 roomsIndependentnot published
Hotel Emeline · ~212 roomsIndependentnot published
The Ryder Hotel · ~91 roomsIndependentnot published
The Ranch at Rock Creek · ~29 roomsIndependentnot published
Treebones Resort · ~16 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
2015176,865k
2016175,261k
2017174,292k
2018169,325k
2019165,478k
202045,037k
International tourism receipts run at about US$84.20 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 3.9% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting the United States, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking maize, wheat, soy, potatoes, apples and wide regional produce over imported menus. The checked list
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use Domestic flights and car hire are essential; intercity rail is limited and transit quality varies by city
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
Swipe
First time here
A continental giant of national parks, geysers and world class biodiversity, paired with an industrial, heavily processed food and energy system.
Best time: Depends on region; late spring and autumn are broadly good
Getting around
Domestic flights and car hire are essential; intercity rail is limited and transit quality varies by city
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is maize, wheat, soy, potatoes, apples and wide regional produce. Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Card everywhere, cash less so. Road-trip culture: rent, drive, and tip well.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the big hotels
Habitat SuitesOwnership not published
The Charleston PlaceIndependent (locally owned) · 434 rooms
AC Hotel Savannah Historic DistrictMarriott franchise (AC Hotels) · 170 rooms
Perry Lane HotelMarriott Luxury Collection · 167 rooms
The DeSoto SavannahIndependent · 246 rooms
The Spectator HotelIndependent · 41 rooms
Ownership is recorded here from each listing's own filings and company records. 2 of the 10 have a named owner, none of them local. That ownership line is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country.
Society and Governance in the United States.
How well is the United States actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, the United States scores 73 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
What is daily life in United States really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Domestic flights and car hire are essential; intercity rail is limited and transit quality varies by city
Made in the United States.
The US is a major cotton and wool producer and keeps living craft traditions, including Navajo weaving, Appalachian white oak basketry and a deep denim heritage. Natural fibres remain part of both industry and craft. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What United States actually sells the world
The single biggest thing United States sells the world is mineral fuels and oils, 16.0% of all exports in 2023 (about US$323.17 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are machinery and mechanical appliances at 11.5%, electrical machinery and electronics at 9.9%, vehicles at 7.6%, aircraft and spacecraft at 6.2%.
Sells now · 16.0% of exports
Mineral fuels and oils
Mineral fuels and oils is 16.0% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$323.17 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 11.5% of exports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Machinery and mechanical appliances is 11.5% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$233.01 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 9.9% of exports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Electrical machinery and electronics is 9.9% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$200.65 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 7.6% of exports
Vehicles
Vehicles is 7.6% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$152.83 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 6.2% of exports
Aircraft and spacecraft
Aircraft and spacecraft is 6.2% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$124.91 billion. UN Comtrade.
Could make · grown here already
Maize
Grown in United States and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Wheat
Grown in United States and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Potatoes
Grown in United States and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. the United States produces about US$30,770 billion a year, which is roughly US$90,027 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 0.9% of that, while food is 6.9% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 16.6% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in the United States.
Jazz
Jazz grew up in New Orleans, drawing on the African dance and drumming once heard in Congo Square and on the blues, spirituals and rural dances brought by Black Americans.
Blues
Rooted in African music, the blues grew from work chants, spirituals, slave songs and field hollers, sung by tenant farmers and sharecroppers. The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of artists such as Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and B.B. King.
Gospel
African American gospel singing grows out of the church. Shirley Caesar began singing in churches around Durham as a child and joined the Caravans in 1958, and the National Endowment for the Arts named her a National Heritage Fellow in 1999.
Country
In 1927 Victor Records producer Ralph Peer recorded Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family in Bristol, on the Tennessee and Virginia line, sessions that set country music on its modern path. Congress recognised Bristol as the Birthplace of Country Music in 1998.
Bluegrass
Western North Carolina and southwest Virginia are known internationally for bluegrass, old-time string band music and ballad singing, heard at hometown oprys, jam sessions and festivals, some nearly a century old. Its banjo traces back to the akonting of West Africa.
Rock
Rock and roll took shape in the 1950s. Wanda Jackson, urged by a young Elvis Presley to try it, recorded songs now considered classics of early rock and roll and rockabilly, and the National Endowment for the Arts named her a National Heritage Fellow in 2005.
Does United States protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. The United States is the birthplace of globally influential living music, including jazz, blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, rock and roll and hip hop. Native American song and dance endure across 574 federally recognised tribal nations through powwows and ceremonies, though many were historically disrupted. African American traditions such as spirituals, ring shout, the New Orleans second line and Mardi Gras Indians remain vital, alongside Cajun and Zydeco in Louisiana, Appalachian old-time music and Hawaiian hula and chant.
Who it belongs to. There are 574 federally recognised Native American tribes and some genuinely tribally run tourism, such as on the Navajo Nation and in the New Mexico pueblos. The wider tourism economy is overwhelmingly commercial, and it rests on a history of displacement, so little of the sector is community rooted in the way this index rewards.
Only here. Yellowstone, the world's first national park (1872) and home to about half the planet's active geysers.
UNESCO · US National Park Service, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Jazz Origins in New Orleans · US National Park Service, Delta Blues Commemorative Area · National Endowment for the Arts, Shirley Caesar, 1999 National Heritage Fellow · National Endowment for the Humanities, Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol · US National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, Blue Ridge Music · US National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, The Banjo · National Endowment for the Arts, Wanda Jackson, 2005 National Heritage Fellow
The Future of the United States.
Three futures for the United States, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named craft workshops on the open map: 2000 Degrees, A.C. Moore, Alamo Earthworks & Paving, Artist and Craftsman Supply, Beary Crafty, Ben Franklin Crafts.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 33.1% to 33.8% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 10.7% to 20.3% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 19.8 t to 13.6 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 79,732k to 45,037k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 13.6% to 12.9% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 2.92% to 1.52% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 13.3% to 19% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 45.9% to 46.1% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 77.2% to 80.2% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 15.7 µg/m³ to 6.97 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 10,583 m³ to 8,437 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 55.9% to 72.4% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100% to 100% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 28,691 to 90,027 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 266,278k to 341,785k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 4.7% to 10.9% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 7,761 kg to 6,454 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 13.5% to 15.8% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 75.6 yrs to 78.9 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 4,645 kg/ha to 8,414 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 109 kg/ha to 128 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 22.8% to 19.8% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 23.7 $/m3 to 48.4 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 12.5% to 16.7% across 23 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 3,029,930 km2 to 3,088,950 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 12,660 kWh to 13,064 kWh across 30 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 362.3 to 366.83 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 548.04 to 521.76 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 2171 to 1752 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 5168 to 5008 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 154.65 to 234.87 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 606.84 to 444.08 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United States's record. Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift energy
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United States's record. The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift plant-based eating
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United States's record. Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in the United States.
Who is in charge of United States now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Donald Trump
President
Donald Trump is the head of government of United States, in office since 20 January 2025. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 69.6 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 74.4 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 65.5 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 69.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 60.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 63.6 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 71.7 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 75.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 72.8 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 78.3 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Donald TrumpPresident
CongressLegislature, bicameral
Last election5 November 2024
Next election3 November 2026
Constitution1789, as revised to 1992
Government typeconstitutional federal republic
United States national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! behindTarget 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. United States currently protects 12.9% of its land, which is 43% of the way to the pledge. Source
2030
30% of sea protected
! behindThe marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. United States currently protects 19% of its territorial waters, which is 63% of the way there. Source
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on recordUnited States has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. Source
Plastic policy
no national banNo federal ban; bag bans in some states such as California and New York.
Grid, as it stands
20.3% renewableRecorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. Source
Plain Answers About the United States.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
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Is United States sustainable?
United States scores 62 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. A continental giant of national parks, geysers and world class biodiversity, paired with an industrial, heavily processed food and energy system.
Is the water in United States safe and plentiful?
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe. The serious caveats are regional: the south west faces a chronic Colorado River shortage, the Ogallala is being drawn down, and lead episodes such as Flint expose infrastructure gaps.
Can United States feed itself?
The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy, but it is no longer a net food exporter: agricultural imports reached $213 billion in 2024 against $176 billion of exports (USDA Economic Research Service). The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in United States?
Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus. The mainstream diet, however, is dominated by animal products and ultra processed food, so easy whole food plant eating is more a coastal and urban phenomenon than a national norm.
How much of United States is actually protected?
About 13% of US land and 19% of its waters are protected (World Bank, 2025), and marine protection includes some of the largest reserves on Earth, such as Papahanaumokuakea. Federal management through the National Park Service and the wilderness system is well funded and enforced, which lifts this above the land area figure alone.
What wildlife is left in United States?
The US has exceptional biodiversity and endemism, from the Hawaiian islands and the California Floristic Province to the freshwater fish and mussels of the south east. Iconic rewilding successes include grey wolves in Yellowstone, bison recovery and the California condor. It also carries the highest national count of IUCN threatened species in this batch, 2,184 (IUCN Red List version 2026-1), reflecting both richness and pressure.
Is United States on clean energy?
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly. Federal climate policy has swung sharply, with the country again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back federal climate measures in 2025, though many states retain their own targets.
How polluted is United States?
Baseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York. Worsening wildfire seasons now drive severe, if episodic, smoke pollution across large regions.
Does recycling work in United States?
The US recycles about 32% of municipal solid waste (US EPA), a middling rate that has stagnated. Systems vary enormously by city and state, and the past export of waste abroad long inflated apparent performance.
Is the farming in United States organic?
Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
Are there natural materials and craft in United States?
The US is a major cotton and wool producer and keeps living craft traditions, including Navajo weaving, Appalachian white oak basketry and a deep denim heritage. Natural fibres remain part of both industry and craft.
Is there living culture in United States?
There are 574 federally recognised Native American tribes and some genuinely tribally run tourism, such as on the Navajo Nation and in the New Mexico pueblos. The wider tourism economy is overwhelmingly commercial, and it rests on a history of displacement, so little of the sector is community rooted in the way this index rewards.
What heritage does United States keep alive?
The United States is the birthplace of globally influential living music, including jazz, blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, rock and roll and hip hop. Native American song and dance endure across 574 federally recognised tribal nations through powwows and ceremonies, though many were historically disrupted. African American traditions such as spirituals, ring shout, the New Orleans second line and Mardi Gras Indians remain vital, alongside Cajun and Zydeco in Louisiana, Appalachian old-time music and Hawaiian hula and chant.
So is the United States actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: land protected at 12.9% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 20.3% against a 100% mark.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · CIA World Factbook, United States (archived December 2025) · World Bank, Population, total · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area) · World Bank, Renewable electricity output (% of total) · World Bank, CO2 emissions per capita · World Bank, Cause of death by non-communicable diseases · US Bureau of Indian Affairs, About Us · US National Park Service, Jazz Origins in New Orleans
How the United States Ranks, region and world.
Where United States sits on the Eco Index, against its North America neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does United States compare in North America?
1Mexico70
2Canada65
Scored North America destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
United States sits 52 of 77 at 62/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is United States particularly good at?
✓ Food and farming, scored 5/5. The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy, but it is no longer a net food exporter: agricultural imports reached $213 billion in 2024 against $176 billion of exports (USDA Economic Research Service). The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
✓ Water, scored 4/5. The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe. The serious caveats are regional: the south west faces a chronic Colorado River shortage, the Ogallala is being drawn down, and lead episodes such as Flint expose infrastructure gaps.
✓ Pollution, scored 4/5. Baseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York. Worsening wildfire seasons now drive severe, if episodic, smoke pollution across large regions.
Where does United States score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 1/5. Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
✕ Energy, scored 2/5. The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly. Federal climate policy has swung sharply, with the country again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back federal climate measures in 2025, though many states retain their own targets. High emissions, fossil dependence and weakened national policy place it in the low band.
✕ Plant-based eating, scored 3/5. Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus. The mainstream diet, however, is dominated by animal products and ultra processed food, so easy whole food plant eating is more a coastal and urban phenomenon than a national norm.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 1/5
Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of United States's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Energy, 2/5
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal.
Plant-based eating, 3/5
Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus. The mainstream diet, however, is dominated by animal products and ultra processed food, so easy whole food plant eating is more a coastal and urban phenomenon than a national norm.
The United States Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in United States, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores United States
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
33.8
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
12.9
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
19.0
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
20.3
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
13.6 t (2024)
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
1931
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
65.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
76.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
71.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
60.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
69.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
58.5 / 100 · 27 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 27 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
51.2 / 100 · 48 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 48 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
38.3 / 100 · 107 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 107 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
79.7 / 100 · 17 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 17 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
37.8 / 100 · 123 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 123 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
45.1 / 100 · 23 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 23 of 111 countries assessed.
How the United States Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 102 sources across 33 institutions
World Bank16 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- PM2.5 mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic metre) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2021 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
UNESCO World Heritage Centre12 FIGURES
- Yellowstone National Park, Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, Yellowstone, the world's first national park (1872) and home to about half the planet's active geysers check
- Yellowstone National Park, Statement of Outstanding Universal Value corroboration check
- Yellowstone National Park, Statement of Outstanding Universal Value corroboration check
- Yellowstone National Park, Statement of Outstanding Universal Value corroboration check
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, A city on the Mississippi with a plaza and a mound larger at its base than the Great Pyramid, the largest sett check
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site corroboration check
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site corroboration check
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site corroboration check
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site corroboration check
- Independence Hall, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the declaration was adopted, is inscribed by UNESCO. check
- Independence Hall corroboration check
- Independence Hall corroboration check
GBIF occurrence search11 FIGURES
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, order Testudines, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (turtle). check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, order Testudines corroboration check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, order Testudines corroboration check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae corroboration check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Pinopsida, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (conifer). check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Pinopsida corroboration check
- country United States, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Pinopsida corroboration check
World Bank open data9 FIGURES
- terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area), United States, About 13% of US land and 19% of its waters are protected (World Bank, 2025), and marine protection includes so check
- terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area), United States corroboration check
- terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area), United States corroboration check
- terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area), United States corroboration check
- CO2 emissions excluding LULUCF per capita, sourced from EDGAR (European Commission Joint Research Centre), The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per pers check
- government expenditure on education, sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Public spending on education runs at 5.4% of GDP and 11.3% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- government expenditure on education, sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics corroboration check
- government expenditure on education, sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics corroboration check
- government expenditure on education, sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics corroboration check
DarkSky International5 FIGURES
- Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve corroboration check
- Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve corroboration check
- Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve corroboration check
- Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve corroboration check
- Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve corroboration check
FAO5 FIGURES
- FAOSTAT Land Use domain (RL), bulk data for the Americas, Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the wor check
- FAOSTAT Land Use domain (RL), bulk data for the Americas corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Land Use domain (RL), bulk data for the Americas corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products domain (QCL), bulk data for the Americas, By tonnage, the largest crops grown in United States are maize, soya beans, wheat, sugar beet and sugarcane (F check
- FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products domain (QCL), bulk data for the Americas corroboration check
US Environmental Protection Agency5 FIGURES
- Great Lakes Facts and Figures, The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh wat check
- Great Lakes Facts and Figures corroboration check
- Great Lakes Facts and Figures corroboration check
- Great Lakes Facts and Figures corroboration check
- Great Lakes Facts and Figures corroboration check
US Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2025-30464 FIGURES
- Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park, Fossil footprints at White Sands in New Mexico are between 23,000 and 21,000 years old, the oldest securely da check
- Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park corroboration check
- Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park corroboration check
- Fossil footprints and Ice Age ecosystems of White Sands National Park corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, United States, 2025 (38.4%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, United States, 2025 (34.3%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, United States, 2025 (30.6%), country-reported check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, United States, 2025 (33.8%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, United States, 2025 (68.6%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, United States, 2025 (10.0%), country-reported check
IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria3 FIGURES
- version 3.1, second edition (2012), section IV, The Categories, Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. check
- version 3.1, second edition (2012), section IV, The Categories corroboration check
- version 3.1, second edition (2012), section IV, The Categories corroboration check
Our World in Data2 FIGURES
UN Comtrade2 FIGURES
US EPA2 FIGURES
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
21 FIGURE
- 184 in IUCN Red List version 2026-1 check
A net agricultural importer1 FIGURE
- $213bn imports against $176bn exports in 2024 check
CBD1 FIGURE
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 check
Climate Action Tracker1 FIGURE
- USA check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992) check
Convention on Biological Diversity1 FIGURE
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3 corroboration check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture, organic farmland statistics check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, United States, 2023 (12.2%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- United States elections and chambers check
Other published sources1 FIGURE
- The world's largest reserve and the world's first bi-national one, the wording DarkSky International itself uses check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UN Statistics Division1 FIGURE
- Statistical Yearbook 2024 (68th issue), Threatened species table (source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, accessed June 2025), 2023 figures check
UNFCCC1 FIGURE
- NDC Registry check
US Bureau of Indian Affairs1 FIGURE
- federally recognised tribes check
US Energy Information Administration1 FIGURE
- electricity generation by source, 2023 check
US National Archives1 FIGURE
- Declaration of Independence: A Transcription, Thirteen colonies declared independence in 1776. check
US National Park Service1 FIGURE
- Yellowstone National Park check
World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP1 FIGURE
- People using safely managed drinking water services (%) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 check