2020 Edition

Background

Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment, and rapid advances in technology.

Area

land

9,147,593 sq km

total

9,833,517 sq km

water

685,924 sq km

Area - comparative

about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union

Climate

mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

Coastline

19,924 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount McKinley 6,190 m (highest point in North America)

lowest point

Death Valley (lowest point in North America) -86 m

mean elevation

760 m

Geographic coordinates

38 00 N, 97 00 W

Geography - note

note 1: world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is the highest point (6,190 m; 20,308 ft) in North America, and Death Valley is the lowest point (-86 m; -282 ft) note 2: the western US coast and the southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 3: the Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide the Bering Sea (north) from the main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km (1,118 mi) westward from the Alaskan Peninsula; the archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, and hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on the islands, which together form a large northern section of the Ring of Fire note 4: Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico (see "Geography - note" under Mexico) note 5: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava-tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep note 6: Bracken Cave outside San Antonio, Texas is the world's largest bat cave and the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October, making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals

Irrigated land

234,782 sq km (2017)

Land boundaries

border countries

Canada 8,891 km (including 2,475 km with Alaska); Mexico 3,111 km

total

12,002 km

Land use

agricultural land

46.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.2% (2023 est.)

forest

33.8% (2023 est.)

other

18.7% (2023 est.)

Location

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Major aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer, Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, Californian Central Valley Aquifer System, Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains), Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Michigan – 57,750 sq km; Superior* – 53,348 sq km; Huron* – 23,597 sq km; Erie* – 12,890 sq km; Ontario* – 9,220 sq km; Lake of the Woods – 4,350 sq km; Iliamna – 2,590 sq km; Okeechobee – 1,810 sq km; Belcharof – 1,190 sq km; Red – 1,170 sq km; Saint Clair – 1,113 sq km; Champlain – 1,100 sq km note - Great Lakes* area shown as US waters

salt water lake(s)

Great Salt – 4,360 sq km; Pontchartrain – 1,620 sq km; Selawik – 1,400 sq km; Salton Sea – 950 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Missouri - 3,768 km; Mississippi - 3,544 km; Yukon river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 3,190 km; Saint Lawrence (shared with Canada) - 3,058 km; Rio Grande river source (mouth shared with Mexico) - 3,057 km; Colorado river source (shared with Mexico [m]) - 2,333 km; Arkansas - 2,348 km; Columbia river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 2,250 km; Red - 2,188 km; Ohio - 2,102 km); Snake - 1,670 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

(Gulf of America) Mississippi* (3,202,185 sq km); Rio Grande (607,965 sq km); (Gulf of Saint Lawrence) Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km total, US only 505,000 sq km)

Pacific Ocean drainage

Yukon* (847,620 sq km, US only 23,820 sq km); Colorado (703,148 sq km); Columbia* (657,501 sq km, US only 554,501 sq km)

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

not specified

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of America coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to intercontinental air travel; St. Helens (2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; other historically active volcanoes are mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii, including (in Alaska) Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof, (in Hawaii) Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi, (in the Northern Mariana Islands) Anatahan, (in the Pacific Northwest) Mount Baker, and Mount Hood; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources

coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land

Population distribution

large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prairie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast, particularly around Anchorage, and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu

Terrain

vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

Age structure

0-14 years

18.1% (male 31,618,532/female 30,254,223)

15-64 years

63.4% (male 108,553,822/female 108,182,491)

65 years and over

18.5% (2024 est.) (male 28,426,426/female 34,927,914)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

3.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

8.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.4% (2018 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.1% (2022 est.)

Death rate

8.76 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

29.2 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.4 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

56 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

11.3% national budget (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

White 61.6%, Black or African American 12.4%, Asian 6%, Indigenous and Alaska native 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 8.4%, two or more races 10.2% (2020 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.02 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

16.6% of GDP (2022)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

24.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English only (official) 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.1 years

male

78.7 years

total population

80.9 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

18.937 million New York-Newark, 12.534 million Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, 8.937 million Chicago, 6.707 million Houston, 6.574 million Dallas-Fort Worth, 5.490 million WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

17 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

40 years

male

37.8 years

total

39.5 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.5 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

American

noun

American(s)

Net migration rate

2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

36.2% (2016)

Physician density

3.68 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

170,472,705

male

167,543,554

total

338,016,259 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.45% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2022 est.)

male

15 years (2022 est.)

total

16 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

16.7% (2025 est.)

male

27.7% (2025 est.)

total

22.1% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

83.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - no DST for Hawaii and most of Arizona

etymology

named after George WASHINGTON (1732-1799), the first president of the United States

geographic coordinates

38 53 N, 77 02 W

name

Washington, D.C.

time difference

UTC-5 (during Standard Time)

time zone note

the 50 United States cover six time zones

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no, but the US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by the US

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed as a "joint resolution" by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by at least two thirds of the state legislatures; passage requires ratification by three fourths of the state legislatures or passage in state-held constitutional conventions as specified by Congress; the US president has no role in the constitutional amendment process

history

previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine of the 13 states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789

Country name

abbreviation

US or USA

conventional long form

United States of America

conventional short form

United States

etymology

the name America was first used in 1507 and is derived from the first name of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512), an Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer; the name United States first appeared in a document subtitle during the discussions that led to the Declaration of Independence in 1776

Dependent areas

American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island (14)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president, approved by the Senate

chief of state

President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)

election results

2024: Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 312, Kamala HARRIS (Democratic Party) 226; percent of direct popular vote - Donald J. TRUMP 49.8%, Kamala HARRIS 48.3%, other 1.9% 2020: Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. elected president; electoral vote - Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 306, Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 232; percent of direct popular vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. 51.3%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.9%, other 1.8%

election/appointment process

president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by the Electoral College of electors chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)

expected date of next election

7 November 2028

head of government

President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)

most recent election date

5 November 2024

Flag

description: 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue rectangle in the upper-left corner has 50 five-pointed white stars, arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars meaning: the stars represent the 50 states, and the stripes represent the 13 original colonies; blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red for courage, zeal, and fervency; white for purity and rectitude of conduct

Government type

constitutional federal republic

Independence

4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)

International law organization participation

withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices -- the chief justice and 8 associate justices)

judge selection and term of office

president nominates and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices serve for life

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories

Legal system

common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Congress

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

November 2026

most recent election date

11/5/2024

number of seats

435 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Republican Party (220); Democratic Party (215)

percentage of women in chamber

28.9%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

2 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

November 2026

most recent election date

11/5/2024

number of seats

100 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Republican Party (15); Democratic Party (19)

percentage of women in chamber

26%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, Francis Scott KEY witnessed the successful American defense of Baltimore's Fort McHenry against a British naval bombardment, later writing a poem about it that would become the US national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of "The Anacreontic Song;" there are four verses, but only the first verse is sung

lyrics/music

Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH

title

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Yellowstone National Park (n); Grand Canyon National Park (n); Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (c); Independence Hall (c); Statue of Liberty (c); Yosemite National Park (n); Papahānaumokuākea (m); Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (c); The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright (c); Mesa Verde National Park (c); Mammoth Cave National Park (n); Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (c); Olympic National Park (n); Everglades National Park (n); Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (n); Redwood National and State Parks (n); Great Smoky Mountains National Park (n); La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico (c); Chaco Culture (c); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (n); Taos Pueblo (c); Carlsbad Caverns National Park (n); Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (n); Moravian Church Settlements (c); San Antonio Missions (c); Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (c)

total World Heritage Sites

26 (13 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Puerto Rico

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

National symbol(s)

bald eagle

Political parties

Alliance Party Constitution Party Democratic Party Green Party Libertarian Party Republican Party Vermont Progressive Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

maize, soybeans, milk, wheat, sugar beets, sugarcane, potatoes, chicken, pork, tomatoes (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

6.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$6.857 trillion (2023 est.)

revenues

$4.877 trillion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$1.012 trillion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$905.378 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$1.134 trillion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

world’s largest economy by nominal GDP; largest importer and second-largest exporter; home to leading financial exchanges and global reserve currency; high and growing public debt; inflation moderating but remains above pre-pandemic levels

Exchange rates

British pounds per US dollar:  0.782 (2024 est.), 0.805 (2023 est.), 0.811 (2022 est.), 0.727 (2021 est.), 0.780 (2020 est.)  Canadian dollars per US dollar:  1.369 (2024 est.), 1.35 (2023 est.), 1.302 (2022 est.), 1.254 (2021 est.), 1.341 (2020 est.) Chinese yuan per US dollar:  0.783 (2024 est.), 7.084 (2023 est.), 6.737 (2022 est.), 6.449 (2021 est.), 6.901 (2020 est.) euros per US dollar:  0.924 (2024 est.), 0.925 (2023 est.), 0.950 (2022 est.), 0.845 (2021 est.), 0.876 (2020 est.) Japanese yen per US dollar:  151.366 (2024 est.), 140.49 (2023 est.), 131.50 (2022 est.), 109.75 (2021 est.), 106.78 (2020 est.) note 1: the following countries and territories use the US dollar officially as their legal tender: British Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Timor Leste, Turks and Caicos, and islands of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba) note 2: the following countries and territories use the US dollar as official legal tender alongside local currency: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, and Panama

Exports

Exports 2022

$3.039 trillion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$3.072 trillion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$3.191 trillion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, gas turbines, cars (2023)

Exports - partners

Canada 14%, Mexico 13%, China 8%, Germany 5%, Japan 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

10.9% (2024 est.)

government consumption

13.4% (2024 est.)

household consumption

67.9% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-14% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.6% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.9% (2024 est.)

industry

17.3% (2024 est.)

services

79.7% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$29.185 trillion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

41.8 (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.4% (2023 est.)

lowest 10%

1.8% (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$3.984 trillion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$3.857 trillion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$4.108 trillion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, crude petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, garments (2023)

Imports - partners

Mexico 15%, China 15%, Canada 14%, Germany 5%, Japan 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

3.25% (2021 est.)

Industries

highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.9% (2024 est.)

Labor force

174.174 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023

114.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$24.276 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$24.977 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$25.676 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$72,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$74,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$75,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$706.644 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$773.426 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$910.037 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

8.3% (2024 est.)

male

10.4% (2024 est.)

total

9.4% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

495.156 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

92.28 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

3.825 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

534.234 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

247.883 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

4.085 trillion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

19.87 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

38.874 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.235 billion kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

191.104 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

58.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

geothermal

0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

5.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

18.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

5.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

9.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

278.474 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

920.47 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

215.48 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

82.917 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

1.072 trillion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

13.402 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

96.95GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

41 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

94 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

18.5% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

38.212 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

20.307 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

total petroleum production

20.953 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

38 (2023 est.)

total

131 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector; thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; over 15,000 radio stations, most commercial; National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of about 900 member stations; satellite radio available (2018)

Internet country code

.us

Internet users

percent of population

93% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

26 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

87.987 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

113 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

391 million (2024 est.)

Airports

16,116 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

N

Heliports

8,130 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 4, container ship 60, general cargo 96, oil tanker 68, other 3,305

total

3,533 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chester, Cleveland, Detroit, Galveston, Houston, Los Angeles, Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), Mobile, New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Tri-City Port

large

21

medium

38

ports with oil terminals

204

small

132

total ports

666 (2024)

very small

475

Railways

standard gauge

293,564.2 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

293,564.2 km (2014)

Military - note

the US military's primary missions are to deter potential enemies, provide for the defense of the US, its Territories, Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the US, and to protect US national interests; its responsibilities are worldwide and include providing humanitarian assistance, participating in international military exercises and operations, conducting military diplomacy, and fulfilling the US's alliance and treaty commitments; the US has been a leading member of NATO since the Alliance's formation in 1949 the US military has a global presence; the separate services operate jointly under 11 regional or functionally based joint service "combatant" commands: Africa Command; Central Command, Cyber Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Space Command, Special Operations Command, Strategic Command, and Transportation Command Congress officially created the US military in September 1789; the US Army was established in June 1775 as the Continental Army; after the declaration of independence in July 1776, the Continental Army and the militia in the service of Congress became known collectively as the Army of the United States; when Congress ordered the Continental Army to disband in 1784, it retained a small number of personnel that would form the nucleus of the 1st American Regiment for national service formed later that year; both the US Navy and the US Marines were also established in 1775, but the Navy fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War, and was reestablished by Congress in 1794; the first US military unit devoted exclusively to aviation began operations in 1913 as part of the US Army; the Army Air Corps (AAC) was the US military service dedicated to aerial warfare between 1926 and 1941; the AAC became the US Army Air Forces in 1941 and remained as a combat arm of the Army until the establishment of the US Air Force in 1947 (2025)

Military and security forces

United States Armed Forces (aka US Military): US Army (USA), US Navy (USN; includes US Marine Corps or USMC), US Air Force (USAF), US Space Force (USSF); US Coast Guard (USCG); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 1.28 million active duty Armed Forces (450,000 Army; 334,000 Navy; 317,000 Air Force; 10,000 Space Force; 168,000 Marine Corps); 42,000 Coast Guard) (2025)

Military deployments

the US has approximately 200,000 military personnel deployed overseas on a permanent or a long-term rotational (typically 3-9 months) basis (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of countries such as Germany and the UK; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2021

3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

3.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

3.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

3.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2025

3.2% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age (under 18 with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; maximum enlistment age varies by service; 8-year initial service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty depending on the particular military service (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

21,737 (2024 est.)

refugees

3,619,495 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1958-1963 - Project Mercury first manned space flights 1961-1963 - Project Gemini (longer-duration manned flights in preparation for Moon landings) 1963-1971 - Project Apollo Moon landings (world's first manned landing on the Moon, 1969) 1964 - launched first successful Mars probe (Mariner) 1965-1979 - operated Skylab space station   1977 - began launching Voyager probes to Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond the solar system 1980s-2011 - operated Space Shuttle program (world’s first re-usable space orbiters) 1990 - launched Hubble Space Telescope 1993 - began participating in International Space Station project 2003 - launched surface rover vehicles (Spirit and Opportunity) to Mars  2011 - launched orbital probe (Juno) to Jupiter  2016 - launched OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve asteroid sample (landed on asteroid Bennu in 2020 and returned with sample in 2023) 2017 - initiated Artemis lunar landing project 2019 - initiated Gateway lunar orbital station project 2021 - launched James Webb Space Telescope (ESA contributed launch vehicle and launch site); surface rover vehicle (Perseverance) with robot helicopter (Ingenuity) successfully landed on surface of Mars 2024 - successfully placed a commercial lander on the Moon and launched probe (Europa Clipper) to study Jupiter's Europa moon

Space agency/agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; established 1958) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

has 20 government and commercial spaceports licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration spread across 10 states (Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia) (2025)

Space program overview

has a large, comprehensive space program and is one of the world’s top space powers; builds, launches, and operates space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and the full spectrum of spacecraft, including interplanetary probes, manned craft, reusable rockets, satellites, space stations, and space planes/shuttles; has an astronaut program and a corps of astronauts; researching and developing a broad range of other space-related technologies, including advanced telecommunications and optics, navigational aids, propulsion, and robotics; has launched orbital or lander probes to the Sun and all the planets in the solar system, as well as to asteroids and beyond the solar system; has dozens of international missions and projects, including with Canada, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the ESA; as of January 2026, 60 countries had signed onto the US-led Artemis Accords to enhance the governance of civil exploration and use of outer space; the US commercial space industry is one of the world’s largest and is active across the spectrum of US government space programs; US commercial companies conduct the majority of NASA and US military space launches (2026)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Qa'ida; Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); La Mara Salvatruche (MS-13); Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT); Tren de Aragua (TdA)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

777.302 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.76 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.258 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

4.795 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; declining natural freshwater resources in the west; deforestation; mining; desertification; species conservation; invasive species

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Protocol

Methane emissions

agriculture

9,063.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

20,500.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

758.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

4,974 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.069 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

176.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

209.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

58.39 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

265.225 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

14.8% (2022 est.)