Have you ever wondered which U.S. states resemble countries more closely than others? The Country – US State Comparisons are designed to quantify just that — measuring how similar each U.S. state is to different countries around the world relative to the United States. This index provides a data-driven way to make those comparisons. It equally weights five major factors: demographics, culture, politics, technology, and geography. Over 1,000 different data points are used to generate the results.
Top 10 Countries More Similar to Indiana than the US
Indiana tends to be more conservative and rural. At the same time it also has more manufacturing and industry. 4 of the 5 nations that have more in common with Indiana than the United States overall are located in Eastern Europe.
- Moldova has a lot in common with Indiana. They have a similar continental climate and most of their land is for agriculture. The country is relatively conservative, especially on social issues, and has limited urbanization, much like Indiana. In addition, they also have many industrial workers. Coal and gas are their primary sources of power as well.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina, although more mountainous, shares Indiana’s mix of agriculture and industry, with fertile valleys for farming and significant manufacturing capability. Both are more conservative politically than their surroundings. They do not allow same sex marriage or the possession of marijuana.
- Lithuania is another former member of the Soviet Union on this list. It has a continental climate and an agricultural heritage, just like Indiana. Politically, Lithuania and Indiana are conservative on many cultural issues, and church attendance remains common. Their infrastructure is well developed and both serve as important hubs for regional trade.
- Serbia shares a similar political and social leaning toward conservative values with Indiana. Another similarity is that they have high rates of gun ownership. Furthermore, basketball is quite popular in Serbia and Indiana as well. In addition, they are landlocked and much of their terrain is relatively flat.
- Zambia is the only African country in the top five. Both have large rural populations with strong ties to farming. Corn is a staple crop in both places. Zambia has a large, industrialized population and a major focus on mining and manufacturing, similar to Indiana. Socially, both are conservative and predominately Protestant Christian.
- Botswana, 7. Montenegro, 8. Hungary, 9. Burkina Faso, 10. Czech Republic
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Indiana than the US
Interestingly enough, three of the five countries with significantly fewer similarities to Indiana than the United States overall are Spanish-speaking. These countries tend to have a lot of coastline and are much more mountainous than Indiana as well.
- Mexico is characterized by a mix of diverse landscapes, including arid deserts in the north, tropical rainforests in the south, and a spine of rugged mountains, in contrast to Indiana. Both are quite religious, but Mexico is predominately Catholic, while Indiana is mostly Protestant.
- Canada‘s climate is generally much colder and more varied than Indiana’s. Politically, Canada’s government tends to be more liberal than Indiana’s. In addition, ice hockey and winter sports are more popular in Canada.
- Argentina is a Spanish-speaking South American nation. It has a drier climate than Indiana. In contrast to Indiana’s German influences, Spanish and Italian immigrants greatly influenced the culture of Argentina.
- Chile borders Argentina and is quite similar. It has many tall mountains and a massive amount of coastline, in contrast to Indiana. In addition, Chile’s climate varies dramatically from north to south, while Indiana has a continental climate.
- Taiwan is an island nation in East Asia with a subtropical climate, high population density, and mountainous interior. Although both have economies that are reliant on manufacturing and exports, Taiwan’s laws are not especially conservative and its people tend to not be as religious as Indiana’s.
- Malaysia, 7. New Zealand, 9. Australia, 10. Spain
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Indiana than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.