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 Mississippi than the US
Mississippi has a warmer climate than most areas of the United States. It has the highest percentage of people with African ancestry of any state. In addition, it is not as wealthy and its infrastructure is not as well developed as other states. The countries that are much more similar to Mississippi than the United States overall all have populations with predominately African ancestry.
- Central African Republic, like Mississippi, has a hotter and wetter climate than the overall United States. It is also one of the poorest countries globally, so it has some parallels to Mississippi, which is one of the poorest states. Both have relatively flat terrain and feature a mix of forests and farmlands.
- Jamaica is the only country located in the Caribbean on this list. Mississippi and Jamaica have histories deeply shaped by slavery. As a result, both have a high percentage of people with African ancestry. In addition, the vast majority of their people are Protestant Christian. Furthermore, they have a high rate of obesity.
- Guinea is located in West Africa, on the Atlantic Coast. In Guinea and Mississippi, religion is deeply woven into identity, law, and culture, unlike the more secular trend in much of the U.S. Structural poverty and underinvestment are big problems in both places. The rural lifestyle and agriculture-dependent economies are also shared traits.
- Sudan is located in Northeast Africa. Like Mississippi, it has a long history of slavery and racial divisions that have shaped its society. Both places are heavily rural and rely on agriculture as a backbone of their economies. They are both are located on some of the longest rivers in the world, with the Nile River running through Sudan.
- Eswatini is a small country in Southern Africa. Like Mississippi, it is warm, heavily rural, and strongly religious with many Protestant Christians. Eswatini is one of the poorest countries in its region, facing problems with underdeveloped infrastructure, similar to Mississippi being one of the least wealthy U.S. states.
- Guyana, 7. Gabon, 8. Nigeria, 9. Namibia, 10. Gambia
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Mississippi than the US
The countries with the least amount of traits in common with Mississippi compared to the United States overall have populations with mostly European ancestry. They also tend to be located at a higher latitude and therefore have a more colder climate. Furthermore, these countries are a lot less conservative politically than Mississippi.
- Canada is located to the north of the United States and has a much colder climate than Mississippi. In addition, Canadians tend to be more liberal than people in Mississippi. Canada invests more in equitable public education, while Mississippi’s system is deeply shaped by local inequalities and historical segregation.
- Australia has a much drier climate than Mississippi. In addition, Australia is surrounded by coastline, while Mississippi only has a narrow strip along the Gulf of Mexico. Australia provides public healthcare and a broader welfare state, while Mississippi relies more on market forces and charity.
- Switzerland and Mississippi have almost opposite models of society. Switzerland is globally admired for social cohesion, neutrality, wealth, and decentralization. In contrast, Mississippi struggles with inequality, racial tension, and low public investment. While Switzerland is extremely mountainous, Mississippi’s topography is relatively flat.
- New Zealand is one of the most progressive, secular, egalitarian countries in the world, while Mississippi is one of the most conservative, religious, and unequal states in the U.S. In addition, it has few people with African ancestry, since most of its citizens have roots in Europe or native Maori ancestry.
- Netherlands is one of the most liberal and secular countries in the world, standing in sharp contrast to Mississippi’s conservative and deeply religious culture. In contrast to Mississippi, the Netherlands is wealthy, with strong public infrastructure and universal healthcare.
- Austria, 7. Germany, 8. Spain, 9. Chile, 10. Luxembourg
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Mississippi than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.