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 New Mexico than the US
The five countries that resemble New Mexico more than the United States overall are Latin American nations. This is not surprise since New Mexico has the highest percentage of Latinos in the country. As a result, a higher percentage of its people are Catholic than the United States overall.
- Bolivia is a landlocked, sparsely populated country in South America. Both New Mexico and Bolivia have large indigenous populations as well. In addition, they were part of the Spanish colonial territory, before becoming independent. New Mexico and parts of Bolivia share highland, arid, and semi-arid regions as well.
- Honduras is another country with strong cultural similarities to New Mexico. Like New Mexico, its population is largely Mestizo, blending indigenous and European ancestry. Both have a mix of Catholics and Protestants. In addition, their family structures tend to be close-knit and community-oriented.
- Mexico borders New Mexico to the south. The state was even once part of Mexico until the mid-19th century. A high percentage of people in New Mexico have Mexican ancestry, so many cultural traditions are directly shared. Both have liberal laws, including legalized abortion and same sex marriage. Their current leaders are women as well.
- Ecuador also bears resemblances to New Mexico through its diverse population of Mestizos and indigenous peoples. Both regions feature a mix of highland and dry environments. Like New Mexico, Ecuador has deep Catholic roots and strong indigenous traditions that influence its art. Both have decriminalized marijuana as well.
- Paraguay is another landlocked country in South America on this list. It is similar to New Mexico because of its strong indigenous influence alongside Spanish culture. Both regions are more rural and less urbanized compared to their surrounding nations. They also ban capital punishment as well as corporal punishment in schools.
- Nicaragua, 7. Peru, 8. El Salvador, 9. Colombia, 10. Costa Rica
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to New Mexico than the US
The top 5 countries with less traits in common with New Mexico than the United States overall are located tend to be significantly more developed. In addition, these countries get far more rainfall. With the exception of Singapore, their climates are colder as well.
- Singapore is a densely packed city-state with a tropical rainforest climate, in stark contrast to New Mexico’s sparsely populated desert landscape. Its economy is highly developed, service-oriented, and globally integrated, whereas New Mexico is more resource-based and rural.
- Canada‘s climate is much colder than New Mexico’s. It also has a more centralized and generous social safety net and more gun restrictions. While parts of Canada are geographically close to the U.S., culturally and politically, it more closely resembles Northern Europe than the American Southwest.
- Switzerland‘s geography is defined by the Alps, offering an extremely mountainous and temperate climate distinct from New Mexico’s desert heat and terrain. New Mexico has a high poverty rate and is one of the least wealthy states. In contrast, a high percentage of the people in Switzerland are millionaires.
- New Zealand has a cool, temperate maritime climate with lush forests and farmlands, in contrast to New Mexico’s arid deserts. While New Mexico struggles with droughts and relies heavily on irrigation, New Zealand has abundant rivers and lakes.
- Denmark is a peninsula with a relatively flat terrain, so its landscape is far different from New Mexico’s. It gets more rainfall and has a colder climate as well. Furthermore, Denmark has a much lower rate of poverty and more developed infrastructure.
- Taiwan, 7. United Arab Emirates, 8. South Korea, 9. Qatar, 10. Netherlands
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to New Mexico than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.