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 Utah than the US
The countries that resemble Utah much more than the United States are all landlocked and have a lot of arid land. Utah is more conservative than most areas of the United States, so the countries on this list tend to be more religious as well.
- Afghanistan and Utah are mountainous and landlocked. Both have a tradition of large families and early marriages. In addition, Afghanistan and Utah are deeply religious as well and their governments have extremely conservative laws. The vast majority of their people are Caucasian as well.
- Turkmenistan, like Utah, is dominated by desert and mountains and has very little arable land. Both border a large saltwater lake. The people in Turkmenistan and Utah tend to be highly conservative, so they have laws and traditions that emphasize family and community life. Furthermore, both have an extremely low rate of homicide.
- Niger is located between the Sahara Desert and the African Savanna. Early marriages and large families are common in both places. As a result, Niger has the youngest population of any country and Utah has the youngest population of any state, since both have high birth rates.
- Mali is on Niger’s western border and has many similar qualities. Like Utah, Mali has many deeply religious people. Community gatherings and traditions play an important role in social life. Both have large tracts of barren land, although Mali’s climate is significantly warmer.
- Tajikistan is yet another Central Asian country on this list. It is mountainous and landlocked, like Utah, with dramatic terrain. Their land is at a relatively high elevation. Both have swathes of desert terrain as well as coniferous forests. Groundwater supplies the majority of the water in Tajikistan and Utah.
- Bhutan, 7. Mongolia, 8. Kyrgyzstan, 9. Algeria, 10. Kazakhstan
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Utah than the US
Interestingly enough, four of the five countries with significantly fewer similarities to Utah than the United States overall have populations with primarily European ancestry, although this is a trait of Utah as well. These countries are a lot less conservative politically than Utah.
- Trinidad & Tobago is a tropical island nation in the Caribbean, making it the geographic opposite of Utah’s arid, landlocked deserts and mountains. Its culture is shaped by a mix of African, Indian, and European heritage, whereas Utah is far more homogenous.
- Portugal is a densely settled European country. Portugal has some of the lowest birth rates in the world, while Utah has the highest in the United States. Portuguese society is much more secular and politically liberal than Utah, with legalized same-sex marriage.
- New Zealand is another striking contrast with Utah. Politically and socially, New Zealand is highly progressive, with strong environmental protections, gender equality, and recognition of Indigenous rights, all areas where Utah is far more conservative.
- Denmark is a densely populated and relatively flat country in Europe. Denmark is far more politically liberal and secular than Utah. It provides universal healthcare and generous parental leave, unlike Utah.
- Canada and Utah both have relatively cold climates and are sparsely populated. However, they have some massive differences in culture and politics as well. Canada tends to have less conservative laws. It has a much older population than Utah as well.
- United Kingdom, 7. France, 8. South Korea, 9. Germany, 10. Bahamas
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Utah than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.