Methodology

Every ranking on this site follows the same principles:

• Open data only. We use public or permissibly-licensed datasets, and store each source's licence and attribution.
• Stated criteria. Each list names the exact metric it ranks by, its unit, and the scope and period covered.
• Cited sources. The dataset behind every list is shown on the page and on our sources page.
• No fabricated numbers. Values come from the source data. Where figures are estimates, we say so.
• Movement over time. When we have more than one snapshot, we show each entry's rank change (▲/▼).
• Quality gate. A ranking is only indexed once it has enough real, sourced entries and a written methodology — thin pages are held back.

Rankings that combine several inputs describe the weighting used. Sponsored placements are labelled and never affect an earned position.