--- title: "How many — things people built" description: "29 counts and estimates in the things people built category, each with how the figure is arrived at and how confident it is." url: https://atoneplace.net/how-many/human-made/ site: "At One Place" --- # How many: things people built 29 things people built counts. | Question | Answer | | --- | --- | | How many countries are there in the world? | 195 — or 193, or 206, or 249, depending on who is counting | | How many cars are there in the world? | about 1.5 billion motor vehicles | | How many planes are in the air right now? | roughly 10,000 to 20,000 at any moment | | How many languages are there in the world? | about 7,150 living languages | | How many McDonald's are there? | about 43,000 in over 100 countries | | How many phones are there in the world? | about 8.9 billion mobile connections — more than there are people | | How many nuclear weapons are there? | about 12,200 warheads | | How many websites are there? | about 1.1 billion hostnames — but only around 200 million active | | How many books have ever been published? | about 130 million as of 2010 — probably over 200 million now | | How many airports are there in the world? | about 45,000 with runways — but only around 4,000 with scheduled airline service | | How many ATMs are there in the world? | about 3 million | | How many cities are there in the world? | about 10,000 with over 50,000 people; 33 megacities over 10 million | | How many buildings are there in the world? | somewhere between 1.5 and 4 billion | | How many computers are there in the world? | roughly 2 billion personal computers in use | | How many miles of road are there in the world? | about 64 million km — roughly 40 million miles | | How many vending machines are there? | roughly 15 million worldwide — about 4 million in Japan alone | | How many ships are there in the world? | about 105,000 merchant ships — plus roughly 4 million fishing vessels | | How many traffic lights are there? | about 300,000 signalised intersections in the United States | | How many bridges are there? | more than 620,000 in the United States alone | | How many elevators are there in the world? | about 21 million | | How many houses are there in the world? | about 2.4 billion households | | How many shipping containers are there? | about 60 million TEU — roughly 38 million actual boxes | | How many servers are there in the world? | roughly 100 million | | How many miles of railway are there in the world? | about 1.3 million km — roughly 800,000 miles | | How many streetlights are there? | roughly 350 million worldwide | | How many escalators are there in the world? | roughly one million | | How many road signs are there? | roughly 50 to 70 million in the United States | | How many tunnels are there? | no global count — China alone has about 25,000 road tunnels | | How many manhole covers are there? | roughly 13 million in the United States, on a rough estimate | - [How many countries are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/countries/) — 195 — or 193, or 206, or 249, depending on who is counting - [How many cars are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/cars-in-the-world/) — about 1.5 billion motor vehicles - [How many planes are in the air right now?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/planes-in-the-air-right-now/) — roughly 10,000 to 20,000 at any moment - [How many languages are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/languages/) — about 7,150 living languages - [How many McDonald's are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/mcdonalds-restaurants/) — about 43,000 in over 100 countries - [How many phones are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/phones-in-the-world/) — about 8.9 billion mobile connections — more than there are people - [How many nuclear weapons are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/nuclear-weapons/) — about 12,200 warheads - [How many websites are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/websites/) — about 1.1 billion hostnames — but only around 200 million active - [How many books have ever been published?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/books-ever-published/) — about 130 million as of 2010 — probably over 200 million now - [How many airports are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/airports-in-the-world/) — about 45,000 with runways — but only around 4,000 with scheduled airline service - [How many ATMs are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/atms-in-the-world/) — about 3 million - [How many cities are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/cities/) — about 10,000 with over 50,000 people; 33 megacities over 10 million - [How many buildings are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/buildings-in-the-world/) — somewhere between 1.5 and 4 billion - [How many computers are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/computers-in-the-world/) — roughly 2 billion personal computers in use - [How many miles of road are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/roads-total-length/) — about 64 million km — roughly 40 million miles - [How many vending machines are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/vending-machines/) — roughly 15 million worldwide — about 4 million in Japan alone - [How many ships are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/ships-at-sea/) — about 105,000 merchant ships — plus roughly 4 million fishing vessels - [How many traffic lights are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/traffic-lights/) — about 300,000 signalised intersections in the United States - [How many bridges are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/bridges/) — more than 620,000 in the United States alone - [How many elevators are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/elevators-in-the-world/) — about 21 million - [How many houses are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/houses-in-the-world/) — about 2.4 billion households - [How many shipping containers are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/shipping-containers/) — about 60 million TEU — roughly 38 million actual boxes - [How many servers are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/servers-in-the-world/) — roughly 100 million - [How many miles of railway are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/railway-track/) — about 1.3 million km — roughly 800,000 miles - [How many streetlights are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/streetlights/) — roughly 350 million worldwide - [How many escalators are there in the world?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/escalators-in-the-world/) — roughly one million - [How many road signs are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/road-signs/) — roughly 50 to 70 million in the United States - [How many tunnels are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/tunnels/) — no global count — China alone has about 25,000 road tunnels - [How many manhole covers are there?](https://atoneplace.net/how-many/manhole-covers/) — roughly 13 million in the United States, on a rough estimate