With “life-threatening” cold warnings sweeping across Canada today, January 23, the global climate divide has never felt more stark. 

Major weather warnings blanketed much of Canada on Thursday, with Environment Canada issuing extreme cold alerts from British Columbia to the Atlantic provinces. 

Wind chill values are expected to reach life-threatening levels, with some regions experiencing temperatures that feel like -50°C.

Using the data from Trading Economics, this explainer focuses on the hottest vs coldest regions on Earth.

TL;DR 

• Canada currently ranks as the second-coldest country on Earth, with an average temperature of -2.98°C, behind Greenland. 
• 10-15% of household budgets go into preparation during peak winter months in colder regions.

The table below ranks 206 countries by their average temperature, from hottest to coldest. 

It was last tracked by Trading Economics in 2024. 

Average Temperature by Country

The World’s Natural Freezers

Canada ranks among the planet’s three coldest nations by average annual temperature, registering a bone-chilling -2.98°C (26.6°F). 

Only one country edges it out: Greenland at -18.56°C.

To put Canada’s position in perspective, its average temperature sits 34 degrees colder than the global mean. 

When extreme weather events like this week’s polar vortex strike, individual regions can experience temperatures 30-40 degrees below even Canada’s frigid baseline.

Russia (-2.63°C), Iceland (1.24°C), and Mongolia (2.36°C) round out the world’s coldest inhabited nations. 

What these countries share beyond low temperatures is massive infrastructure investment in:

• Heating systems
• Insulated construction
• Emergency preparedness

According to the Canadian Government report, these costs can consume 10-15% of household budgets during peak winter months.

Hottest Places on Earth

Another interesting thing the data tells us is that the top ten hottest nations are dominated by the African Sahel region and the Arabian Peninsula. 

At the opposite extreme, Burkina Faso holds the title of world’s hottest country with an average annual temperature of 29.94°C (85.9°F). 

This West African nation never experiences what Canadians would consider “cold” (even its coolest months hover around 25°C).

Mali follows at 28.69°C, then Aruba at 29.63°C.

While Canada’s weather warnings will lift within days, the fundamental gap between Earth’s thermal extremes represents a permanent challenge for global development. 

Nations at both ends of the temperature spectrum face massive infrastructure costs, health challenges, and economic constraints.

These are constraints rarely considered by moderate-climate countries.

ELI5

A number of cold warnings are in effect across the Prairies, with blowing snow also expected in parts of Ontario.

The bigger picture is that Canada is among the top five coldest countries on Earth. There is a sharp contrast with a couple of African Sahel regions, where it’s the hottest. 

Sources: 

Trading Economics | CTV News | Canadian Government report