Buzz
While often frowned upon, using expletives is a completely natural aspect of human communication. This is fortunate, as research suggests that cursing is associated with traits like intelligence and candor, as well as an enhanced capacity to endure pain. A recent study by Wordtips has explored global swearing patterns, identifying the most (and least) profane countries worldwide.
By analyzing 1.7 million geotagged English tweets, the study filtered out unnecessary words, removed duplicate posts from the same users, and tallied profanities in the remaining texts—uncovering notable global trends. However, the results may be biased toward English-speaking nations, as non-English tweets were excluded.
The Most (and Least) Profane Countries
Unsurprisingly, the United States topped the list as the most profane country, with 41.6 out of every 1000 tweets containing swear words. The United Kingdom followed at 28.6, while Australia (26.6), New Zealand (25.2), and Canada (24.6) rounded out the top five. Other notable mentions include Mexico (24.5), Colombia (22.6), Sudan (21.3), and Norway (19.9).
The study revealed that Middle Eastern nations swear the least, with Lebanon (7.2), Saudi Arabia (5.6), and Bahrain (4.3) trailing behind Kuwait, which had the lowest global score at just 3.6 profane tweets per 1000. Other countries with minimal swearing included Ethiopia (6.9), Nepal (6.5), and Cambodia (6).
Profanity Trends by City and Continent
By leveraging geotagged tweets, the Wordtips team was able to delve deeper into the data, analyzing swearing patterns city by city across specific continents.
The U.S. dominated the list of cities with the most profane language, claiming all five spots in North America. Baltimore led with a score of 78.2, followed by Baton Rouge (72.9), Atlanta (66.7), Detroit (66.0), and Houston (63.2).
Lexington, Kentucky, holds the title of the least profane American city, with a score of just 20.2. Other cities with similarly low swearing rates include Springfield, Missouri (20.3), Ann Arbor, Michigan (21.4), Madison, Wisconsin (21.8), and St. Paul, Minnesota (25.5).
South America emerged as the second most profane continent globally, with Cali, Colombia, leading at 46 profane tweets per 1000—more than double Santiago, Chile's 19.8. Europe ranked third, with UK cities dominating the top spots: Newcastle (34.5), Leeds (33.1), Birmingham (31.0), and Manchester (30.7). Dublin, Ireland, was the only non-UK city in Europe's top 10, scoring 2.
Asia was identified as the least profane continent, with Singapore leading at 21.3. In Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, scored 21.8, placing it and the continent well below global averages. Oceania's top cities for swearing were all in Australia and New Zealand, with Brisbane (29.7) leading, followed by Auckland (27.7), Melbourne (26.9), and Sydney (26.5).
The Most Profane U.S. States
Analyzing swearing trends state by state revealed a striking contrast between America's most and least profane regions. Maryland, largely influenced by Baltimore, topped the list with a score of 66.3, while the least sweary states were concentrated in New England, the Midwest, and the central U.S.
South Dakota ranked as the least profane state with a score of 21.0, followed by Vermont (24.3), North Dakota (26.3), and Minnesota (26.8).
States at the lower end of the swearing spectrum showed a strong reluctance to use profanity. For instance, Burlington, Vermont's highest-scoring city, recorded only 24.3 tweets with swear words—barely a third of Baltimore's score, the most profane city in the U.S. Similarly, Fargo (29) in North Dakota and Rapid City (26.6) in South Dakota also ranked among the least sweary cities.
