Are There More Doors or Wheels?

On March 5, 2022, Ryan Nixon posted a poll on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), asking users if they think there are more wheels or doors in the world. It started as an innocent poll, but as it quickly went viral, the question appeared on various social media platforms. Soon enough, scientists and mathematicians weighed in, and people from all over the world voiced their opinions on the wheels vs doors debate.

Are There More Wheels or Doors in the World?

The answer might seem obvious to some, but this debate currently has people divided. Some believe there are more wheels than doors, while others insist on the opposite.

Based on our research, there are far more wheels than doors in the world. It might seem hard to believe since there are more houses in the world than cars, but you’d be surprised by how many objects actually have wheels, such as baby strollers, garbage cans, and shopping carts.

What Can Be Considered a Door?

A door is a swinging or sliding barrier that controls one’s exit and entry to a building, room, or closet. Aside from motorcycles, vehicles also have car doors, which allow the driver and passengers to enter and exit the cabin. There are also bathroom stall doors, dog doors, and refrigerator doors.

How Many Doors Are There in the World?

It’s hard to say exactly how many doors there are in the world. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there are more than one billion doors in the US alone. There are around 1.8 million doors per state or 70 per household.

Of course, this statistic only counts the doors for residential and commercial buildings. If you count the doors of cars and closets, there are likely 42 billion doors in the whole world. That’s enough to convince debaters who are Team Door, but several people believe the number doesn’t even come close to the total number of wheels in the world.

What Can Be Considered a Wheel?

When people think of wheels, they often think of the circular object attached to the underside of a vehicle. Car wheels might be the first to cross people’s minds, but vehicles aren’t the only ones with wheels. Toys, appliances, shopping carts, and various machines also have wheels.

How Many Wheels Are in the World?

There’s no record of the exact number of wheels in the world. An estimate is the closest we can get, and according to the latest research and data, there are around 93 billion wheels in the world. Tires on passenger vehicles roughly make up 7.6% of this, while other motor vehicles account for around 2.6%.

This estimate includes domestic and commercial items, such as lawnmowers, baby strollers, and even roller skates.

How Many Steering Wheels Are in the World?

There isn’t an exact count out there, but we can safely assume that with around 1.5 billion vehicles in the world, there are at least 1.5 billion steering wheels as well. You also have to consider that some vehicles have two steering wheels, such as cars specifically designed for driving lessons.

Boats, aircraft, and tractors also have steering wheels, which considerably adds to the number of steering wheels in the world.

How Did the Wheels vs. Doors Debate Online Conclude?

With over 223,000 votes, Ryan Nixon’s poll on X concluded with 53.6% voters in favor of wheels. It’s hard to say which side won when the debate reached other platforms, such as TikTok, but it seems people are still torn over the answer. Until an official count is done, people can only guess.