Image of kid eating slice of pizza with a bunch of toppings
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Math,

What's on Your Pizza?

Chew on some delicious data!

By Dani Leviss
From the February 2025 Issue
Key Focus Area: Measurement and Data,
Standards
  • NGSS
    Core Idea: ETS2.B
  • CCSS
    Reading: RI.7; Writing: W.8; Math: 3.MD.B.3
  • TEKS
    Science: 3.2B, 4.2B, 5.2B, 6.2B; ELA: 3.9D, 4.9D, 5.9D, 6.8D

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February 9 is National Pizza Day! If chewy crust topped with tomato sauce and gooey cheese makes your mouth water, this day is for you. Now go ahead and chew on some delicious data!

BY THE NUMBERS: PIZZA

Lombardi's

1905: Year that Lombardi’s, the first official pizzeria in the U.S., opened in New York City

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5 Billion: Number of pizzas sold worldwide each year

206: Number of U.S. pizzerias with the popular name of Sal’s

4,948: Pounds of marinara sauce used to make the world’s largest pizza in 2023

$18: Average price for a large cheese pizza in the U.S. in 2023

Which number surprised you the most? Why?

Crust Thickness of Different Pizza Styles

Source: King Arthur Baking

Some cities have their own style of pizza. Each one has a different average thickness of its signature crust. Here’s how some of them measure up!

How many New York-style crusts would you have to stack on top of each other to reach the thickness of one Chicago-style crust?

Favorite Pizza Toppings

Source: YouGov
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A 2023 survey asked 1,000 American adults to choose their favorite pizza topping.*

36%: Other
24%: Pepperoni
13%: Sausage
11%: Extra Cheese
9%: Mushrooms
6%: Chicken

*Percentages do not add up to 100 because of rounding.

Why do you think “Other” is the largest slice on the graph?

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