How to filter by country, state and city in Google Analytics 4

Demographic and geo data is one of the most frequently used data types in Google Analytics 4.

When companies target different markets, they want to understand how each performs separately and how to allocate the budgets correctly.

Therefore, the ability to filter or break down Google Analytics 4 data by country, state and city is a must-have skill.

How to filter by country, state(region) and city in Google Analytics 4

Although it’s a must-have skill, and it can look like there is only one way to do it, I will show you two methods to filter the data in GA4 by geo-locations. One of them will include working with the default Google Analytics 4 interface, which has its limitation, and another will address how to do it in GA4 Explorations. 

Option #1 Using the default GA4 reporting interface

So, let’s start with the first method. First, let me tell you that Universal Analytics uses the “state” term while Google Analytics 4 uses the “region” term to describe precisely the same geo-location type. Hence, let’s break down data by “region” in GA4. Follow the steps below:

Step #1: Open GA4 and go to Reports -> User (Collection) -> Demographics -> Demographic details. This will show you the breakdown of GA4 data by Country automatically.

Step #2: To get a state/region breakdown, just on the “Country” dimension and select “Region” or “City” to show the breakdown by state or city. 

If you want to add more granularity and compare a specific country’s state with another country’s, you should use the second dimension in Google Analytics 4. 

Moreover, if you want to analyse one country, you can use the filters available. For instance, you can analyse only the US market. 

Option #2 Using GA4 Explorations

The second method uses GA4 Explorations – one of the great features that differentiates Google Analytics from Universal Analytics. Since you can build almost any report in this feature and split and break down the GA4 data as needed, it’s the most recommended option. 

Let’s look at it deeper. Hence, to breakdown GA4 data by state, country or city, follow the next steps:

All in all, you will receive the exact report you can see above.

Remember to use all three dimensions and import more metrics such as active users, new users, conversions, purchases, etc. Apart from that, you can use “filters” available in GA4 Explorations to analyse a specific country, for instance, the United States. That will help you better understand the particular geo regions’ performance.

Wrapping Up

The geo-data is one of the most valuable data available in Google Analytics 4 to make the first decisions. Therefore, I showed you two methods of how to break down data by state, country and city in GA4.