Data Insights
Bite-sized insights on how the world is changing, published every few days.
May 21, 2025
Famines kill far fewer people today than they did in the past, but remain a major threat
Famines are still a major global problem. From 2020 to 2023 alone, they caused over a million deaths.
Yet the long-term trend shows significant progress. In the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, it was common for famines to kill over 10 million people per decade. This was true as recently as the 1960s, when China’s Great Leap Forward became the deadliest famine in history.
But as you can see in the chart, that number has dropped sharply, to about one to two million per decade.
This improvement is even more striking given that the world’s population has grown substantially. Despite many more people living on Earth, far fewer die from famines than before.
This progress has resulted from various factors, including increased food production, poverty reduction, fewer conflicts, and more accountable governments.
May 19, 2025
Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria is the leading cause of child mortality in much of Sub-Saharan Africa
In 2021, malaria was the leading cause of death among children under five in more than 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Nigeria, over 125,000 young children died from it — that’s 340 every day, one child around every four minutes. The country accounts for one-third of all under‑5 malaria deaths in the world.
Malaria is both preventable and treatable. But millions of children still lack access to basic protection: bed nets, timely treatment, and safe living conditions. We’ve seen malaria eliminated elsewhere.
The tools exist; the challenge is getting them to those who need them most.
May 16, 2025
Over a hundred million infants receive measles vaccines annually, protecting them and communities against a deadly disease
Over 100 million infants are vaccinated against measles every year, which means more than 80% of one-year-olds are protected from this potentially life-threatening disease. This global effort has saved millions of lives.
That scale should be reassuring. Measles vaccines are safe and reduce the risk of infection by over 95%, making them one of our most powerful tools to prevent childhood deaths. Outbreaks have become increasingly rare in many countries, global infant mortality has fallen, and measles vaccination alone is estimated to have saved more than 94 million lives.
But that progress is under threat: vaccination rates have fallen in recent years, as the chart shows, and fewer children are getting the protection they need. When coverage slips, measles spreads rapidly; more children suffer and die from a disease we can easily prevent.
Read my colleague Hannah’s article on the number of lives saved by childhood vaccinations →
May 14, 2025
The length of software tasks AI systems can do on their own has been increasing quickly
How will artificial intelligence (AI) impact people’s jobs?
This question has no simple answer, but the more AI systems can independently carry out long, job-like tasks, the greater their impact will likely be.
The chart shows a trend in this direction for software-related tasks. The length of tasks — in terms of how long they take human professionals — that AIs can do on their own has increased quickly in the past couple of years.
Before 2023, even the best AI systems could only perform tasks that take people around 10 seconds, such as selecting the right file.
Today, the best AIs can fairly reliably (with an 80% success rate) do tasks that take people 20 minutes or more, such as finding and fixing bugs in code or configuring common software packages.
It’s unclear how much these results generalize; other factors, like reliability, need to be considered.
But AI capabilities continue to improve, and if developments keep pace for the next few years, we could see systems capable of performing tasks that take people days or even longer.
Read more about how we can help make our future with AI go well →
May 12, 2025
China is moving much faster on electric cars than the EU or the United States
Road transport is responsible for around three-quarters of global carbon dioxide emissions from transport. Switching from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles is an important solution to decarbonize our economies.
This chart shows the change in share of new cars that were electric in China, the European Union (EU), and the United States (US) between 2020 and 2023. This includes fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars, though most are fully electric.
In 2020, electric cars were rare everywhere. But by 2023, over one-third of new vehicles in China were electric, compared to less than a quarter in the EU and under a tenth in the US.
While we only have annual data up to 2023, preliminary figures suggest that in 2024, electric cars outsold conventional ones for the first time in China.
May 09, 2025
In some countries, women still don’t have the same freedom to work as men
Many previous generations of women in my family would not have been allowed to do the work I do today — even if computers, the Internet, and Our World in Data had existed then. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case where I live: I’ve had the same right to get an education, work, and build a career as my brother.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case everywhere.
The map highlights the countries where women had legal restrictions on their rights to work in formal employment in 2023. All are in the Middle East, North Africa, or Sub-Saharan Africa.
These restrictions can include the need for permission or documentation from a male family member — such as a husband or brother — to work, or legal consequences if they don’t follow working restrictions.
While nearly 20 countries still have these legal barriers for women, this number was much larger in the past: in 1970, it was almost 70.
This data only reflects legal restrictions on working rights. In other countries, strong social or cultural pressures still mean that women are less likely to be in formal employment than men, even if they’re legally allowed to.
Explore more data on female participation in the workforce →
May 07, 2025
Women in the US spend more time with children than men do, across all ages
In the United States, women spend more time with children than men. This is true for adults of any age.
The difference is especially large for people in their 20s and 30s. For example, at age 35, women spend an average of five hours per day with children, while men spend around three hours. (Considered here are people’s children, step and foster children, grandchildren, and other family members under 18.)
Although the gap is smaller for older people, even in later life, women spend more time with children than men.
This gap reflects traditional gender roles, where women do more childcare and less paid work. But it also has broader implications: women spend less time with friends and alone than men, which may affect their social connections, leisure, and well-being.
This data comes from the American Time Use Survey by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Learn more about how men and women spend their time throughout life →
May 05, 2025
Every global region has seen a steep rise in mobile phone subscriptions
Mobile phones have achieved what few technologies do: they’ve been adopted rapidly by people all over the world, in both rich and poor regions.
The chart shows how mobile subscriptions grew between 2000 and 2023. This is given per 100 people in each world region. If the number is over 100, it means some people own more than one mobile device. (This data doesn’t tell us the percentage of people with a phone, as some individuals own multiple devices.)
Mobile phone subscriptions have risen sharply everywhere in just a few decades. Even in the poorest parts of the world, like Sub-Saharan Africa, subscriptions grew from just 2 per 100 people to 89. In South Asia, they went from less than 1 to 84.
Still, this rise matters because mobile phones allow people to learn, connect, and build, even in places without physical infrastructure (like roads or banks). For example, mobile money systems enable people to save, send, and receive money without needing a bank branch or an Internet connection. This has helped millions improve their financial security.
May 02, 2025
People in richer countries spend more on food, but it’s a smaller share of their overall spending
Three billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet that gives them all the nutrients they need.
Most of these people live in low- to middle-income countries, where people have less money to spend on food. You might rightly guess that people in richer countries tend to spend more on food — but they also spend a smaller share of overall spending on food. You can see this in the chart, where each dot represents one country in 2022.
The average budget in Switzerland for food consumed at home was more than four times that of Kenya (when measured in US dollars). But food made up less than 10% of Swiss consumer spending, compared to almost 60% in Kenya.
This means people in richer countries don’t only have more money to spend on food; they also have far more left to spend on other important resources, like housing, education, clothing, and health.
Read more in my article “Engel's Law: Richer people spend more money on food, but it makes up a smaller share of their income” →
April 30, 2025
One in six people live in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it accounts for two-thirds of global extreme poverty
Every twelfth person in the world still lives in extreme poverty. That means surviving on less than $2.15 per day (adjusted for differences in living costs between countries).
For many, that means struggling to afford nutritious food, not being able to afford basic healthcare, safe sanitation, or electricity.
So, where do most people in extreme poverty live? The chart shows that Sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to just 16% of the global population, now accounts for 67% of people living in extreme poverty.
This distribution is very different from 25 years ago. In 2000, Asia was home to most of the world’s population living in extreme poverty. However, strong economic growth in recent decades has led to steep reductions in poverty. Progress in Sub-Saharan Africa has been much slower.
If we're serious about ending extreme poverty worldwide, supporting economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa has to be a top priority. The recent progress achieved by some African countries reminds us that meaningful change is within reach.
April 28, 2025
Most food is transported by boat, so food miles are a relatively small part of the carbon footprint of most diets
Many people are interested in how they can eat in a more climate-friendly way. I’m often asked about the most effective way to do so.
While we might intuitively think that “food miles” — how far our food has traveled to reach us — play a big role, transport accounts for just 5% of the global emissions from our food system.
This is because most of the world’s food comes by boat, and shipping is a relatively low-carbon mode of transport. The chart shows that transporting a kilogram of food by boat emits 50 times less carbon than by plane and about 20 times less than trucks on the road.
So, food transport would be a much bigger emitter if all our food were flown across the world — but that’s only the case for highly perishable foods, like asparagus, green beans, some types of fish, and berries.
This means that what you eat and how it is produced usually matters more than how far it’s traveled to reach you.
April 25, 2025
Internet use became the norm for humanity only very recently
For many readers in high-income countries, the Internet might no longer feel revolutionary. But when I was born in 1997, only 2% of the world's population used the Internet. By 2019, that number had risen to over 50%; today, two-thirds of the global population is online.
It’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the novelty and speed of this change for two reasons. First, much of the potential progress enabled by the Internet is still unfolding, from expanding educational opportunities through free online resources to reducing the cost of sending money home for migrants.
Second, it’s good to remember that in 2023, a third of people still didn’t use the Internet. Accelerating connectivity could give these individuals greater freedom and access to new opportunities. The United Nations aims to get more than 90% of people online by 2030. Some regions are still far from universal access, with just 43% of South Asia and 37% of Sub-Saharan Africa connected.
April 23, 2025
How old are you compared to the rest of the world?
Describing someone as “young” or “old” is rather arbitrary. However, something we can quantify is whether a given person is “young” or “old” compared to the rest of the world.
Imagine we sorted all 8 billion people alive today from youngest to oldest. The person standing right in the middle would be about 30 years old; that's the median age today. The chart shows the global median age and the UN’s projection to 2100.
In 2025, if you are over 30, you are older than most people in the world.
The chart also shows that if you were born in 1950, you stopped being “young” when you passed 20, as that was the median age in 1970.
As birth rates decline and life expectancy increases, the median age is expected to keep rising until the end of the century.
Whether you’re younger or older than most, the world is still relatively young, and this matters for many aspects of society, from the demand for resources and jobs to long-term planning for healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
If you want to dig deeper into this data, have a look at our Population & Demography Data Explorer →
April 21, 2025
Once widespread, smoking is now uncommon in Great Britain
Fifty years ago, almost half the adults in Great Britain smoked cigarettes, but this has become much less common.
In the 1970s, half of men and 40% of women over the age of 16 reported smoking cigarettes. Since then, smoking rates have steadily fallen. By 2023, this was just 12% of men and 10% of women.
This dramatic decline is the result of decades of public health efforts such as clear warnings on cigarette packs, bans on tobacco advertising, indoor smoking restrictions, and support to help people quit. Newer technologies — including vaping products, nicotine patches, and medications — have also helped many people quit.
Despite this, smoking remains the leading risk factor for preventable death in the UK, raising the risk of many cancers, heart attacks, and strokes. Fewer smokers means fewer people suffering from these serious diseases.
Read more about the global problem of smoking in an article by my colleague Max →
April 18, 2025
Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico account for 59% of people living in poverty in Latin America
A recent report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) highlights the high concentration of poverty in Latin America. Across the region, around 89 million people — more than one in seven — live on less than $3.65 a day.
Poverty can be measured using various poverty lines; here, we’re looking at the $3.65 line, which the World Bank uses to define poverty in lower-middle-income countries.
The chart shows that 52.2 million people living under this line are in just three countries — Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico — representing 59% of the region’s total.
As the report explains, while Brazil and Mexico don’t have the highest poverty rates, their large populations mean they have the largest number of people living below this line. Venezuela, in contrast, has a smaller population but one of the region’s highest poverty rates.
Identifying where poverty is most concentrated can help target efforts to reduce and eliminate it.
April 16, 2025
Recent surges in house prices have affected many — but not all — countries in the European Union
One of the most pressing problems I hear from European friends is that they cannot find an affordable place to live. Housing costs represent one of the largest expenses for most Europeans. While many people rent, purchasing a home remains a goal for some.
The chart shows the change in house prices of residential properties purchased by households in 12 countries across the European Union since 2010. In many, prices have increased sharply (even after inflation). Portugal shows the most dramatic increase, with prices rising by 50%.
But this large increase has not happened everywhere. Rises have been more modest in France and Belgium, and prices have actually fallen considerably in Romania and Italy.
These huge differences matter to young Europeans hoping to find their first home after leaving their family house.
April 14, 2025
Every year, more than half of the global area burned by wildfire is in Africa
It’s often difficult to understand the scale of wildfires globally. That’s because most news coverage focuses on only a few countries.
News headlines might be filled with stories about large fires in Greece, Portugal, the United States, or Canada, but when we look at the data, the global total is no higher than usual.
This is because the global trend is so strongly dictated by the extent of fires in Africa, which we almost never hear about. As you can see in the chart, Africa experiences more than half of the burned area globally every year. In some years, it’s as much as two-thirds of the total.
Whether it’s a “high” or “low” year for wildfires globally largely reflects whether it’s a high or low year for Africa. These global trends don’t tell us much about the extent of wildfires in other regions.
Track global, regional, and country-level data on wildfires, which we update weekly →
April 11, 2025
In several countries, air travel emissions now surpass pre-pandemic levels
Global air travel collapsed in 2020 as lockdowns and travel restrictions took effect. With fewer flights, CO₂ emissions from commercial aviation fell sharply. The chart shows Egypt as an example, where they dropped by more than half.
As air travel rebounded, emissions rose too — in many countries, they’ve now surpassed pre-pandemic levels. These countries are highlighted in red on the chart.
Emissions from flying make up about 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, but air travel has one of the highest carbon footprints per passenger. As demand grows, reducing its impact will be important for meeting climate goals.
April 10, 2025
Japan’s cherry trees have been blossoming earlier due to warmer spring temperatures
The peak flowering of cherry trees in Kyoto, Japan, has been recorded since the ninth century. Yasuyuki Aono and colleagues from the Osaka Prefecture University collated this data from historical diaries and chronicles, indicating the dates on which cherry blossom viewing parties had been held or other observations of peak blossom.
In 2025, the peak cherry blossom happened on April 4th.
This long-run data is a proxy measure for how the climate has changed. The onset of cherry blossoms is linked with warmer temperatures. Since the early 20th century, the combined effects of urbanization and higher temperatures due to climate change have gradually moved the peak blossom earlier in the year.
April 09, 2025
The Arctic is the world’s region that has warmed the most, followed by Europe
The world is heating up. By the 2010s, the global average temperature of the air above the surface was about 1°C higher than in the 1940s. But some regions are warming much faster.
The chart shows how average surface air temperatures have changed each decade across continents and oceans compared to historical averages.
The Arctic warmed more than any other region — by the 2010s, it was 2.8°C hotter than in the 1940s.
In the Arctic, melting sea ice has amplified this temperature increase: ice reflects sunlight, so having less of it leads to more warming.
Europe was in second. Since land heats up faster than water, its mostly land-based geography has increased its rate of warming. It has also seen a rapid reduction in aerosols from air pollution. These improvements in air quality can inadvertently increase temperatures because there are fewer aerosols to reflect sunlight.
You can explore how temperatures in each continent, ocean, and country have changed over time →