We tend to underestimate the average happiness of people around us. One possible explanation is that we are positive about ourselves, but negative about those we don't know.

How is life expectancy calculated, what does it mean, and what’s the difference between period and cohort life expectancy?

Crop yields across the world have increased dramatically over the last half-century. But has this kept up with a growing population?

When we think of nuclear safety, two accidents often come to mind: Chernobyl and Fukushima. What was the death toll and impact of these disasters?

How many deaths make a natural disaster newsworthy?

London once had local pollution levels as high as some of the most polluted cities in other parts of the world today.

It’s quick and easy to use our visualizations in your own work

Most of the advanced economies of the world have been deindustrializing for decades and have moved into a new ‘post-industrial’ phase of development. This post asks how they got there.

To displace fossil fuels we need to increase low-carbon energy. While renewables have been growing, a decline in nuclear has offset some of these gains.

Air pollution tends to get worse as incomes rise, then it turns and pollution levels decline.

How common is homelessness in rich countries, and how does it relate to poverty?

Very few think the world is making progress. In this article, we look at the history of global living conditions and show that the world has made immense progress in important aspects.

How is education financed? How much do we spend on it? What are the returns?

Learn how to use any of the interactive visualizations from Our World in Data in your articles.

Over the last 70 years, some characteristics surged in importance, while others became less crucial.

Vaccines dramatically cut the rates of vaccine-preventable diseases in the US