How many people die and how many are born each year?Changes in the world population are determined by two metrics: the number of babies born and the number of people dying.By Hannah Ritchie and Edouard Mathieu — January 05, 2023
Wild mammals make up only a few percent of the world’s mammalsLivestock make up 62% of the world’s mammal biomass; humans account for 34%; and wild mammals are just 4%.By Hannah Ritchie — December 15, 2022
Artificial intelligence is transforming our world — it is on all of us to make sure that it goes wellHow AI gets built is currently decided by a small group of technologists. It should be in all of our interest to become informed and engaged.By Max Roser — December 15, 2022
The brief history of artificial intelligence: the world has changed fast — what might be next?Little is as important for the world’s future and our own lives as how this history continues.By Max Roser — December 06, 2022
There have been five mass extinctions in Earth's historyWhen did the "Big Five" mass extinctions happen, and what were their causes?By Hannah Ritchie — November 30, 2022
How many species are there?How many species do we share our planet with? How many of these species have we found and identified?By Hannah Ritchie — November 30, 2022
Did humans cause the Quaternary megafauna extinction?10,000 to 50,000 years ago, hundreds of the largest mammals went extinct. It's likely that humans were the key driver of this.By Hannah Ritchie — November 30, 2022
Global whaling peaked in the 1960sIntense whaling drove many of the world’s whale species close to extinction. But a dramatic decline in whale hunting since then has given them hopes of recovery.By Hannah Ritchie — November 30, 2022
The state of the world's rhino populationsHow have rhino populations changed over time? What species are at risk of extinction today?By Hannah Ritchie — November 30, 2022
From $1.90 to $2.15 a day: the updated International Poverty LineThe World Bank has updated the methods it uses to measure incomes and poverty around the world. What does this mean for our understanding of global poverty?By Joe Hasell — October 26, 2022
How many people die from the flu?The risk of death from influenza has declined over time, but globally, hundreds of thousands of people still die from the disease each year.By Saloni Dattani and Fiona Spooner — October 20, 2022
Introducing our updated work on Poverty: a new design for our contentWe’ve just published a major redesign of our topic pages. Explore this redesign with our new work on poverty.By Joe Hasell and Matthew Conlen — October 18, 2022
Which countries have put a price on carbon?Putting a price on carbon helps us account for the real costs of fossil fuels in the market. Which countries have a carbon tax or trading system?By Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado — October 14, 2022
FAQs on the Living Planet IndexThe Living Planet Index is one of the most common measures used in biodiversity monitoring. But what is it, and where does this data come from?By Hannah Ritchie and Fiona Spooner — October 13, 2022
How does the Living Planet Index vary by region?The Living Planet Index shows an average decline of 73% across studied animal populations globally. But how does this vary by region?By Hannah Ritchie — October 13, 2022
Living Planet Index: what does it really mean?The Living Planet Index is the biodiversity metric that always claims the headlines. It’s often misinterpreted. How should we understand it?By Hannah Ritchie — October 13, 2022
Ocean plastics: How much do rich countries contribute by shipping their waste overseas?Many countries ship plastic waste overseas. How much of the world’s waste is traded, and how big is its role in the pollution of our oceans?By Hannah Ritchie — October 11, 2022
Wild mammals are making a comeback in Europe thanks to conservation effortsHunting and habitat loss drove many large mammals in Europe close to extinction. New data shows us that many of the continent’s mammal populations are flourishing again.By Hannah Ritchie — September 27, 2022
The world has recently become less democraticMany more people have democratic rights than in the past. Some of this progress has recently been reversed.By Bastian Herre — September 06, 2022
The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better.It is wrong to think these three statements contradict each other. We need to see that they are all true to see that a better world is possible.By Max Roser — July 20, 2022
People around the world have gained democratic rights, but some have many more rights than othersHow democratic have countries been across the world? And how big are the differences between them?By Bastian Herre — July 19, 2022