Obesity rates have increased on every continent

There are two key drivers of sea level rise. First, water expands as it gets warmer. Second, ice on land — in the form of ice sheets and glaciers — melts and adds water to ocean basins.

Both of these processes have accelerated due to climate change. The effect is shown in the chart, based on data from the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It combines two sources: recent data from the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center and a publication from Church and White (2011).

On this chart, the rise in sea level is measured relative to the average from 1993 to 2008. Levels had risen by almost 20 centimeters between 1880 and this period, and 5 more centimeters since. Combined, that’s around 25 centimeters.

Explore more data on the impacts of climate change →

Food miles — moving products from farms to processors to consumers — contribute just 5% to 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions from food. Instead, most emissions come from land use change or emissions on the farm.

Within food miles, people often assume that international freight accounts for most of the climate impact. In reality, most of these emissions come from domestic delivery trucks on the road.

In the chart, you can see the breakdown of transport’s 5% of food emissions. Road transport represents 3.9%, compared to just 0.02% from aviation. This is based on data from a 2021 study by researchers M. Crippa and colleagues.

International food miles are just a small share of emissions because very little food is flown by air, and transporting goods by boat is much more carbon-efficient than by road.

Read more about the impact of food miles →

Today, there are around 830 million people aged 65 and older in the world. According to the latest UN data, it is projected to grow to 1.7 billion by 2054.

Asia, the world's most populous continent, is at the heart of this change, with its elderly population expected to more than double.

While rapid population growth has driven some of this increase, better healthcare and longer life spans also play a huge role.

It’s a great achievement that so many more people are living longer, healthier lives. At the same time, the working-age population will only grow 20% between 2024 and 2054. Societies will need to figure out how to care for more elderly people while improving everyone’s quality of life.

Explore population growth across countries with our explorer →

Around 40% of the world’s plastic waste comes from packaging. Packaging also makes up a significant share in the three regions that generate the most plastic waste: the United States, Europe, and China.

Packaging accounts for 37% of total plastic waste in the United States. It’s 38% in Europe, and in China, it's 45%. Together, these regions account for 60% of global packaging waste generation. This data comes from the OECD Global Plastics Outlook.

These figures show the vast impact of packaging on global plastic waste.

Explore how other sectors contribute to plastic waste production →

At the turn of the millennium, Australia got more than 80% of its electricity from coal. This has dropped to less than 50%.

The chart shows how the country’s electricity mix has changed in recent decades. The data comes from the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy.

In the 2000s and early 2010s, coal was initially replaced by gas, with only moderate growth in solar and wind. But in the last five years, solar and wind have been deployed much more quickly. Gas is now on the decline, too. In 2023, solar overtook gas to become Australia’s second-largest electricity source.

While coal is declining, it still supplies much more of Australia’s power than most high-income countries.

Explore how electricity sources are changing in other countries →

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death. But which cancer types cause the most deaths?

The map presents the most common type of cancer that kills women in each country. This is based on the cause listed on death certificates, compiled by the WHO Mortality Database. Unfortunately, many countries are not shown as they lack sufficient death registration.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in many countries.

However, lung cancer leads in parts of North America, Europe, and Australia. It is primarily driven by smoking.

In other countries, stomach, liver, or cervical cancers are at the top. Many of these cases are preventable: most stomach cancer cases are caused by H. pylori infections; many liver cancer cases by chronic inflammation from alcohol or hepatitis infections; and almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infections, which are preventable through HPV vaccination.

Explore the interactive map with a more detailed breakdown →

Relative to its personnel, the United States spends much more on its military than other major countries.

The chart shows data on military spending per service member, sometimes called a military’s “capital intensity”.

We calculated this metric by dividing spending data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) by data on personnel from multiple sources via the World Bank.

This indicator reflects differences in salaries and benefits for military personnel and more advanced and costly weaponry.

In 2020, the United States spent well over half a million dollars per service member. This was 50% more than the United Kingdom, more than double Germany’s spending per personnel, about six times China’s, and more than twenty times that of Brazil or India.

Explore the capital intensity of militaries worldwide →