The 2024 Living Planet Index reports a 73% average decline in wildlife populations — what’s changed since the last report?A guide to understanding the Living Planet Index and what it does and doesn’t mean.By Hannah Ritchie and Fiona Spooner — October 10, 2024
Cancers are one of the leading causes of death globally. Are we making progress against them?Cancer is one of the biggest health challenges worldwide. Around 15% of all deaths are caused by cancer, making it one of the most common causes of death globally.By Saloni Dattani, Veronika Samborska, Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser — October 07, 2024
Crop yields have increased dramatically in recent decades, but crops like maize would have improved more without climate changeClimate change has slowed the productivity of key crops such as maize and soybeans, but might have had small positive impacts on wheat.By Hannah Ritchie — September 30, 2024
Low-carbon technologies need far less mining than fossil fuelsMining for coal is much more resource-intensive than renewables or nuclear power.By Hannah Ritchie — September 23, 2024
Metals and minerals are vital for modern infrastructure and the energy transitionDiscover which countries have these critical resources, where they are mined and refined, and how they’re traded across the world.By Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado — September 16, 2024
Which countries have the critical minerals needed for the energy transition?An overview of the distribution of critical minerals for clean energy.By Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado — September 16, 2024
Half of all child deaths are linked to malnutritionImproving the nutrition of mothers and children could save many lives at a relatively low cost.By Hannah Ritchie — September 09, 2024
Many of us can save a child’s life, if we rely on the best dataThere are many ways to improve the world, but their cost-effectiveness varies immensely. You can achieve a lot more if you rely on the best data on where to donate.By Max Roser — September 02, 2024
Antipsychotic medications: a timeline of innovations and remaining challengesScientists have developed effective and safer antipsychotic medications, but much improvement is still needed.By Saloni Dattani — August 26, 2024
Tracking the extent of homelessness around the worldHow many are affected by homelessness in each country? How is their number changing over time?By Bastian Herre and Pablo Arriagada — August 19, 2024
How do global statistics on suicide differ between sources?To better monitor and prevent suicides globally, it's crucial to understand how they are measured and estimated by different sources.By Saloni Dattani — August 05, 2024
Air conditioning causes around 3% of greenhouse gas emissions. How will this change in the future?Demand is set to triple by 2050. Can it be met in an energy-efficient way?By Hannah Ritchie — July 29, 2024
How can the world reduce deaths from extreme heat?The world will need to adapt to increased temperatures. What can societies do to save lives?By Hannah Ritchie — July 22, 2024
Millions have died in conflicts since the Cold War; most of them in Africa and intrastate conflictsDeaths in the Middle East and deaths from violence targeting civilians have also been common.By Bastian Herre — July 15, 2024
Peak global population and other key findings from the 2024 UN World Population ProspectsFalling fertility rates, migration movements, and China’s population decline.By Hannah Ritchie and Lucas Rodés-Guirao — July 11, 2024
How many people die from extreme temperatures, and how this could change in the future: Part oneCold deaths vastly outnumber heat-related ones, but mostly due to “moderate” rather than extremely cold conditions.By Hannah Ritchie — July 01, 2024
How many people die from extreme temperatures, and how this could change in the future: Part twoClimate change will have very unequal impacts, with fewer deaths at higher latitudes but increased heatwave deaths across the tropics.By Hannah Ritchie — July 01, 2024
LGBT+ rights have become more protected in dozens of countries, but are not recognized across most of the worldDespite progress, same-sex marriage, adoption, gender marker changes, and third genders remain unrecognized in many countries. Some have even imposed more regressive policies.By Bastian Herre and Pablo Arriagada — June 24, 2024
Trachoma: how a common cause of blindness can be prevented worldwideThe world has seen a large decline in trachoma, but millions are still at risk. How can we make more progress against it?By Saloni Dattani and Fiona Spooner — June 17, 2024
Neglected tropical diseases lead to severe health issues and poverty for millions, particularly in tropical regionsNeglected tropical diseases affect millions of people despite the existence of cheap interventions to control them.By Saloni Dattani, Fiona Spooner and Max Roser — June 17, 2024
What are the trade-offs between animal welfare and the environmental impact of meat?Eating meat with a lower carbon footprint often means killing more animals and treating them more poorly.By Hannah Ritchie — June 10, 2024