We’ve redesigned our homepage
Here’s what’s changed, what hasn’t, and some of the thinking behind the new design.
February 28
Article
Latest
Our latest articles, data updates, and announcements
February 26
Article
Tracking global data on electric vehicles
Explore data on electric car sales and stocks worldwide.
February 19
Article
The global fight against polio — how far have we come?
A generation ago, polio paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children every year. Many countries have eliminated the disease, and our generation has the chance to eradicate it.
December 07
Article
What were the death tolls from pandemics in history?
Pandemics have killed millions of people throughout history. How many deaths were caused by different pandemics, and how have researchers estimated their death tolls?
November 27
Article
Period versus cohort measures: what’s the difference?
What do the terms “period” and “cohort” mean in statistics? How do they differ, and why does it matter?
November 27
Article
Why do women live longer than men?
Women tend to live longer than men in all countries — but the sex gap in life expectancy is not a constant.
November 01
Article
The Human Development Index and related indices: what they are and what we can learn from them
Researchers have developed several indices that aim to capture human development. How do they work?
October 20
Article
How different measures capture how common and deadly conflicts are, and when to use which one
There are several ways to capture how common and deadly armed conflicts are. What are they? And when is which measure best?
October 18
Article
Redesigning our interactive data visualizations
We have redesigned our interactive visualizations to improve their layout and functionality. Three product and engineering team members discuss the changes and our plans to improve things further.
October 13
Article
How major sources collect data on conflicts and conflict deaths, and when to use which one
There are many ways to measure armed conflicts and conflict deaths. What approaches do different researchers take? And when is which approach best?
October 13
Article
How does the risk of death change as we age – and how has this changed over time?
Death rates decline rapidly after birth but rise again in adolescence. From adulthood onwards, they rise exponentially.
October 02
Article
Welcoming Rachel Glennerster and Andrew Dilnot
We are very excited to share that Rachel Glennerster and Andrew Dilnot have joined our Board of Trustees.
September 29
Article
How much CO2 can the world emit while keeping warming below 1.5°C and 2°C?
The budget to keep temperatures below 1.5°C is less than a decade of current emissions. For 2°C, it’s less than three decades.
September 27
Article
Per capita, national, historical: how do countries compare on CO2 metrics?
There are many ways to measure countries’ contributions to climate change. What do they tell us?
September 26
Article
How many animals get slaughtered every day?
Hundreds of millions of animals get killed for meat every day.
August 30
Article
Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint?
How can individuals reduce their emissions from transport?
August 16
Article
The Global Terrorism Database: how do researchers measure terrorism?
There are different approaches to measuring terrorism. Here is the approach of the Global Terrorism Database, a leading source of terrorism data.
August 09
Article
How do researchers estimate the death toll caused by each risk factor, whether it’s smoking, obesity, or air pollution?
Risk factors are important to understand because they can help us identify how to save lives. How do researchers estimate their impact?
August 09
Article
How are causes of death registered around the world?
In many countries, when people die, the cause of their death is officially registered in their country’s national system. How is this determined?
August 09
Article
Risk ratios, odds ratios, risk differences: How do researchers calculate the risk from a risk factor?
The effects of risk factors can be calculated in different ways. How are they calculated and interpreted?
August 09
Article
Why isn’t it possible to sum up the death toll from different risk factors?
Deaths caused by each risk factor can’t be added up. By understanding why, we will have a better understanding of how many lives can be saved with each intervention.