If the world adopted a plant-based diet, we would reduce global agricultural land use from 4 to 1 billion hectares
We could reduce the amount of land used for grazing and croplands used to grow animal feed.
March 4, 2021
Article
Latest
Our latest articles, data updates, and announcements
March 1, 2021
Article
Do rich countries import deforestation from overseas?
Rich countries import foods produced on deforested land in the tropics. How much deforestation do they import?
February 22, 2021
Article
The economies that are home to the poorest billions of people need to grow if we want global poverty to decline substantially
The majority of the world today is poor: 85% of the world live on less than $30 per day. We need economic growth to alleviate global poverty.
February 19, 2021
Article
Global deforestation peaked in the 1980s. Can we bring it to an end?
There was a marked acceleration in deforestation in the 20th century. But, global deforestation peaked in the 1980s. Since then, it has slowed.
February 9, 2021
Article
The world has lost one-third of its forests, but an end to deforestation is possible
Over the last 10,000 years, the world has lost one-third of its forests. An area twice the size of the United States. Half occurred in the last century.
January 14, 2021
Article
Do we only have 60 harvests left?
Claims that the world has only 100, 60, or even 30 years of harvests left often hit the headlines. These claims are overblown, but soil erosion is a problem and we can do something about it.
January 8, 2021
Article
Our World in Data is now tracking Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations across the world
We are building a global dataset on COVID-19 Vaccinations. Explore the latest data for all countries.
January 6, 2021
Article
How are working hours measured and what can we learn from the data?
The primary way to measure working hours is with surveys, but the data can have limitations that are important to understand.
December 21, 2020
Article
Do workers in richer countries work longer hours?
Workers in richer countries tend to work fewer hours than those in poorer countries.
December 16, 2020
Article
Are we working more than ever?
Working hours for the average worker have decreased dramatically over the last 150 years.
December 10, 2020
Article
The world’s energy problem
The world faces two energy problems: most of our energy still produces greenhouse gas emissions, and hundreds of millions lack access to energy.
December 1, 2020
Article
Why did renewables become so cheap so fast?
In most places, power from new renewables is now cheaper than new fossil fuels.
November 30, 2020
Article
Our World in Data switches to Johns Hopkins University as our main data source for COVID-19 cases and deaths
To continue providing daily updates on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Our World in Data has switched from ECDC to Johns Hopkins University as our data source for confirmed cases and deaths.
November 26, 2020
Article
Breaking out of the Malthusian trap: How pandemics allow us to understand why our ancestors were stuck in poverty
The Industrial Revolution ended the Malthusian trap in which incomes were determined by the size of the population — making it possible for a country to leave abject poverty behind.
November 13, 2020
Article
Why do COVID-19 deaths in Sweden's official data always appear to decrease?
There are two ways that COVID-19 deaths can be presented over time: by the date of death, or the date on which the death is reported. The data for Sweden is shown by date of death – this means the most recent points should be treated as incomplete.
November 9, 2020
Article
Where in the world do people have the highest CO2 emissions from flying?
Globally, aviation accounts for around 2.5% of CO₂ emissions. But for many, it accounts for a much larger share.
November 2, 2020
Article
Less than half of young Americans voted in the last presidential election
40% of eligible voters in the US did not vote in the 2016 election. Young Americans in particular often do not exercise their right to vote – less than half of eligible under-30s voted in the last election.
October 29, 2020
Article
Why is life expectancy in the US lower than in other rich countries?
Americans have a lower life expectancy than people in other rich countries despite paying much more for healthcare. What factors may explain this?
October 23, 2020
Article
Global inequalities in CO₂ emissions from aviation
Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. Where do these emissions come from?
October 9, 2020
Article
The Our World in Data COVID-19 Testing dataset has been published in the academic journal, Nature Scientific Data
The Our World in Data dataset which has tracked COVID-19 testing across the world since the start of the pandemic has been peer-reviewed and published in the academic journal, Nature Scientific Data.
October 6, 2020
Article
Cars, planes, trains: where do CO₂ emissions from transport come from?
Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global CO₂ emissions. Three-quarters of this is from road transport.