Data for Development Phase 1
Project leads: Ian Coady
Team: Attila Lazar, Chris Nnanatu, Heather Chamberlain, Sarchil Qader, Assane Gadiaga, Ortis Yankey, Somnath Chaudhuri, Kathryn Baxter, Tim O’Riordan
Funding: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Start: Nov 2023
Completion: Mar 2025
WorldPop worked with partners in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Jamaica and Zambia to help fill important population data gaps. In places where census data was missing, incomplete or lacked sufficient detail, the team produced high-resolution modelled population estimates to support better planning and decision-making.
Alongside the data work, the programme focused on building national statistical capacity through training, technical support and close collaboration with national statistics offices. As a result, partners developed new skills and tools that will help strengthen the use of population data beyond the life of the project.
The impact of the programme is already being seen in practice. In Cameroon, the data has supported census survey planning, while in Zambia it has been used to improve vaccination microplanning. Progress in Jamaica and Ethiopia was slower than anticipated because of challenges around data finalisation, validation and publication, but important groundwork has been laid for future use.
Key conclusion: Overall, the project demonstrates how modelled population data can strengthen national statistical systems and support evidence-based decisions. Looking ahead, greater focus on publishing datasets, encouraging government ownership, improving data sharing and broadening collaboration will help maximise the long-term value and sustainability of the work.
About Us
The WorldPop research programme, based in the School of Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Southampton, is a multi-sectoral team of researchers, technicians and project specialists that produces data on population distributions and characteristics at high spatial resolution.
Initiated in October 2013 to combine The AfriPop Project, AsiaPop and AmeriPop projects, we have a diverse portfolio of projects, including large multi-million-pound collaborative projects with partner organisations, commercial data providers and international development organisations.
WorldPop develops and publishes open, high-resolution population datasets to support social, economic, and environmental development, humanitarian response, and the Sustainable Development Goals. This data is not intended, and should not be used, for purposes that discriminate against, exploit, surveil, or otherwise harm individuals or vulnerable populations; users are expected to apply it responsibly, assess the risks of their own analyses (particularly when combining it with other datasets) and are solely responsible for how they use it.
