WorldPop News

Graphic showing components of the bottom–up approach to small area population estimation.

New Ways to Count Populations When the Census Falls Short

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Reliable population data is one of the foundations of effective decision-making. Governments use it to plan schools, hospitals and infrastructure. Humanitarian agencies rely on it to deliver aid. Health organisations need it to estimate how many vaccines, medicines and health workers are required in different communities. Yet for many countries, obtaining accurate and up-to-date population […]

New Ways to Count Populations When the Census Falls Short Read More »

Map showing satellite detected Mudflow/ rockflow extent as of 26–27 August 2026 in Rasuwa District, Bagmati Province, Nepal.

Open Data Aiding Relief Efforts in Nepal and Tibet

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Following recent devastating mudflows in Nepal’s Rasuwa District, WorldPop’s open spatial demographic data has been critical in rapidly assessing the human impact of the disaster.   By combining satellite imagery of the 20 km² affected area with WorldPop’s open demographic datasets, the preliminary analysis published by UNOSAT on ReliefWeb estimated that approximately 2,000 people were exposed

Open Data Aiding Relief Efforts in Nepal and Tibet Read More »

Photo of Nazim Gashi presenting at the Syrian Planning and Statistics Commission workshop

Syria gains its first national digital sampling frame to strengthen official statistics

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Syria now has its first nationally approved digital system for selecting households for surveys. Developed with WorldPop’s support, it will help produce more reliable population data for public services, recovery and future censuses.  Years of conflict and limited international engagement have made nationwide surveys difficult. This has left government, UN agencies and development partners without

Syria gains its first national digital sampling frame to strengthen official statistics Read More »

Maps showing estimated spatial distribution of DTP vaccination gaps among children aged

New detailed maps reveal where children are missing out on vaccines

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New research recently published in Vaccines maps childhood vaccination gaps across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in far greater detail than before. Led by WorldPop researcher KS Krishnaveni, the study reveals important local variations in vaccination coverage across the DRC, providing precise, location-specific information to help immunisation programme managers and policymakers identify coverage

New detailed maps reveal where children are missing out on vaccines Read More »

Event banner for mapping the human story event

Discover the People Behind the Numbers at the British Science Festival

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Ever wondered how population data can help improve public health, plan cities, or support communities during emergencies? Join WorldPop at the British Science Festival and explore how maps and data reveal the stories of people and places around us. At Mapping the Human Story, you’ll take part in a series of fun, hands-on activities designed

Discover the People Behind the Numbers at the British Science Festival Read More »

Photo of a stilt village in Benin

Local evidence can improve global decision-making

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Répondez à notre enquête de satisfaction et contribuez à façonner la suite An international research team led by WorldPop Deputy Director (Research), Dr Jessica Espey, argues that better global decision-making needs stronger local evidence from low- and middle-income countries.  The study, published this week in Evidence & Policy, looks at how evidence shapes policy in

Local evidence can improve global decision-making Read More »

graphic showing spatial distribution of warning counts by hazard type

Researchers Launch Comprehensive Dataset of China’s Multi-Hazard Early Warnings

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Répondez à notre enquête de satisfaction et contribuez à façonner la suite A team of international researchers, including experts from WorldPop, has released a groundbreaking dataset documenting over one million official early warning records across mainland China.  The Chinese Multi-Hazard Early Warning Dataset provides a standardized archive of over one million warning records issued between

Researchers Launch Comprehensive Dataset of China’s Multi-Hazard Early Warnings Read More »

Photo of Mother and daughter with bed net

New High-Resolution Mapping Reveals Where Malaria Persists in Senegal 

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Répondez à notre enquête de satisfaction et contribuez à façonner la suite Researchers have developed a powerful new way to track malaria with pinpoint accuracy, providing a vital tool for health officials to save lives in low- and middle-income countries. An international team, including WorldPop’s Dr Chris Nnanatu, has created high-resolution maps that reveal the

New High-Resolution Mapping Reveals Where Malaria Persists in Senegal  Read More »

Photo of rice harvest in progress

Experts call for “human-in-the-loop” AI to safeguard global food security

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Répondez à notre enquête de satisfaction et contribuez à façonner la suite An international team of experts including WorldPop Director, Professor Andy Tatem advise that while Artificial Intelligence (AI) can revolutionise how we predict hunger, it requires strict human oversight to prevent life-threatening errors. In a commentary, published in Nature Food, they warn that replacing

Experts call for “human-in-the-loop” AI to safeguard global food security Read More »

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.

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