Population Data

Photo of Chris Nnanatu presenting at JSM 2025

WorldPop Showcases Population Modelling at Global Statistics Summit

WorldPop Senior Research Fellow Dr Chris Nnanatu recently took centre stage at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meeting (JSM) in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the world’s leading gatherings of statisticians, co-hosted by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). Dr Nnanatu presented pioneering research on improving global population estimates using satellite technology, […]

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Maps of Europe showing heat-related excess mortality projected annual average heat-related excess deaths per million population at a 1.5 °C, b 2.0 °C, c 3.0 °C, and (d) 4.0 °C.

New Study Warns of Sharp Rise in Heat-Related Deaths Across Europe Due to Climate Change

A new collaborative study co-authored by Principal Research Fellow Dr Shengjie Lai, has issued a stark warning about the growing threat of heat-related mortality in Europe, driven by intensifying climate change and rapid population aging. Using WorldPop gridded population data, the research team found that between 2010 and 2022, over 368,000 deaths were linked to

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Photorealistic image of a child in a refugee camp

WorldPop Co-Produces Vital Population Data for UN Disaster Risk Study

A new study by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is showing how smart use of population data can save lives in the face of natural disasters, with WorldPop’s co-produced data at its core. In partnership with national governments and the UNFPA team behind the

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AI art image of globe on a stage with 'Global 2' sign watched by a large audience

Discover the Power of Population Data: Join Our Upcoming Webinar

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a ground-breaking open-access collection of high-resolution global demographic datasets (“Global 2”), available from 4 September 2025. Developed by the WorldPop programme at the University of Southampton, this new release delivers annual, age- and sex-disaggregated population estimates for 2015–2030, covering 242 countries and territories. This marks a major step

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Graphic image showing comparison of population count estimates modelled from new covariates (year 2024) and population count estimates modelled from earlier covariates (year 2020) for Luanda (Angola).

New Open Access Geospatial Datasets to Enhance Global Population Mapping

A groundbreaking collection of 73 global, high-resolution, multi-temporal geospatial datasets has been released, poised to significantly enhance the accuracy and detail of human population distribution modelling worldwide. Produced by WorldPop at the University of Southampton, in collaboration with the Università degli Studi di Milano Scienze della Terra and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates

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New Method Revolutionises Population Mapping for Better Planning

A significant development in population data mapping led by WorldPop Research Fellow Dr Wenbin Zhang promises to improve everything from disaster response to urban planning by offering clearer, more accurate figures. Governments and aid organizations around the world rely on gridded population datasets to make crucial decisions – like where to build hospitals, send vaccines,

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Screen capture of Greenpeace "Every Breath You Take" interactive map portal

Greenpeace Uses WorldPop Data to Map Global Petrochemical Pollution Risks

New population data from WorldPop has played a crucial role in a groundbreaking Greenpeace International study analysing the human impact of petrochemical pollution. The Beta release of WorldPop’s global population datasets, covering 2015 to 2030, enabled researchers to estimate how many and where people are at risk of exposure to emissions from petrochemical facilities worldwide.

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Regional map of West and Central Africa showing results from the Reach the Unreached project

Despite Progress Nearly 1 Million Children in West Africa Still Miss Out on Life-Saving Vaccines 

By Attila N Lazar and Tim O’Riordan While global immunisation efforts have seen significant progress, our new high-resolution, digital population and vaccination coverage maps produced for the UNICEF-funded Reach the Unreached project indicate that nearly one million children in five West and Central African countries remain unreached by vaccination services. Despite increased access in many

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Screen capture form Google Earth of Nairobi, Kenya

The We Society: Population, Data & Destiny

In a fascinating conversation with journalist and Academy of Social Sciences President Will Hutton, Professor Andy Tatem explains how satellite imagery and mobile phone data are transforming population mapping across the Global South. Used by governments for critical resource allocation, these data is reshaping how policies are made. Professor Tatem shares real-world examples from Papua

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