Population
A foundation for insights to address strategic challenges related to population and planetary health.
Photo by Ishan @seefromthesky on Unsplash
Where are populations shifting today?
Our world is fast-changing. In 1950, there were 2.6 billion humans on Earth. Seventy-five years later — a blink of an eye in history — the global population has more than doubled, and many countries’ census and other data are unable to keep up with the rapid change. Novel techniques let us answer the question: where do these people live now, are they safe, and do they have the resources they need?
How? Innovation lies in combining Planet’s frequently updated satellite imagery to capture change on earth, Microsoft’s cutting-edge image-processing AI to identify buildings, and IHME’s demographics modeling expertise to develop robust, location-specific predictions of how many people are present given the number of human structures.
“We have to know where people are [living] in order to provide them services…know where food needs to be provided, where clean water needs to be provided.”
— Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou
Precision population mapping
This stylized map offers a snapshot of global human population distribution from 2020 to 2024, at 40km² and 10km² resolutions for interactive exploration, with temporal changes symbolized as streaks of color. The underlying data, however, are available for download at a more granular spatial resolution of 40m x 40m. Explore the tool to learn more about the drivers and consequences of these changes.
What are the key research findings?
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City ranks as the second-largest metropolitan area in the Americas, after São Paulo. Population growth and urban sprawl have resulted in serious transportation and air pollution issues. Combined with air quality maps, population maps can identify residents at greatest risk for pollution-aggravated health outcomes.
Shanghai, China
Shanghai has seen large-scale replacement of forests and farmland with concrete, and there has been a resulting increase in temperatures — a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. As seen in the adjacent image, the blue areas indicate where populations in Shanghai have grown in the past four years alone.
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Antananarivo is the most populated center in Madagascar, with urbanization often resulting in unplanned, un-serviced high-density settlements. Households in these areas are at heightened risk of flooding and vector-borne disease transmission, particularly during the rainy season. Understanding where population growth is fastest within Antananarivo, as well as where at-risk populations are across the country can support early warning system planning and anticipatory action to support the most at-risk communities.
Climate change and its impact on population
Understanding where people live and how climate change may impact them can help us plan for and respond to emergencies.
