31
How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads
The death rate per mile driven has declined 22-fold since 1950.
Our World in Data
Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems.
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Visit ourworldindata.org → RSS feedOn Hacker News Jun 2016 – Oct 2026
Society, Policy & Culture 107Science & Space 104Tech Industry & Business 2History & Retro Computing 1
32
Reducing the risk of nuclear war should be a key concern of our generation
The consequences of nuclear war would be devastating. Much more should – and can – be done to reduce the risk that humanity will ever fight such a war
33
Ocean plastics: How much do rich countries contribute by shipping their waste?
Many countries ship plastic waste overseas. How much of the world’s waste is traded, and how big is its role in the pollution of our oceans?
34
Excess mortality from March to December of 2020
Explore data on COVID-19 excess mortality across the world.
35
Smoking around the world
Tobacco smoking is one of the world’s largest health problems today.
36
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?
37
How death rates from Covid-19 differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated
To understand how the pandemic is evolving, it’s crucial to know how death rates from COVID-19 are affected by vaccination status.
38
How many deaths make a disaster newsworthy?
How many deaths make a natural disaster newsworthy?
39
Death rates from energy production per TWh
Death rates are measured based on deaths from accidents and air pollution per terawatt-hour of electricity.
40
World Population Growth
Explore global and national data on population growth, demography, and how they are changing.
41
CO₂ and Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Human emissions of greenhouse gases are the primary driver of climate change. The world needs to decarbonize to reduce them.
42
Income Inequality (2016)
How is inequality measured, who produces key databases, and what does the data tell us?
43
Is soy a key driver of deforestation?
The world loses 5 million hectares of forest each year. What activities are driving this?
44
The short history of global living conditions and why it matters that we know it
Very few think the world is making progress. In this article, we look at the history of global living conditions and show that the world has made immense progress in important aspects.
45
Two centuries of rapid global population growth will come to an end
Global population grew rapidly over the past century, but this period of fast growth is coming to an end.
46
Plastic Pollution
How much plastic ends up in the ocean? Where does it come from?
47
How common was it for parents to lose a child?
The death of a young child has always been the most devastating tragedy mothers and fathers could experience. How common was it?
48
How does the land use of different electricity sources compare?
All energy production takes up land, but which sources use the most land, and which use it most efficiently?
49
If the number of children is not growing, why is the population still increasing
50 years ago, the total fertility rate was five. This figure has more than halved. Yet the global population is still rising — why?
50
Happiness and Life Satisfaction (2017)
Self-reported life satisfaction differs widely between people and between countries. What explains these differences?
51
Link between health spending and life expectancy: US is an outlier (2017)
Americans have a lower life expectancy than people in other rich countries despite paying much more for healthcare. What factors may explain this?
52
Safety of Nuclear Energy
Explore global data on nuclear energy production and the safety of nuclear technologies.
53
Extreme poverty: How far have we come, and how far do we still have to go?
The world has made immense progress against extreme poverty, but it is still the reality for almost one in ten people worldwide.
54
Per capita CO₂ emissions Over Time
An interactive visualization from Our World in Data.
55
Trust: Our World in Data
Trust is essential for effective cooperation. How does trust vary between different societies and locations and what matters for levels of trust?
56
Literacy
Being able to read and write opens up the world of education and knowledge. When and why did more people become literate? How can progress continue?
57
Famines
In many parts of the world famines have been common in the past. What causes famines? How can famines be averted?
58
Urbanization
Around 80% of the world’s population lives in cities, towns, and suburbs rather than rural settlements. How has this changed, and what does urbanization look like across the world today?
59
Life Expectancy
People are living longer across the world, but large differences remain. Explore global data on life expectancy and how it has changed over time.
60
Deforestation and Forest Loss
Explore long-term changes in deforestation and deforestation rates across the world today.