It's flu season — how many people die from the flu, in an average year and in large flu pandemics? Learn about this and more in this week's Biweekly Digest newsletter: → us8.campaign-archive.com/?u=18058af0863… Want insights like this in your inbox every other week? ourworldindata.org/#subscribe

In China in 1981, 97% of people in the countryside lived in extreme poverty. By 2020, the share was well below 1%. Large economic growth made it possible for hundreds of millions of people to leave extreme poverty behind, first in cities and then in the countryside.

We’re hiring a Junior Data Scientist! See full details + apply here: ourworldindata.org/junior-data-sc… Deadline to apply: Sunday 17 March 2024 If you know someone who might be interested, please consider sharing with them — thank you!

Today, we're excited to roll out our new homepage! Here’s what’s changed, what hasn’t, and some of the thinking behind the new design... 🧵

How quickly are countries moving to electrified transport? As recently as 2010, electric cars made up less than 1% of global car sales. By 2022, around 1 in 7 (14%) new cars sold worldwide were electric. For 2023 the preliminary estimate is around 1 in 5.

The timing of the peak cherry tree blossom is influenced by spring temperatures. Based on data from Japan stretching back to the year 812 (!), we see that in recent centuries the peak blossom has gradually moved earlier in the year—due to higher temperatures from climate change.

Who Americans spend their time with changes a lot over the course of their lives 🧵👇

Weather forecasting has come a long way. The biggest improvements we’ve seen are for longer timeframes. By the early 2000s, 5-day forecasts were “highly accurate” and 7-day forecasts are reaching that threshold today.

Earlier this month, we launched Data Insights, a new bite-sized format in which we focus on one of our 4,000+ charts to highlight one important detail about how the world is changing: ourworldindata.org/data-insights Here’s a selection of the insights we’ve published so far… 🧵

Nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are both vastly safer and cleaner than fossil fuels. From the perspective of both human health and climate change, it matters less whether we transition to nuclear or renewables, and more that we stop relying on fossil fuels.

Come join our wonderful team! The deadline to apply is Sunday 11 August. Learn all about the role and how to apply: ourworldindata.org/econ-project-l…

The day a child is born is the most dangerous day of their life. The world has made progress against the tragedy of infant mortality. But infants remain at risk, especially after birth. The experience of a baby leaving the womb and entering the world is a sudden change, and

The United Kingdom was the birthplace of coal. It has now, effectively, died there. As shown in the chart, in the late 1980s, around two-thirds of the UK’s electricity came from coal. By the time I was born in the 1990s, this had dropped to just over half. The use of coal has

Half of all child deaths are linked to malnutrition. Improving the nutrition of mothers and children could save many lives at a relatively low cost. Read the new article from Hannah Ritchie: → ourworldindata.org/half-child-dea…

Many of us can save a child's life, if we rely on the best data. Giving money to a charity is one of the best things you can do for others. Your donation can make a huge difference. But whether or not your donation makes a difference greatly depends on where you donate. If you

All three statements are true at the same time

This Thanksgiving, if you’re thankful for our work and want to help us do more, please consider supporting us with a donation today (link in 🧵). Reader donations are essential to our work at Our World in Data. They provide us with the stability and independence to expand our

The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better. All three statements are true at the same time. Understanding this is key to solving big global problems. At OWID, we believe data & research can help us understand both the problems we face & the

Did you know that US airlines have carried passengers a distance of 2.3 *light-years* since the last crash? Or that Japan’s birth rate dropped by more than 20% in 1966 because of astrological predictions? If you want a whole bunch of interesting insights like this directly in

Weather forecasts have become much more accurate. A four-day forecast today is as accurate as a one-day forecast 30 years ago. The chart here shows the difference between the forecast and the actual weather outcome for forecasts 3, 5, 7, and 10 days in advance. The metric used