India
These five charts highlight key findings from the 2022 UN World Population Prospects
Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN has released its latest update of its World Population Prospects in which it outlines global demographic trends.
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Energy Transition
Energy: Which electricity source uses the most land?
Nuclear power is the most land-efficient energy source, needing 27 times less land per unit of electricity than coal and 34 times less than solar PV.
Agriculture, Food and Beverage
After millennia of agricultural expansion, the world has passed ‘peak agricultural land’
Have we reached ‘peak agricultural land’? The decoupling of food production and land use means we can produce more food while giving land back to nature.
Biodiversity
Wild bears and bison are on the rise in Europe. What's behind the numbers?
European bison numbers have increased 30-fold since 1960 and there’s been a doubling in brown bear populations. A drop in agricultural land use has helped.
Agriculture, Food and Beverage
Vegetarian, vegan, or flexitarian - which one are you?
A majority of people still eat meat. But data shows that many eat fewer animal products. Young people are more likely to be non- or occasional meat-eaters.
Food Security
How could the war in Ukraine impact global food supplies?
With rising food prices and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a researcher investigates which countries are most reliant on the country for food supplies.
Food Security
How essential are pollinators for global food security?
The populations of many pollinator insects such as bees, wasps, and butterflies are in decline, which raises concerns about our food security in future.
Water
One in four people don’t have access to safe drinking water. And the data says this won’t change anytime soon
We are still a way off achieving universal access to clean drinking water, sanitation and handwashing facilities writes Our World in Data's Hannah Ritchie.
Food Security
5 ways we can reduce food emissions to keep global temperatures down
Hannah Ritchie discusses the options to reduce food emissions, including a shift to more plant-based diets, less food waste and improvements in crop yields.
Future of the Environment
Wild mammals have declined by 85%, but there is a possible future where they flourish
Since the rise of humans, wild land mammal biomass has declined by 85%, writes Hannah Ritchie for Our World in Data. But it is possible for them to flourish.
Forests
The world has lost one-third of its forests, but an end to deforestation is possible
Forest coverage double the size of America has been lost in the last 10,000 years as a growing population has increased demand for agricultural land.
Aviation, Travel and Tourism
Cars, planes, trains: where do transport CO2 emissions come from?
Road vehicles account for 74.5% of total CO2 emissions caused by the travel industry, with aviation accounting for 11.6%, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals.
Food Security
50% of all land in the world is used to produce food
While livestock takes up 77% of the world’s agricultural land, it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein.
Global Health
Ending the epidemic of maternal deaths around the world
Most of the world’s maternal deaths occur in low and lower-middle income countries, but they could be prevented. Here's how.
Plastics and the Environment
These infographics show how plastics end up on the ocean floor
From rivers to shorelines, plastics are plaguing our waters - but the whole picture could be worse than we thought.