What is Our World in Data?
Our World in Data is a free reference site that gathers global statistics and explains them with charts and short articles. It covers more than 120 topics, including poverty, CO2 emissions, life expectancy, population growth, democracy, education and war. Researchers at the University of Oxford provide the scientific content, and the non-profit Global Change Data Lab publishes and maintains the site.
It suits anyone who wants to check a claim about the world against long-run data. Each chart can be adjusted by country and time range, and the source is listed alongside it. The site has data explorers for comparing many indicators at once, and everything is open access and openly licensed, so charts can be reused with credit.
Main Features
- More than 14,000 interactive charts across over 120 topics
- Data explorers for comparing many indicators at once
- Topic pages that explain the data in plain language
- Country and time range controls on charts
- Sources listed with the data
- Openly licensed charts and data you can reuse with credit
- Short Data Insights newsletter
How to Get Started with Our World in Data
- Open ourworldindata.org in your browser.
- Pick a topic from Browse by topic, or use one of the popular pages.
- Open a chart and choose the countries and years you want.
- Read the sources and notes under the chart.
- Download or share the chart, crediting the site.
Our World in Data Pricing
Our World in Data is completely free, with no paid plan and no account needed. The site says all of its work is free and openly licensed, and it is supported by donations.
Who Should Use It?
- Students writing reports that need sourced figures
- Journalists checking global statistics
- Teachers building lessons on world trends
- Researchers looking for a starting dataset
- Curious readers who want long-run data on big problems
Our World in Data Alternatives
- GDELT Project offers a large open dataset of world news and events.
- The Pudding publishes visual essays built around data and culture.
- The Climb turns wealth inequality into an interactive story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Our World in Data free?
Yes. There is no paid plan and no account is needed. The non-profit behind it is supported by donations.
Who runs Our World in Data?
It is a collaboration between researchers at the University of Oxford and the non-profit Global Change Data Lab, which owns and maintains the site.
Can I reuse its charts?
Yes. The site's charts and data are open access and openly licensed, so you can reuse them as long as you credit the source.
What topics does it cover?
More than 120, including poverty, CO2 emissions, global health, population, migration, democracy and armed conflict.