Global population data is in crisis – here’s why that matters

By Andrew J Tatem, WorldPop Director, Professor of Spatial Demography and Epidemiology, University of Southampton
Jessica Espey, Associate Professor, School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton

Every day, decisions that affect our lives depend on knowing how many people live where. For example, how many vaccines are needed in a community, where polling stations should be placed for elections or who might be in danger as a hurricane approaches. The answers rely on population data.

But counting people is getting harder.

For centuries, census and household surveys have been the backbone of population knowledge. But we’ve just returned from the UN’s statistical commission meetings in New…

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