Our World in Data

Surveys worldwide show that most people find common animal farming practices unacceptable, even where meat consumption is high.

We’re hiring a writer who can make the world’s largest problems understandable to our large Our World in Data audience.

Explore causes of death data for all countries, spanning more than four decades.

Over 20 million electric cars were sold globally in 2025. Most of these cars sold for around $40,000, but some are now as cheap as $10,000.1 Even just two decades ago, these prices and sales figures would have been impossible. That’s because the batteries were far too expensive. The chart below shows the decline in lithium-ion battery cell prices since 1991. Note that this is shown on a logarithm…

In the two decades from 1965 to 1985, maternal mortality fell sharply across Europe. Rates in my own country, the United Kingdom, fell by more than two-thirds. Romania was the exception. Its rates increased by almost 150%. In the two decades from 1965 to 1985, maternal mortality fell sharply across Europe. Rates in my own country, the United Kingdom, fell by more than two-thirds. Romania was the …

Of every 5 kilograms of plastic waste produced globally, 1 kilogram ends up polluting the environment. This has serious consequences for people and other animals alike. It pollutes waterways, harms wildlife, and burning plastic generates toxic air that millions breathe. But this terrible pollution is not inevitable. In countries with good waste management systems, far less plastic pollutes the en…

One and a half million people are killed by animals every year. Almost one million by other animals, and more than half a million from direct conflict among ourselves. Almost all of these deaths from other animals are caused by just two types: mosquitoes and snakes. In the chart below, we’ve brought together estimates of the number of people killed by different animals. These numbers are estimate…

For five months of the year, temperatures in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, climb above 35 degrees Celsius. These temperatures are punishing for anyone, but particularly here, where air conditioning cannot offer any relief. While people in richer parts of the world can switch on their ACs, for billions in energy-poor countries, there is little electricity available to power a fan or an air conditio…

Could biofuels meet demand for global aviation? To fuel all of the world’s aviation demand, global biofuels would need to more than triple and be exclusively used for air travel.

We all want to live somewhere we feel safe. Crime is clearly a concern for many people. Nearly 60% of Americans say that reducing crime should be a top priority for the US president and Congress.1 A similar share says that violent crime is very important when making decisions about which political candidates to vote for. Tracking crime rates is crucial to understanding whether strategies to reduc…

Biofuels are fuels produced from biomass and organic matter, which can be made from crops such as cereals or sugarcane, wood, grasses, or biological waste such as animal fats and oils. These biomass sources can be converted into energy supplies in various ways. They can, for example, be burned to produce electricity in a power plant. They can also be processed into liquid fuels and used in cars, …