How has a population changed over time?
A census count, an annual estimate and a growth rate answer different questions.
See changes across countriesA place for curious minds
Different places.
Shared questions.
How do we live, move, work and grow? Explore people and society through clear explanations, careful comparisons and evidence you can follow.
Start with a question. Follow the evidence as far as you like.
Written for peopleGrounded in sourcesClear about what a number can say
Follow your curiosity
A few good questions to begin with
Does a bigger economy mean a richer life?
A country’s total output and the experience of people living there describe different things.
Compare measures in the world tableHow is citizenship different from country of birth?
They describe different parts of a population record, and neither is a biography.
See the Cyprus exampleA world of evidence
Look at the whole picture.
Then ask what it means.
Explore published country measures on an interactive map, in a table or by region. Each view names its measure and year, and missing figures remain visible as gaps.
Choose a place
Every country has its own context
Where shall we begin?
Browse country pages and see what each one covers before you compare.
A note on numbers
Every measure has a point of view.
A census count, an annual estimate and a migration flow answer different questions. We name the definition, place and time behind a figure, then link to the source.
Keep wondering
The reading room is open.
Longer explanations and source notes for when one question leads to another.