Our world in data -Some interesting facts-
The project's goal is to publish research and data to advance the fight against the world's biggest problems. Its strategy is to make knowledge accessible to empower those working to build a better world.
It is a collaborative project between researchers at Oxford University, along with the non-profit organization Global Change Data Lab, which owns, publishes and maintains the website and data tools. The organization is funded by donations from organizations and individuals who support its mission.
All data produced by Our World in Data are fully open access under the Creative Commons BY license. They may be used, reproduced and distributed by any means, provided that the source and authors are credited.
Each page of this site contains, in addition to brief articles, eye-catching and useful statistics and graphs.
Its main sections include: "CO2 emissions", "Economic inequality", "Education", "Human rights", "Poverty", "Energy", "Life expectancy", "Causes of death", "Population growth", among others.
Summary of selected articles (to view the article in its original site, click on the title).
The great global redistributor we never hear about: the money that migrants send or bring back.
The article in Our World in Data highlights how remittances from migrants constitute a significant force in the redistribution of global wealth. Migrants send or bring back more than three times the global foreign aid. These funds help families pay for school fees, home repairs and medical expenses. The article also mentions that reducing transaction fees could make this support even more effective in reducing poverty. In addition, it highlights that most of these funds flow from rich countries to poorer countries, which has a significant impact on reducing global inequality.
Most international immigrants do not move far from their countries of origin.
It highlights that the majority of international migrants do not travel great distances from their countries of origin. Instead of crossing oceans or continents, most migrants move to neighboring countries or within the same region. The article also mentions that only 4% of the world's population lives in a country other than the one in which they were born, and uses examples of mass migration from Syria and Venezuela to illustrate how most migrants stay close to home.
What was the golden age of antibiotics and how can we start a new one?
The text describes the period known as the “Golden Age of Antibiotics” that occurred between the early 1940s and the mid-1960s. During this time, many new antibiotics were discovered rapidly thanks to intensive research into natural and synthetic compounds. The article also explains how antibiotic development has since slowed and offers ideas on how research could be revived to overcome antibiotic resistance and maintain effective treatments in the future.
The article highlights the significant progress in increasing basic levels of education worldwide. However, it points out that although more children are attending school, many are not acquiring basic literacy skills. It also mentions that there are large differences in educational outcomes between low- and high-income countries, and that these inequalities in education perpetuate poverty and existing inequalities in global income. Furthermore, it is emphasized that education is increasingly seen as a fundamental right, and in many cases, it is the government's responsibility to provide it.
Ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning [website]
The publication focuses on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which seeks to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning. It presents global data on the current state of education and how it has changed over time. SDG 4 includes 10 targets and 11 indicators that measure progress towards quality education. Some of the targets include free primary and secondary education, gender equality in education, and improving the quality of education¹. The article also offers interactive visualizations that show these indicators and how the targets are being met.
Spending on education [website]
The article analyzes how education is financed around the world and the historical evolution of these funds. It highlights that basic education is seen both as a right and an obligation, and that governments are usually responsible for guaranteeing access to education. It mentions that, historically, funds for education come from various sources, but local taxes have played a crucial role. It is also noted that, from the second half of the 20th century onwards, the expansion of education became a global phenomenon, significantly reducing educational inequality. In recent terms, UNESCO data shows that government funding for education is increasing worldwide, and these additional funds are not necessarily made at the expense of other government sectors. However, there is great variability between countries and regions in terms of how different levels of education are funded.
Access to basic education: almost 60 million children of primary school age do not attend school.
It is worth considering that, despite significant progress in basic education, 58.4 million primary school-age children are still not attending school. Most of these children live in countries affected by conflict, such as Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Nigeria. Poverty is also a major barrier, as many families cannot afford to send their children to school. The article mentions that the provision of free meals in schools has proven to be an effective policy for increasing school attendance and having a positive long-term impact on children's incomes. Furthermore, it highlights that although the number of out-of-school children has decreased by 40% since 2000, much remains to be done to ensure that all children have access to a basic education.
Global poverty is one of the most pressing problems facing the world today. The poorest often suffer from malnutrition, lack of access to basic services such as electricity and drinking water, and have less access to education and poorer health conditions. The article also mentions that extreme poverty has decreased significantly in recent decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed millions of people back into extreme poverty. Despite progress, there are still hundreds of millions of people living in extreme poverty according to current trends.
Human rights have improved in every region of the world over the last century. However, there are still large disparities between regions, with Africa and Asia lagging behind other parts of the world. The article uses the Civil Liberties Index of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project to measure the degree of human rights protection in each country. This index evaluates aspects such as physical integrity, civil and political liberties, and the participation of women and the LGBT+ community.
The article highlights two main global problems related to energy. First, most of our energy still produces greenhouse gas emissions, which contributes to climate change. Second, hundreds of millions of people lack access to sufficient energy, which has negative consequences for both them and the environment. The document also mentions that the lack of large-scale energy alternatives that are safe, low-carbon and economical is a significant challenge. In addition, it discusses the differences in energy consumption between rich and poor countries, and how the transition to cleaner energy sources is crucial to address these problems.