This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information.

Mapping

Map: Nearly half the world's population lives in one per cent of its surface area

  • Jan 06, 2016
  • 327 words
  • 2 minutes
Expand Image
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

With the world’s population projected to swell to 11 billion by 2100, one might wonder if there’s enough room on the planet for so many human beings.

The answer, according to a new map, is yes, at least in terms of physical space.

Created by data journalist Max Galka of Metrocosm, the map presents a startling picture of the current imbalance in the world’s population density: half of us live in the yellow areas, half in the black.

The map was created using gridded population data compiled by NASA. It’s made up of some 28 million “cells,” each comprising an area of approximately nine square miles. The yellow areas include cells with a population of 8,000 or more people; the black areas include cells with a population of fewer than 8,000 people.

Put another way, the yellow cells have a population density of 900 people per square mile, but make up only one per cent of the Earth’s surface area.

Expand Image
Here’s a zoomed-in look at one of the most densely populated areas, encompassing India, Bangladesh and China. Nearly half (46 per cent) of the world’s existing population lives within the area shown in this image:
Expand Image
46 per cent of the world’s population lives in this area alone. (Map courtesy: Max Galka/Metrocosm)

Unsurprisingly, Canada presents as mainly wide open space, with just a smattering of yellow cells representing our major cities:

Expand Image
Can you identify Canada’s cities by their population density? (Map courtesy: Max Galka/Metrocosm)

Evidently, there’s an astounding amount of space on the planet to accommodate future humans, particularly in areas where the greatest population growth is projected to occur, like Africa. However, as experts have pointed out, the concern is not where to put our future generations, but how to feed them.

Related: Why are Canadian households shrinking?

Advertisement

Help us tell Canada’s story

You can support Canadian Geographic in 3 ways:

Related Content

Assassin's Creed Odyssey landscape

Mapping

Inside the intricate world of video game cartography

Maps have long played a critical role in video games, whether as the main user interface, a reference guide, or both. As games become more sophisticated, so too does the cartography that underpins them. 

  • 2569 words
  • 11 minutes

People & Culture

The truth about polar bears

Depending on whom you ask, the North’s sentinel species is either on the edge of extinction or an environmental success story. An in-depth look at the complicated, contradictory and controversial science behind the sound bites

  • 4600 words
  • 19 minutes

Mapping

Mapping COVID-19 cases in Canada per capita

Canadian Geographic cartographer Chris Brackley continues his exploration of charting the coronavirus pandemic 

  • 743 words
  • 3 minutes
The New York Times COVID-19 map

Mapping

Mapping COVID-19: How maps make us feel

Canadian Geographic cartographer Chris Brackley continues his exploration of how the world is charting the COVID-19 pandemic, this time looking at how artistic choices inform our reactions to different maps

  • 1145 words
  • 5 minutes
Advertisement
Advertisement