Data Sources & Methodology
ViewOurPlanet brings together public datasets and interactive tools to help visitors explore countries and the planet. Different datasets have different coverage, units, reporting periods and update schedules. We identify the source and reference year where available.
World Bank Open Data
We use the World Bank Open Data platform for selected country indicators, including population, GDP, life expectancy and birth rates. Historical charts display available observations rather than estimates for missing years. The latest reported year can differ between indicators and countries.
The Country Insights feature compares the first and last available observations in a selected period. These changes describe what the data shows; they do not establish why the change occurred. GDP expressed in current US dollars is nominal and should not be interpreted on its own as real economic growth.
Eurostat
Selected European price comparisons use publicly available data from the Eurostat statistical office. Availability depends on the country, indicator and reference period. Price-level comparisons are not the same as a complete household budget or an individual cost-of-living estimate.
USGS Earthquake Data
The earthquake explorer displays event information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Earthquake information can be revised after initial publication, and event feeds may be delayed. This website is not an emergency alert system. For safety decisions, consult the appropriate official authorities.
NASA POWER Climate Data
The Ideal Weather tool uses historical climate data obtained from NASA POWER. It helps users explore monthly climate patterns using temperature, precipitation and humidity filters. Historical averages are not live weather conditions or forecasts and may not capture local microclimates.
How to Read the Statistics
- Reference year: The year associated with an observation, not necessarily the current year.
- Missing data: An unavailable value does not mean zero.
- Comparability: Definitions, methodologies and reporting schedules can differ across sources and countries.
- Historical trends: A change between two years does not, by itself, explain its cause.
Updates, Corrections & Independence
Data providers update their datasets on different schedules. ViewOurPlanet may cache retrieved information for performance, so a recently revised source value may not appear immediately. We aim to make sources and reference periods clear and to correct identified issues.
ViewOurPlanet is an independent project and is not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations listed above. If you notice an error, email info@viewourplanet.com with the page URL and relevant details.