Our World in Data
Max Roser launched Our World in Data in 2011 as a social historian and development economist. He began by visualizing global data on poverty, disease, and inequality to make complex statistics accessible. The project started at the University of Oxford where he developed the initial publication alongside Sir Tony Atkinson. This early collaboration focused on long-term views of how living conditions changed over time. Roser added a research team to the university shortly after establishing the core website.
The organization expanded from six staff members to twenty employees during the height of the pandemic. Hannah Ritchie joined the team in 2017 and eventually became Head of Research. Edouard Mathieu arrived in 2020 to lead the data division. By late 2021, the small group had grown significantly to handle the surge in public interest. Hetan Shah serves as the chair of the Global Change Data Lab that oversees these operations.
Starting in 2020, the team built worldwide databases for COVID-19 vaccinations and testing. These datasets became primary sources for the World Health Organization and numerous international journals. They also published calculations regarding hospitalizations and excess deaths across different nations. The United Nations and the White House relied on their global dataset for testing information. Researchers from Harvard's Chan School of Public Health partnered with them to study successful country responses.
The charity relies on grants from foundations like Nuffield Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Reader donations grew to exceed 4,000 supporters by 2023 including figures like Hank Green. In 2022, FTX offered a $7.5 million grant which the board ultimately rejected after due diligence checks. Max Roser confirmed this decision to Fortune magazine following the investigation. Other funders include the Quadrature Climate Foundation and German philanthropist Susanne Klatten.
In 2021, the website recorded 89 million unique visitors seeking data on social problems. Academic journals and news outlets such as The Washington Post cite these findings regularly. The site uses permissive licenses allowing others to copy or modify the work freely. Social science journals and medicine publications frequently reference their interactive charts and maps. This reach allows the organization to influence policy discussions through accessible visualizations.
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Common questions
Who founded Our World in Data and when did they launch it?
Max Roser launched Our World in Data in 2011 as a social historian and development economist. He began by visualizing global data on poverty, disease, and inequality to make complex statistics accessible.
Where was the initial publication of Our World in Data developed?
The project started at the University of Oxford where Max Roser developed the initial publication alongside Sir Tony Atkinson. This early collaboration focused on long-term views of how living conditions changed over time.
What year did Hannah Ritchie join the team at Our World in Data?
Hannah Ritchie joined the team in 2017 and eventually became Head of Research. Edouard Mathieu arrived in 2020 to lead the data division.
Which organizations relied on Our World in Data for COVID-19 testing information starting in 2020?
The United Nations and the White House relied on their global dataset for testing information. These datasets became primary sources for the World Health Organization and numerous international journals.
How many unique visitors did Our World in Data record in 2021?
In 2021, the website recorded 89 million unique visitors seeking data on social problems. Academic journals and news outlets such as The Washington Post cite these findings regularly.