The past,
told in data.

Historical statistics as animated infographics — and a trivia game built from real, sourced charts. How well do you actually know the numbers?

See the charts

New chart every week · Our World in Data · Maddison · SIPRI (CC BY)

40+
Charts produced
100%
Sourced data
5
Chart formats
0
Made-up numbers

Same globe, any subject — climate, population, spending, arsenals.

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    Hover a country to place it on the globe · subjects rotate automatically

    Interactive charts

    Not videos — charts you drive. Pick a dataset and scrub through the years; hover any curve to read the exact figure behind it.

    Three deep dives in the Journal →

    Recent charts

    Every visual is a public dataset turned into an honest, animated infographic — sourced on screen, no number invented.

    Most populated countries Demographics Biggest military budgets Conflict The richest people Economy Nuclear warheads Conflict Extreme poverty Development The largest cities Demographics Internet users Technology Best-selling video games Culture
    See all on Instagram →

    The numbers that
    surprised us.

    Six we didn't see coming.

    Conflict
    60,000
    At the Cold War's peak, the world held more than 60,000 nuclear warheads.
    Federation of American Scientists · via Our World in Data
    Technology
    2M → 5B
    In 1990 barely two million people used the internet. Today, over five billion do.
    World Bank · Individuals using the Internet
    Economy
    × 9
    One country has outspent the next nine combined, every year for decades.
    SIPRI Military Expenditure Database
    Wealth
    In 1990 the richest people on Earth were Japanese. None are today.
    Forbes · The World's Billionaires
    Culture
    The best-selling video game of all time has no story, no ending and no marketing budget.
    Wikipedia · List of best-selling video games
    Sport
    8
    Only eight nations have ever ranked as the best football team on Earth.
    World Football Elo Ratings · eloratings.net
    Think you'd have guessed right? Test yourself →