More or Less: Behind the Stats Is the world’s population being miscounted?
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Jun 7, 2025 Understanding how many people live on Earth is more complex than it seems. A Finnish study reveals that rural populations are often underestimated by a staggering 50 to 80%. This discrepancy challenges existing census data, making us question the reliability of global population counts. Sensational media interpretations add to the confusion, suggesting millions more people than estimated. Such inaccuracies can significantly affect resource allocation and planning, revealing the urgent need for better demographic data.
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Undercounting Rural Populations
- Global population maps significantly underestimate rural populations upstream of dams by about 50%.
- This underestimation is mainly due to census limitations and satellite data difficulties in rural areas.
Dam Project Sparks Population Question
- Josias Lang-Ritter started his inquiry by comparing population maps with dam impact assessments in Southeast Asia.
- He noticed official maps showed far fewer people than dam companies' preliminary reports.
Challenges in Counting Rural Populations
- Population censuses are particularly unreliable in rural areas compared to cities.
- Rural settlements are often obscured by tree cover or are too dispersed to detect well by satellites.