Monaco led the ranking for countries with the highest population density in 2024, with nearly 26,000 residents per square kilometer. The Special Administrative Region of Macao came in second, followed by Singapore. The world’s second smallest country Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country, with an area of about two square kilometers and a population of only around 40,000. It is a constitutional monarchy located by the Mediterranean Sea, and while Monaco is not part of the European Union, it does participate in some EU policies. The country is perhaps most famous for the Monte Carlo casino and for hosting the Monaco Grand Prix, the world's most prestigious Formula One race. The global population Globally, the population density per square kilometer is about 60 inhabitants, and Asia is the most densely populated region in the world. The global population is increasing rapidly, so population density is only expected to increase. In 1950, for example, the global population stood at about 2.54 billion people, and it reached over eight billion during 2023.

In 2022, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth

Total current population for the world in 2025 is 8,191,988,453, a 0.9% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Total population for the world in 2024 was <strong>8,118,835,999</strong>, a <strong>0.71% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for the world in 2023 was <strong>8,061,876,001</strong>, a <strong>0.9% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for the world in 2022 was <strong>7,989,981,520</strong>, a <strong>0.87% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

LANDSCAN GLOBAL 2021

Contact: Human Geography, Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Address: landscan@ornl.gov

Online Resource: https://landscan.ornl.gov

Standard Name: ISO 19139 Geographic Information - Metadata - Implementation Specification

Standard Version: 2007

Title: LandScan Global 2021

Publication Date: 2022-07-01

Creation Date: Human Geography, Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Other Citation Details: https://doi.org/10.48690/1527702

Abstract: Using an innovative approach that combines Geographic Information Science, remote sensing technology, and machine learning algorithms, ORNL’s LandScan is the community standard for global population distribution. At 30 arc-second (approximately 1 km) resolution, LandScan is the finest resolution global population distribution data available representing an “ambient population” (average over 24 hours). The LandScan algorithm, an R&D 100 Award Winner, uses spatial data, high-resolution imagery exploitation, and a multi-variable dasymetric modeling approach to disaggregate census counts within an administrative boundary. LandScan population data are spatially explicit - unlike tabular Census data. Since no single population distribution model can account for the differences in spatial data availability, quality, scale, and accuracy as well as the differences in cultural settlement practices, LandScan population distribution models are tailored to match the data conditions and geographical nature of each individual country and region. By modeling an ambient population, LandScan Global captures the full potential activity space of people throughout the course of the day and night rather than just a residential location.

Purpose: LandScan Global was developed on behalf of the U.S. federal government and is used for rapid consequence and risk assessment as well as emergency planning and management.

Credit: Human Geography, Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; US DOD

​

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

https://landscan.ornl.gov/licensing

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In 2023, Japan had the highest share of people aged 65 years or more, with 30 percent of the Japanese population reaching this age. Italy followed behind with 24 percent.

World population growth rate for 2023 was 0.92%, a 0.13% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World population growth rate for 2022 was <strong>0.79%</strong>, a <strong>0.07% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>World population growth rate for 2021 was <strong>0.87%</strong>, a <strong>0.15% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World population growth rate for 2020 was <strong>1.01%</strong>, a <strong>0.05% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

World population density for 2022 was 61.59, a 0.92% increase from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World population density for 2021 was <strong>61.03</strong>, a <strong>0.95% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World population density for 2020 was <strong>60.46</strong>, a <strong>1.02% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>World population density for 2019 was <strong>59.85</strong>, a <strong>1.04% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

Which county has the most Facebook users? There are more than 378 million Facebook users in India alone, making it the leading country in terms of Facebook audience size. To put this into context, if India’s Facebook audience were a country then it would be ranked third in terms of largest population worldwide. Apart from India, there are several other markets with more than 100 million Facebook users each: The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil with 193.8 million, 119.05 million, and 112.55 million Facebook users respectively. Facebook – the most used social media Meta, the company that was previously called Facebook, owns four of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. As of the third quarter of 2021, there were around 3,5 billion cumulative monthly users of the company’s products worldwide. With around 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media worldwide. With an audience of this scale, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Facebook’s revenue is generated through advertising. Facebook usage by device As of July 2021, it was found that 98.5 percent of active users accessed their Facebook account from mobile devices. In fact, almost 81.8 percent of Facebook audiences worldwide access the platform only via mobile phone. Facebook is not only available through mobile browser as the company has published several mobile apps for users to access their products and services. As of the third quarter 2021, the four core Meta products were leading the ranking of most downloaded mobile apps worldwide, with WhatsApp amassing approximately six billion downloads.

World birth rate for 2025 is 17.13, a 0.95% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World birth rate for 2024 was <strong>17.30</strong>, a <strong>5.9% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>World birth rate for 2023 was <strong>16.33</strong>, a <strong>1.34% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>World birth rate for 2022 was <strong>16.56</strong>, a <strong>1.7% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

This statistic shows the 20 countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024. In SouthSudan, the population grew by about 4.65 percent compared to the previous year, making it the country with the highest population growth rate in 2024. The global population Today, the global population amounts to around 7 billion people, i.e. the total number of living humans on Earth. More than half of the global population is living in Asia, while one quarter of the global population resides in Africa. High fertility rates in Africa and Asia, a decline in the mortality rates and an increase in the median age of the world population all contribute to the global population growth. Statistics show that the global population is subject to increase by almost 4 billion people by 2100. The global population growth is a direct result of people living longer because of better living conditions and a healthier nutrition. Three out of five of the most populous countries in the world are located in Asia. Ultimately the highest population growth rate is also found there, the country with the highest population growth rate is Syria. This could be due to a low infant mortality rate in Syria or the ever -expanding tourism sector.

Total current population for Africa in 2025 is 1,530,031,247, a 2.34% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Total population for Africa in 2024 was <strong>1,494,993,924</strong>, a <strong>2.36% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for Africa in 2023 was <strong>1,460,481,772</strong>, a <strong>2.37% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for Africa in 2022 was <strong>1,426,736,305</strong>, a <strong>2.37% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

Abstract

The fourth edition of the Global Findex offers a lens into how people accessed and used financial services during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mobility restrictions and health policies drove increased demand for digital services of all kinds.

The Global Findex is the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion. It is also the only global demand-side data source allowing for global and regional cross-country analysis to provide a rigorous and multidimensional picture of how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage financial risks. Global Findex 2021 data were collected from national representative surveys of almost 145,000 people in 139 economies, representing 97 percent of the world’s population. The latest edition follows the 2011, 2014, and 2017 editions, and it includes a number of new series measuring financial health and resilience and contains more granular data on digital payment adoption, including merchant and government payments.

The Global Findex is an indispensable resource for financial service practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and development professionals.

Geographic coverage

Because of security issues and difficult terrain, seven regions are excluded from the sampling: Lac, Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira, Bourkou, Ennedi, Tibesti, Salamat. In addition, the North Kanem and Bahr El Gazal North districts were excluded due to accessibility issues. Quartiers/villages with less than 50 inhabitants are also excluded from sampling. The excluded areas represent 23% of the population.

Kind of data

Observation data/ratings [obs]

Sampling procedure

In most developing economies, Global Findex data have traditionally been collected through face-to-face interviews. Surveys are conducted face-to-face in economies where telephone coverage represents less than 80 percent of the population or where in-person surveying is the customary methodology. However, because of ongoing COVID-19–related mobility restrictions, face-to-face interviewing was not possible in some of these economies in 2021. Phone-based surveys were therefore conducted in 67 economies that had been surveyed face-to-face in 2017. These 67 economies were selected for inclusion based on population size, phone penetration rate, COVID-19 infection rates, and the feasibility of executing phone-based methods where Gallup would otherwise conduct face-to-face data collection, while complying with all government-issued guidance throughout the interviewing process. Gallup takes both mobile phone and landline ownership into consideration. According to Gallup World Poll 2019 data, when face-to-face surveys were last carried out in these economies, at least 80 percent of adults in almost all of them reported mobile phone ownership. All samples are probability-based and nationally representative of the resident adult population. Additionally, phone surveys were not a viable option in 16 economies in 2021, which were then surveyed in 2022.

In economies where face-to-face surveys are conducted, the first stage of sampling is the identification of primary sampling units. These units are stratified by population size, geography, or both, and clustering is achieved through one or more stages of sampling. Where population information is available, sample selection is based on probabilities proportional to population size; otherwise, simple random sampling is used. Random route procedures are used to select sampled households. Unless an outright refusal occurs, interviewers make up to three attempts to survey the sampled household. To increase the probability of contact and completion, attempts are made at different times of the day and, where possible, on different days. If an interview cannot be obtained at the initial sampled household, a simple substitution method is used. Respondents are randomly selected within the selected households. Each eligible household member is listed, and the hand-held survey device randomly selects the household member to be interviewed. For paper surveys, the Kish grid method is used to select the respondent. In economies where cultural restrictions dictate gender matching, respondents are randomly selected from among all eligible adults of the interviewer's gender.

In traditionally phone-based economies, respondent selection follows the same procedure as in previous years, using random digit dialing or a nationally representative list of phone numbers. In most economies where mobile phone and landline penetration is high, a dual sampling frame is used.

The same respondent selection procedure is applied to the new phone-based economies. Dual frame (landline and mobile phone) random digital dialing is used where landline presence and use are 20 percent or higher based on historical Gallup estimates. Mobile phone random digital dialing is used in economies with limited to no landline presence (less than 20 percent).

For landline respondents in economies where mobile phone or landline penetration is 80 percent or higher, random selection of respondents is achieved by using either the latest birthday or household enumeration method. For mobile phone respondents in these economies or in economies where mobile phone or landline penetration is less than 80 percent, no further selection is performed. At least three attempts are made to reach a person in each household, spread over different days and times of day.

Sample size for Chad is 1000.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Questionnaires are available on the website.

Sampling error estimates

Estimates of standard errors (which account for sampling error) vary by country and indicator. For country-specific margins of error, please refer to the Methodology section and corresponding table in Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli, Leora Klapper, Dorothe Singer, Saniya Ansar. 2022. The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19. Washington, DC: World Bank.

Abstract

The fourth edition of the Global Findex offers a lens into how people accessed and used financial services during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mobility restrictions and health policies drove increased demand for digital services of all kinds.

The Global Findex is the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion. It is also the only global demand-side data source allowing for global and regional cross-country analysis to provide a rigorous and multidimensional picture of how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage financial risks. Global Findex 2021 data were collected from national representative surveys of almost 145,000 people in 139 economies, representing 97 percent of the world’s population. The latest edition follows the 2011, 2014, and 2017 editions, and it includes a number of new series measuring financial health and resilience and contains more granular data on digital payment adoption, including merchant and government payments.

The Global Findex is an indispensable resource for financial service practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and development professionals.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Individual

Kind of data

Observation data/ratings [obs]

Sampling procedure

In most developing economies, Global Findex data have traditionally been collected through face-to-face interviews. Surveys are conducted face-to-face in economies where telephone coverage represents less than 80 percent of the population or where in-person surveying is the customary methodology. However, because of ongoing COVID-19–related mobility restrictions, face-to-face interviewing was not possible in some of these economies in 2021. Phone-based surveys were therefore conducted in 67 economies that had been surveyed face-to-face in 2017. These 67 economies were selected for inclusion based on population size, phone penetration rate, COVID-19 infection rates, and the feasibility of executing phone-based methods where Gallup would otherwise conduct face-to-face data collection, while complying with all government-issued guidance throughout the interviewing process. Gallup takes both mobile phone and landline ownership into consideration. According to Gallup World Poll 2019 data, when face-to-face surveys were last carried out in these economies, at least 80 percent of adults in almost all of them reported mobile phone ownership. All samples are probability-based and nationally representative of the resident adult population. Additionally, phone surveys were not a viable option in 16 economies in 2021, which were then surveyed in 2022.

In economies where face-to-face surveys are conducted, the first stage of sampling is the identification of primary sampling units. These units are stratified by population size, geography, or both, and clustering is achieved through one or more stages of sampling. Where population information is available, sample selection is based on probabilities proportional to population size; otherwise, simple random sampling is used. Random route procedures are used to select sampled households. Unless an outright refusal occurs, interviewers make up to three attempts to survey the sampled household. To increase the probability of contact and completion, attempts are made at different times of the day and, where possible, on different days. If an interview cannot be obtained at the initial sampled household, a simple substitution method is used. Respondents are randomly selected within the selected households. Each eligible household member is listed, and the hand-held survey device randomly selects the household member to be interviewed. For paper surveys, the Kish grid method is used to select the respondent. In economies where cultural restrictions dictate gender matching, respondents are randomly selected from among all eligible adults of the interviewer's gender..

In traditionally phone-based economies, respondent selection follows the same procedure as in previous years, using random digit dialing or a nationally representative list of phone numbers. In most economies where mobile phone and landline penetration is high, a dual sampling frame is used.

The same respondent selection procedure is applied to the new phone-based economies. Dual frame (landline and mobile phone) random digital dialing is used where landline presence and use are 20 percent or higher based on historical Gallup estimates. Mobile phone random digital dialing is used in economies with limited to no landline presence (less than 20 percent).

For landline respondents in economies where mobile phone or landline penetration is 80 percent or higher, random selection of respondents is achieved by using either the latest birthday or household enumeration method. For mobile phone respondents in these economies or in economies where mobile phone or landline penetration is less than 80 percent, no further selection is performed. At least three attempts are made to reach a person in each household, spread over different days and times of day.

Research instrument

Questionnaires are available on the website.

Sampling error estimates

Estimates of standard errors (which account for sampling error) vary by country and indicator. For country-specific margins of error, please refer to the Methodology section and corresponding table in Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli, Leora Klapper, Dorothe Singer, Saniya Ansar. 2022. The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19. Washington, DC: World Bank.

World urban population for 2023 was 4,600,280,070, a 1.7% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World urban population for 2022 was <strong>4,523,589,075</strong>, a <strong>1.55% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>World urban population for 2021 was <strong>4,454,512,575</strong>, a <strong>1.61% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World urban population for 2020 was <strong>4,383,953,178</strong>, a <strong>1.8% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

The average for 2021 based on 121 countries was 22.26 percent. The highest value was in Canada: 82.74 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 2011 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

World death rate for 2025 is 7.80, a 0.59% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World death rate for 2024 was <strong>7.76</strong>, a <strong>2.35% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>World death rate for 2023 was <strong>7.58</strong>, a <strong>1.68% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>World death rate for 2022 was <strong>7.71</strong>, a <strong>11.54% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

World GDP per capita for 2023 was $13,138, a 3.21% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World GDP per capita for 2022 was <strong>$12,730</strong>, a <strong>2.97% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>World GDP per capita for 2021 was <strong>$12,362</strong>, a <strong>12.99% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World GDP per capita for 2020 was <strong>$10,942</strong>, a <strong>3.67% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

The average for 2021 based on 53 countries was 112 people per square km. The highest value was in Mauritius: 634 people per square km and the lowest value was in Namibia: 3 people per square km. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The 2021 State of Climate Services Report - GEO’s contributionBlog / October 12, 2021On 5 October 2021, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published the 2021 State of Climate Services Report with contributions from more than 20 international organizations, including the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). This 2021 edition focuses on water, an indispensable resource at the heart of the global agenda for sustainable development, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation that affects all communities and economic sectors. Since 2019, WMO and its partners have published annual State of Climate Services reports to provide input to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, thus supporting climate adaptation with science-based information.The report finds that for the 101 WMO Member countries for which data is available:There is insufficient interaction between climate service providers and users of information in 43% of WMO Members;In about 40% of WMO Members, data for basic hydrological variables are not collected;No hydrological data are provided in 67% of WMO Members;End-to-end flood forecasting and warning systems for rivers are lacking or inadequate in 34% of WMO Members that have provided data, with only 44% of Members reaching more than two-thirds of the population at risk with their existing systems;End-to-end drought forecasting and warning systems are lacking or inadequate in 54% of WMO Members that provided data - with only 27% of Members reaching more than two-thirds of the population at risk with their existing systems.Significant additional financial commitments are needed to meet adaptation targets, but there are several constraints that limit what countries can do. These include low capacity to develop and implement projects and difficulties in raising funds within the public financial systems of low-income countries.The report draws lessons from 16 case studies from around the world to improve water resource management and reduce the impact of water-related disasters. In collaboration with the Group on Earth Observations Global Water Sustainability (GEOGloWS) Initiative, AmeriGEO, and ENEE-Honduras, GEO contributed the case study on "Reliable and Actionable Information for Water Management Ahead of Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras."The GEOGloWS Streamflow Forecast Service is a worldwide application of the global runoff forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) that translates runoff into river discharge forecasts for all rivers in the world. The GEOGLoWS-ECMWF Streamflow Forecast Service was used by the state-owned power company of Honduras, Empresa Nacional de Energía Eléctrica (ENEE), to establish a series of low flow releases through the massive hydroelectric dam “El Cajón” between hurricanes Eta and Iota that hit the country in November 2020, following discharge protocols that dictate that the maximum discharge of 1000 m3/sec must not be exceeded. Following the first hurricane Eta, the information from the regional flash flood guidance and short-term forecast models was insufficient to determine a long-term management strategy and estimate the volume of runoff that Iota was bringing thirteen days later. Through collaboration with AmeriGEO, ENEE became aware of the 15-day discharge forecast from the GEOGLoWS ECMWF Streamflow Forecast Service provided directly from the web. Based on that information, prior to the arrival of Iota, a total of 185.95 million m3 was discharged, providing the reservoir with sufficient storage for the runoff that Iota brought from the upper basin. The timely application of the information provided by the GEOGloWS-ECMWF Streamflow Forecast Service enabled national authorities to efficiently manage the reservoir during the storms and helped to prevent potentially huge losses and damages in the Sula Valley, one of the most populated and productive areas in Honduras. This case study demonstrates the importance of climate services and early warning systems in protecting livelihoods by helping communities prepare for and respond to climate related challenges.The 2021 State of the Climate Services report concludes with 6 strategic recommendations, including the need to:Invest in Integrated Resources Water Management as a solution to better manage water stress, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs);Invest in end-to-end early warning systems for droughts and floods in vulnerable LDCs, including drought warnings in Africa and flood warnings in Asia;Close the capacity gap in data collection for basic hydrological variables that underpin climate services and early warning systems;Improve interaction between national levels to co-develop and operationalize climate services in partnership with information users to better support adaptation in the water sector. There is also an urgent need for better monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic benefits, which will help showcase best practices;Fill data gaps on country capacity for climate services in the water sector, especially for SIDS; andJoin the Water and Climate Coalition to promote policy development for integrated water and climate assessments, solutions and services, and benefit from a network of partners developing and implementing tangible, practical projects, programs and systems to improve hydroclimate services for resilience and adaptation.To support these recommendations in the face of increasing water-related threats and stresses, GEO is promoting Earth observation data and tools for improved water management, monitoring, and early warning, and facilitating collaboration between data providers, developing countries, and underrepresented communities.

Abstract

The fourth edition of the Global Findex offers a lens into how people accessed and used financial services during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mobility restrictions and health policies drove increased demand for digital services of all kinds.

The Global Findex is the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion. It is also the only global demand-side data source allowing for global and regional cross-country analysis to provide a rigorous and multidimensional picture of how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage financial risks. Global Findex 2021 data were collected from national representative surveys of almost 145,000 people in 139 economies, representing 97 percent of the world’s population. The latest edition follows the 2011, 2014, and 2017 editions, and it includes a number of new series measuring financial health and resilience and contains more granular data on digital payment adoption, including merchant and government payments.

The Global Findex is an indispensable resource for financial service practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and development professionals.

Geographic coverage

Sampling units of population size less than 50 are excluded from the sampling frame. This exclusion is approximately 4% of the population of Botswana.

Kind of data

Observation data/ratings [obs]

Sampling procedure

In most developing economies, Global Findex data have traditionally been collected through face-to-face interviews. Surveys are conducted face-to-face in economies where telephone coverage represents less than 80 percent of the population or where in-person surveying is the customary methodology. However, because of ongoing COVID-19–related mobility restrictions, face-to-face interviewing was not possible in some of these economies in 2021. Phone-based surveys were therefore conducted in 67 economies that had been surveyed face-to-face in 2017. These 67 economies were selected for inclusion based on population size, phone penetration rate, COVID-19 infection rates, and the feasibility of executing phone-based methods where Gallup would otherwise conduct face-to-face data collection, while complying with all government-issued guidance throughout the interviewing process. Gallup takes both mobile phone and landline ownership into consideration. According to Gallup World Poll 2019 data, when face-to-face surveys were last carried out in these economies, at least 80 percent of adults in almost all of them reported mobile phone ownership. All samples are probability-based and nationally representative of the resident adult population. Additionally, phone surveys were not a viable option in 16 economies in 2021, which were then surveyed in 2022.

In economies where face-to-face surveys are conducted, the first stage of sampling is the identification of primary sampling units. These units are stratified by population size, geography, or both, and clustering is achieved through one or more stages of sampling. Where population information is available, sample selection is based on probabilities proportional to population size; otherwise, simple random sampling is used. Random route procedures are used to select sampled households. Unless an outright refusal occurs, interviewers make up to three attempts to survey the sampled household. To increase the probability of contact and completion, attempts are made at different times of the day and, where possible, on different days. If an interview cannot be obtained at the initial sampled household, a simple substitution method is used. Respondents are randomly selected within the selected households. Each eligible household member is listed, and the hand-held survey device randomly selects the household member to be interviewed. For paper surveys, the Kish grid method is used to select the respondent. In economies where cultural restrictions dictate gender matching, respondents are randomly selected from among all eligible adults of the interviewer's gender.

In traditionally phone-based economies, respondent selection follows the same procedure as in previous years, using random digit dialing or a nationally representative list of phone numbers. In most economies where mobile phone and landline penetration is high, a dual sampling frame is used.

The same respondent selection procedure is applied to the new phone-based economies. Dual frame (landline and mobile phone) random digital dialing is used where landline presence and use are 20 percent or higher based on historical Gallup estimates. Mobile phone random digital dialing is used in economies with limited to no landline presence (less than 20 percent).

For landline respondents in economies where mobile phone or landline penetration is 80 percent or higher, random selection of respondents is achieved by using either the latest birthday or household enumeration method. For mobile phone respondents in these economies or in economies where mobile phone or landline penetration is less than 80 percent, no further selection is performed. At least three attempts are made to reach a person in each household, spread over different days and times of day.

Sample size for Botswana is 1003.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Questionnaires are available on the website.

Sampling error estimates

Estimates of standard errors (which account for sampling error) vary by country and indicator. For country-specific margins of error, please refer to the Methodology section and corresponding table in Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli, Leora Klapper, Dorothe Singer, Saniya Ansar. 2022. The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19. Washington, DC: World Bank.