Method overview

Gapminder produces a some unique datasets which we couldn’t find anywhere else, by combining numbers from multiple sources into long consistent time-series.

Most of our data are not good enough for detailed numeric analysis. They are only good enough to revolutionise peoples worldview. But we only fill in gaps whenever we believe we know roughly what the numbers would have been, had they existed. The uncertainties are often large. But we comfort ourselves by knowing the errors in peoples worldview are even larger. Our data is constantly improved by feedback in our data forum from users finding mistakes

We fill in all gaps

Our data is more consistent over time and space than most other sources, because we dare to fill all the gaps in the sources. We dare this because our purpose is to show people the big picture, and they won’t understand it if its full of holes.

We use current geographic boundaries

We show the world history as if country borders had always been the same as today. Read more here

(This page is being updated with more info as soon as we have time.)