Population Density Maps

Our Population Density Maps help nonprofit and multilateral agencies plan vaccination campaigns, respond to natural disasters, and evaluate rural electrification plans. These maps help researchers assess the ways in which climate change and urbanization impact where people live.

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Features

Our Population Density Maps help nonprofit and multilateral agencies plan vaccination campaigns, respond to natural disasters, and evaluate rural electrification plans. These maps help researchers assess the ways in which climate change and urbanization impact where people live.

In partnership with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, we use state-of-the-art computer vision techniques to identify buildings from publicly accessible mapping services to create the world's most accurate population datasets. Our maps are available at 30-meter resolution — much more accurate than existing high-resolution maps, which are only available at a resolution of 100 meters.

Training data through neural networks

To map populations, Facebook's Spatial Computing team trains pattern-recognizing algorithms to identify buildings in commercially available satellite images from Maxar. Using hand-labeled data from diverse areas, these algorithms learn to understand varied landscapes, ensuring extremely accurate modeling anywhere on earth.

Combination with population data

Using building information from Facebook’s analysis, Columbia combines these insights with Census data to generate population estimates, which are then applied to the structures in the satellite imagery. As a final step, the team validates these estimates against more coarse-grained datasets including anonymized household surveys from USAID and the World Bank.

Facebook's high resolution population maps have supported Humanitarian Open Street Map and Missing Maps’ mission of putting the world's most at-risk places on the world…the maps from Facebook ensure we focus our volunteers' time and resources on the places they're most needed, improving the efficacy of our programs.”

Tyler Radford, HumanitarianOpenStreetMap Team

Who uses Population Density Maps

Facebook's high-resolution population density maps have been used by a range of nonprofit and multilateral agencies to plan vaccination campaigns, respond to natural disasters, and assess the feasibility of rural electrification plans. Researchers have also used these layers to analyze trends in urbanization and to assess the impact of climate change on where people live.

Public health institutions

Public health organizations have used these maps to improve the way they reach rural populations with health interventions. For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique, the Gates Foundation is using Facebook's population maps to improve the way health workers reach households with information about forthcoming vaccine distributions, to procure the right number of vaccines, and to verify the number of children under five to be vaccinated. These maps are also helpful for volunteers distributing bed nets or performing indoor residual spraying for malaria control.

Disaster preparedness and response organizations

Aid organizations have used our settlement layer for disaster preparedness projects, mapping which areas are most likely to be affected by natural disaster and how populations are distributed within those areas.

Rural electrification planners

Rural electrification operators can use our population maps to analyze settlements in urban and rural areas through satellite imagery and prioritize locations for development.

Researchers

Researchers can use the Facebook high resolution settlement layer to help inform development programs that require sub-national population estimates, to understand trends in human mobility, and to accurately quantify urbanization rates.

A high resolution population density map layer for Pretoria, South Africa.

A high resolution population density map layer, for Accra, Ghana.

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Methodology

To create our high-resolution maps, we use machine learning techniques to identify buildings from commercially available satellite images. Then we work with our partners at Columbia University to overlay general population estimates based on publicly available census data and other population statistics. The resulting maps are the most detailed and actionable tools available for aid and research organizations. You can find a tutorial here, which will walk you through the creation of a map and dataset which identifies potential problem areas for COVID-19 vulnerable populations using two publicly available datasets produced by the Facebook Data for Good team.

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Case Studies

As part of this mission, BASEflow has been providing data quality control and troubleshooting support on an ambitious two-year mapping project funded by the Scottish Government, in close collaboration... As part of this mission, BASEflow has been providing data quality control and troubleshooting support on an ambitious two-year mapping project funded by the Scottish Government, in close collaboration with the Malawi Government and University of Strathclyde, to determine the location and usage of every water point in rural parts of the country. BASEflow used a new feature built by the team at mWater called “population within,” which leverages Facebook’s high resolution population density maps to determine how many people are within a user-defined distance of a water source.

Population Density Maps

BASEflow uses high resolution population estimates from Facebook to improve water infrastructure planning in Malawi

As part of this mission, BASEflow has been providing data quality control and troubleshooting support on an ambitious two-year mapping project funded by the Scottish Government, in close collaboration with the Malawi Government and University of Strathclyde, to determine the location and usage of every water point in rural parts of the country. BASEflow used a new feature built by the team at mWater called “population within,” which leverages Facebook’s high resolution population density maps to determine how many people are within a user-defined distance of a water source.

Current estimates of global flood exposure are made using datasets that distribute population counts homogeneously across large lowland floodplain areas. When intersected with simulated water depths... Current estimates of global flood exposure are made using datasets that distribute population counts homogeneously across large lowland floodplain areas. When intersected with simulated water depths, this results in a significant mis-estimation. Here, we use new highly resolved population information to show that, in reality, humans make more rational decisions about flood risk than current demographic data suggest. In the new data, populations are correctly represented as risk-averse, largely avoiding obvious flood zones.

Population Density Maps

New estimates of flood exposure in developing countries using high-resolution population data

Current estimates of global flood exposure are made using datasets that distribute population counts homogeneously across large lowland floodplain areas. When intersected with simulated water depths, this results in a significant mis-estimation. Here, we use new highly resolved population information to show that, in reality, humans make more rational decisions about flood risk than current demographic data suggest. In the new data, populations are correctly represented as risk-averse, largely avoiding obvious flood zones.

When a disaster strikes, better maps enable better response. Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) often coordinates emergency mappers at the request of organizations like the Red Cross, or as an... When a disaster strikes, better maps enable better response. Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) often coordinates emergency mappers at the request of organizations like the Red Cross, or as an OpenStreetMap initiative. Such preparatory work may take a while, from several hours to an entire working day. During fast-unfolding emergencies, a few hours here and there make a big difference. That’s where Kontur was able to streamline the process through technology. Kontur created a Disaster Ninja dashboard.

Population Density Maps

Population Counts: Aiming Humanitarian Mappers at populated areas with Disaster Ninja

When a disaster strikes, better maps enable better response. Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) often coordinates emergency mappers at the request of organizations like the Red Cross, or as an OpenStreetMap initiative. Such preparatory work may take a while, from several hours to an entire working day. During fast-unfolding emergencies, a few hours here and there make a big difference. That’s where Kontur was able to streamline the process through technology. Kontur created a Disaster Ninja dashboard.

Globally, two billion people lack access to basic sanitation facilities. The planning and design of wastewater networks is an inefficient, time-consuming activity, requiring extensive data collection... Globally, two billion people lack access to basic sanitation facilities. The planning and design of wastewater networks is an inefficient, time-consuming activity, requiring extensive data collection, and at the current rate of progress would take decades to complete. NetCreate is an innovative digital process that uses global open source GIS datasets to automatically create an outline wastewater network on a repeatable basis. It brings together topographic data, road layout data and population distribution data from Facebook’s Data for Good.

Population Density Maps

How Facebook’s Data for Good could help to accelerate the provision of sanitation to millions

Globally, two billion people lack access to basic sanitation facilities. The planning and design of wastewater networks is an inefficient, time-consuming activity, requiring extensive data collection, and at the current rate of progress would take decades to complete. NetCreate is an innovative digital process that uses global open source GIS datasets to automatically create an outline wastewater network on a repeatable basis. It brings together topographic data, road layout data and population distribution data from Facebook’s Data for Good.

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In the News

New Asia Pacific Facebook population maps The Australian FB launches world’s most detailed population density maps, including Bangladesh United News of Bangladesh Facebook Bikin Peta Populasi Pakai Artificial Intelligence Indonesia: Viva.co Facebook sáng tạo bản đồ mật độ dân số chi tiết nhất thế giới cho khu vực Châu Á Thái Bình Dương Vietnam: Trainghiemso.vn Facebook lança mapas de densidade populacional de alta resolução do Brasil Brazil: Diariodonordeste Facebook lanza mapas de densidad de población de Latinoamérica Colombia: Guapacho.com Los mapas de densidad poblacional de Facebook Mexico Forbes Facebook divulgó herramienta que visualiza la población de Uruguay con gran precisión El Pais Facebook maps out Africa using artificial intelligence South Africa: ITWeb Facebook artificial intelligence researchers create world’s most detailed population density maps of Africa Zimbabwe: Voice of the People Facebook, AI Researchers Create most Detailed Population Density Maps of Africa Nigeria Communications Week Facebook’s AI team maps the whole population of Africa Kenya: Mipasho AI researchers create density maps of Africa Business Ghana Facebook artificial intelligence (AI) researchers create the world’s most detailed population density maps of Africa Rwanda Podium Facebook is using AI to map exactly where Africa’s fast-growing population lives Ethiopia: Addis Herald Facebook artificial intelligence (AI) researchers create the world’s most detailed population density maps of Africa Somalia: Radio Baidoa

Get Involved

Check out our high resolution population density maps, available for download on the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Humanitarian Data Exchange. To reference this data, please use the following citation: Facebook Connectivity Lab and Center for International Earth Science Information Network - CIESIN - Columbia University. 2016. High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL). Source imagery for HRSL © 2016 DigitalGlobe. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR."

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