Population Explorer provides annually updated, global gridded population datasets. This quick guide helps you pick - and stick to - the right vintage so your datasets are defensible across markets.

What “vintage” means

The population data year you set in Layers → Settings.

Guidance

• Keep one vintage across all territories you compare

• Use LandScan for 2016–2023 comparability; WorldPop for 2024+ recency and placement detail

• Always state vintage + source in deliverables

Use cases

• Territory management — franchise, sales, service; sizing, balancing, and fairness checks.

• Retail & site selection — store/clinic shortlists, cannibalization risk, white-space discovery.

• Public services & health — coverage planning for schools, vaccination sites, and outreach.

• Infrastructure & utilities — demand estimation for telecom, broadband, water, and transport.

• Emergency & humanitarian — population-at-risk screening, logistics staging, and access.

• Policy & research — comparable geographies when admin boundaries differ or change.

Need More Help?

If you run into issues, please contact us.