Glimpse
Brief glimpses into interesting topics and stats.
EnergyJuly 28, 2026Renewables now produce almost a third of global electricity!
Renewable power generation is clocking its fastest growth ever, with biggest jumps in Asia and the Middle East, according to the newest issue of Renewable energy statistics 2026 yearbook.
Source: IRENA — Renewable energy statistics 2026
AgricultureJuly 13, 2026Afghanistan's cultivated agricultural land grew by around 10 percent
Afghanistan marks an increase in cultivated agricultural area, both irrigated and rain-fed.
Source: National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA)
July 1, 2026Embeddings, mega menus and new data
Embedding has been added to Measured World, enabling users to paste our interactive charts on their own sites, keeping the interactive element alive. Additionally, menus were expanded and the site now has 26 new metrics in the Resources category.
EnvironmentJune 21, 2026Coastal vs inland bathing water rated excellent in Europe (2025)
Across the EU, last year's bathing water quality was altogether first-class. Looking at the coastal-inland water divide, the Mediterranean favors coastal waters, while in the Nordics and Estonia the lakes are cleaner than the sea.
Source: European Environment Agency — European bathing water quality in 2025
InfrastructureJune 8, 2026China remains the powerhouse in lithium-ion battery manufacturing
In 2022, China was the world's largest lithium-ion battery producer with 76% of global operational capacity. It will probably remain there in the coming decade.
Source: IEA — Lithium-ion battery manufacturing capacity, 2022-2030. Licence: CC BY 4.0
May 27, 2026New logo, revamped features, new data
InfrastructureMay 18, 2026European rail networks: size vs. how much they get used, 2024
European passengers made 8.7 billion train trips in 2024. The networks they rode on vary by more than 100x in how intensively they are used, from packed Dutch and Swiss lines to sparsely used tracks in the Balkans and Baltics.
Source: Eurostat — Railway transport: length of tracks (ttr00003) and passenger transport (ttr00015)
HealthMay 12, 2026Share of clinic patients allergic to each food, by world region, 2025
How often allergists in 50 countries report each of eight specific food allergens, plus a summary column for patients allergic to multiple foods.
Source: Arasi S et al., World Allergy Organization Journal 2025;18:101123
OverviewMay 7, 2026How Americans spend their leisure time, 2003 to 2024
Two decades of the American Time Use Survey, by activity. TV and movies still dwarf everything else, while time spent gaming has roughly doubled since 2003.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey
EconomyMay 4, 2026Monthly new car payments in the US, 1971 to 2025
A typical new car payment in 1971 was about 10% bigger than today, adjusted for inflation. The five-decade arc captures inflation and longer terms.
Source: Federal Reserve Board, G.19 Consumer Credit
EconomyApril 26, 2026IMF WEO 2026 update
The Economy section now reflects the IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 release, and individual metric pages let you compare new figures against earlier vintages.
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF). World Economic Outlook Database, April 2026.
EducationApril 23, 2026NAEP Civics scores by demographic, Grade 8, 1998 to 2022
An interactive rank bump chart of average NAEP Civics scores for Grade 8 U.S. students, broken down by race, gender, parental education, school location, and other demographics.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES, NAEP 2022 Civics Grade 8 Assessment
EducationApril 13, 2026Two decades of NAEP reading scores, now in decline
NAEP reading assessment data from 2003 to 2024 shows how state-by-state rankings have shifted over two decades
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES, NAEP